Editing Model building code (section)

==Application==
===European Union and Canada===
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{{main|Eurocode}} <!--{{editnote|An overview needed!}}--> {{main|National Building Code of Canada}}

===United States===

In the [[United States]], model building codes are adopted by the [[State government|state governments]], [[counties]], [[fire districts]], and [[Municipality|municipalities]]. A number of federal agencies—including the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]], the [[National Park Service]], the [[Department of State]] and the [[United States Forest Service|Forest Service]]—use private-sector model codes for projects funded by the federal government.

Normally, model building codes have a 3–5 year update cycle.  However, due to the length of time that it takes for a jurisdiction to review and approve a new code, the currently enforced version of the local code is often not the most recent edition of the model building code. On which the adopted code is based.

Also, when any given jurisdiction adopts a model building code, it adopts a specific edition of the model code (e.g. the 1997 [[Uniform Building Code]] or the 2006 [[International Building Code]]), which then becomes the [[law]] of that jurisdiction.  As a result of this practice, the adopted codes are not automatically updated. When a new edition of the model code is released by the [[standards organizations|model code developer]], the adopting authority may choose to ignore it and continue using the older version of the model code it adopted. Otherwise, the jurisdiction must vote to update its code and bring its inspectors up to date on the changes being made to the code. Most jurisdictions update their codes regularly to avoid backlash from [[architect]]s and building contractors, who respond to outdated codes by seeking variances to permit the use of more efficient design solutions and technologies accepted in areas using more modern codes.

The model codes may either be adopted outright as the building codes for a jurisdiction, or they may be adopted with amendments or additional rules.  In some cases, the amendments or additional requirements and exemptions are issued as a separate document or, in other cases, the jurisdiction may print, under its own title, a merged code, incorporating all the local revisions. For example, the City of [[Los Angeles]] 2011 Building Code is based on the 2009 International Building Code, which is a model code developed by the International Code Council (ICC).

In the wake of the 2002 case ''Veeck v. Southern Building Code Congress Int'l, Inc.'',<ref>''[http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/293/293.F3d.791.99-40632.html Veeck v. Southern Building Code Congress Int'l, Inc.]'', 293 F.3d 791 (5th Cir. 2002).</ref> the organization Public Resource has published a substantial portion of the enacted building codes on-line, and they are available as .pdf's which are freely downloadable.<ref>[http://bulk.resource.org/codes.gov/ bulk.resource.org/codes.gov] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015074713/http://bulk.resource.org/codes.gov/ |date=2008-10-15 }} Public Resource website</ref> The ''Veeck'' case has had the effect of placing the text of the adopted model codes into the [[public domain]], although the model codes themselves, until they are adopted into law, are not in the public domain.

Some model building codes commonly used in the [[United States]]:
* ''[[International Building Code]]'' by the [[International Code Council]]
* ''[[NFPA 5000]]'' by the [[National Fire Protection Association]]
* ''[[National Electrical Code]]'' by the [[National Fire Protection Association]]