Codes of Record

International Energy Conservation Code, residential

Virginia enforces the 2021 IECC residential

The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for residential buildings has been in force in Virginia since Jan 18, 2024. It applies statewide. Adopted by Board of Housing and Community Development (BHCD). The legal citation is 13VAC5-63-10 (USBC 101.2, Note 1); 13VAC5-63-264 (Chapter 13).

Record of adoption

Edition in force

2021 IECC

2021 Virginia Construction Code energy provisions

Verified

In force since
Legal citation
13VAC5-63-10 (USBC 101.2, Note 1); 13VAC5-63-264 (Chapter 13)
Adopted by
Board of Housing and Community Development (BHCD)
Second reading
Applies
Statewide
Also called
VECC, USBC Chapter 13

The 2021 IECC is named in the USBC referenced-codes note; Chapter 13 lists Virginia changes to the IECC without naming an edition.

Coming next

  • 2024 IECCPartial
    No date yetIn development13VAC5-63 (amendment pending)

    2024 VCC base document shows the 2024 IECC replacing the 2021 IECC; an Energy Sub-Workgroup met in 2025. Projected effective date October 2027.

How Virginia adopts the IECC residential

  • Agency rule
  • The legislature reviews the rules and can block them

BHCD sets energy requirements within the USBC by regulation; 36-99 requires standards consistent with energy conservation. The 2021 act H 2227 told the Board to consider amendments addressing the new IECC. General Assembly and Governor can suspend final regulations.

Cycle. Triennial, following the ICC model code cycle.

Laws, rulings, and other actions

  1. Legislation
    H 2227 (2021 Acts, Chapter 425)

    Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to consider adopting USBC amendments to address changes in the new IECC, at least as stringent as the new version.

    Enacted Mar 30, 2021

    law.lis.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)

How it was checked

Verified

Two separate readings of the state’s own record agree, and the passage is on file word for word.

Read twice: a second, blind reading of the state’s record agreed with the first on .

The state’s record was last read on , from three source pages.

Evidence 3 sources

Sources for the record itself come first, the state’s own records ahead of others. A label marks a source about something else, such as an exception. A source marked secondary is not the state’s own record.

  • “2021 International Residential Code (IRC)”

    “2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)”

    “2020 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70”

    13VAC5-63 Part I Construction (full text)Virginia Law (Division of Legislative Services)law.lis.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)Administrative codeRetrieved

  • “Effective January 18, 2024, Virginia adopted the 2021 I-codes as referenced in the Virginia Construction Part 1”

    2021 Virginia Codes effective Jan. 18, 2024Virginia DHCDdhcd.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved

  • “The effective date of the 2021 Uniform Statewide Building Code, Statewide Fire Prevention Code”

    “is January 18, 2024.”

    2021 Virginia Codes Effective DateVirginia DHCDdhcd.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved

Tracker cross-checks

Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not Virginia’s own record.

  • DOE’s energycodes.govCross-checkAgrees with the record

    Current State Code: “2021 IECC”; Effective Date: “01/18/2024”; Enforcement: “Mandatory Statewide”

    energycodes.gov (opens in a new tab)Read

Related pages

Other codes in Virginia