IBC 601 / 602 / 716 · Fire ratings

How IBC fire-resistance rating tables fit together

Construction type sets the element ratings, fire separation distance sets the exterior wall ratings, and the wall rating sets the door rating. Here is how to read Tables 601, 602 and 716.1(2).

Need the actual tables? Read IBC Tables 601, 602 and 716.1(2) in the free ICC viewer →

Which table answers which question?

Question on the job	Table	Read it by
How many hours does the frame, bearing wall, floor or roof need?	Table 601	Construction type column × building-element row
How many hours does this exterior wall need?	Table 602 (and the higher of it and 601)	Fire separation distance row × occupancy group column
Are openings allowed in this exterior wall, and how many?	Section 705 (exterior wall openings table)	Fire separation distance and whether openings are protected or sprinklered
What rating does the door, frame or glazing in this rated wall need?	Table 716.1(2) (doors), 716.1(3) (windows)	Type of wall assembly × wall rating
How do I build a rated assembly?	UL / listed design referenced on the drawings	The listing, not the IBC table

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 601, 602 and 716.1(2) free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the IBC edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

How to read the three tables together, step by step

Step	What you do	Watch out for
1	Confirm the construction type on the code sheet	Table 601 has a column per type — IA through VB, with the mass-timber IV types
2	In Table 601, read the rows for primary frame, bearing walls, nonbearing walls, floor and roof	The footnotes can reduce roof ratings or allow sprinklers to substitute in some cases
3	Find the fire separation distance for each exterior wall — measured to the lot line, street centerline, or an imaginary line between buildings	FSD is measured perpendicular to the wall face, not diagonally to the lot corner
4	In Table 602, read the row for that FSD and the column for the occupancy group; an exterior bearing wall must meet the higher of 601 and 602	Ratings usually drop as distance grows — a wall near the lot line may need a rating the type alone would not
5	For each rated wall with a door or window, find the wall type and rating in Table 716.1(2)/(3)	Fire barriers, fire partitions, smoke barriers and exterior walls each have their own rows
6	Match the labels on doors, frames and glazing to the required rating	The whole assembly — door, frame, hardware, glass — must be listed for the rating

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 601, 602 and 716.1(2) free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the IBC edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

Worked example — nonsprinklered Type IIA office with a rated corridor

Input / step	Value	Source
Construction type	IIA (noncombustible, protected)	Code sheet
Required rating for the primary structural frame	1 hour	Table 601, IIA column
What that means in the field	Spray fireproofing or a listed board system at the thickness the UL design calls for	Drawings / listing
Corridor wall (fire partition) rating on the life-safety plan	1 hour (as designed)	Drawings
Door rating in a 1-hour corridor fire partition	20 minutes, self-closing and latching	Table 716.1(2)

Worked example values only. Look up the full tables in the free ICC viewer.

Common field mistakes

Mistake	What to do instead
Assuming the wall rating equals the door rating	Opening protectives are usually rated lower than the wall — use Table 716.1(2)
Measuring fire separation distance to the neighbor’s building	Measure to the lot line (or street centerline, or an imaginary line between buildings on one lot)
Patching fireproofing with the wrong product or thickness	Follow the listed design; get the fireproofing inspector to sign off before cover-up
Penetrating a rated wall without a listed firestop system	Match each penetration to a tested system (Section 714) and photo-document it
Installing an unlabeled frame or lite in a rated opening	Check labels on delivery — a missing label is a failed inspection

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 601, 602 and 716.1(2) free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the IBC edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

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Ratings you build, inspect, and firestop

Read Tables 601, 602 and 716.1(2) in the free ICC digital codes viewer. ICC offers free read-only access to the I-Codes. This page explains how the tables relate under the 2021 and 2024 IBC; it does not reproduce them.

Table 601 converts the construction type into hourly ratings for the structure: primary frame, bearing walls, nonbearing walls, floors and roofs. Table 602 rates exterior walls by how close they sit to the lot line (fire separation distance) and by occupancy group. Table 716.1(2) then tells you the rating the door assembly in each rated wall needs, which is usually lower than the wall itself.

Worked example. A Type IIA office needs a 1-hour primary structural frame under Table 601 — that is the spray fireproofing or board on every column and beam. Where the life-safety plan shows a 1-hour corridor fire partition, Table 716.1(2) calls for a 20-minute self-closing, latching door assembly in it.

Whether a corridor needs a rating at all is an egress question — see IBC egress requirements (Table 1020.2). Construction type also drives allowable height and area. This page is not a substitute for the design professional of record. Field PM keeps firestop photos, inspection sign-offs and RFIs on the job record so nothing gets covered up undocumented.

FAQ

What does IBC Table 601 tell you?+

It lists the fire-resistance rating in hours that each building element — primary frame, bearing walls, nonbearing walls, floors and roofs — needs for each construction type. The construction type is set by the designer; Table 601 turns it into ratings. Read it free at codes.iccsafe.org.

How is Table 602 different from Table 601?+

Table 602 rates exterior walls based on their fire separation distance and the occupancy group — it protects neighbors from exposure. An exterior bearing wall must meet whichever of Table 601 or Table 602 is higher.

What rating does a door in a 1-hour corridor need?+

In a 1-hour fire partition corridor, Table 716.1(2) calls for a 20-minute door assembly that is self-closing and positive-latching. Other wall types (fire barriers, fire walls, shafts) require higher door ratings — check the table.

What is fire separation distance?+

The distance measured at right angles from the face of the building to the nearest lot line, the centerline of a street, or an imaginary line between two buildings on the same lot. It drives both the exterior wall rating and how many openings are allowed.

Who decides the ratings — the contractor or the architect?+

The design professional of record. The contractor’s job is to build the listed assemblies exactly as specified, maintain labels and firestopping, and raise an RFI before substituting anything.

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