IBC 1607 / 2902 · Loads & fixtures

How to read IBC live load and plumbing fixture tables

What the design live loads on the structural notes mean for staging and use changes, and how to count required toilets and lavatories from Table 2902.1 — with worked examples.

Need the actual tables? Read IBC Tables 1607.1 and 2902.1 (and IPC Table 403.1) in the free ICC viewer →

Table 1607.1 live loads — what the contractor needs to know

Step	What you do	Why it matters in the field
1	Find the design live loads on the structural general notes (usually the first S-sheet)	The engineer lists the uniform (psf) and concentrated (lb) loads used for each area
2	Match each area of the building to its Table 1607.1 use (office, corridor, storage, mechanical, roof, etc.)	A tenant who turns an office into file storage or a server room may exceed the design load
3	Note both the uniform load and any concentrated load for the use	Heavy point loads (safes, equipment pads, lifts) are checked separately from the uniform load
4	Compare construction loads to the design basis — material stockpiles, lifts, shoring	Stacked drywall, block or rebar on a new slab can exceed its design load; ask the EOR before staging
5	Flag use changes with an RFI	Table 1607.1 is a design minimum; only the engineer can confirm an area can take more

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 1607.1 and 2902.1 (and IPC Table 403.1) free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

Worked example — staging on an office floor

Input / step	Value	Source
Area use	Office	Plans
Design uniform live load for offices	50 psf	Table 1607.1 / structural notes
First-floor lobby and corridors	100 psf	Table 1607.1 / structural notes
Planned staging	A pallet of drywall over roughly a 4 ft × 8 ft footprint	Field
What to do	A full stack of drywall can easily exceed 50 psf over its footprint — get the EOR’s staging limits before landing it on the office bays	RFI

Worked example values only. Construction loads are the contractor’s responsibility to plan with the engineer — this is not a structural calculation.

Table 2902.1 plumbing fixtures — how to count, step by step

Step	What you do	Watch out for
1	Start from the occupant load (Table 1004.5) for each occupancy	Use the same occupant load the egress plan uses unless the AHJ approves otherwise
2	Split it by sex — normally 50/50 unless approved data shows otherwise	Apply the ratios to each half separately
3	Find the occupancy row in Table 2902.1 and read the ratio for water closets, lavatories, bathtubs/showers, drinking fountains and other fixtures	Several rows use a stepped ratio — one rate for the first block of occupants, a looser rate for the rest
4	Divide and round each fixture count up to the next whole number	Round each sex separately — you cannot share a fraction across restrooms
5	Check the exceptions for single-user / family facilities, small occupant loads and urinal substitution	These change between editions — read your adopted edition and local amendments

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 1607.1 and 2902.1 (and IPC Table 403.1) free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

Worked example — water closets for an 80-occupant office

Input / step	Value	Source
Occupant load	80 (12,000 sq ft ÷ 150)	Table 1004.5
Split by sex	40 male / 40 female	50/50 split
Group B water closet ratio	1 per 25 for the first 50, then 1 per 50 for the rest	Table 2902.1
Per sex	40 ÷ 25 = 1.6 → 2 water closets	Round up
Total	4 water closets (2 per restroom)

Worked example values only. Lavatories, drinking fountains and service sinks are counted the same way from their own columns.

Common mistakes

Mistake	What to do instead
Applying the fixture ratio to the whole occupant load at once	Split by sex first, then apply the ratio and round each half up
Using a different occupant load for fixtures than for egress	Start from the same Table 1004.5 number unless the AHJ approves otherwise
Assuming the IBC and IPC tables always match locally	Many jurisdictions amend one and not the other — check both
Staging heavy material on a floor without checking design loads	Read the structural notes and ask the EOR for allowable construction loads
Letting a tenant change the use of a space without review	Storage, assembly and equipment rooms often carry higher live loads and more fixtures

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 1607.1 and 2902.1 (and IPC Table 403.1) free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

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Two tables on every commercial set

Read Tables 1607.1 and 2902.1 in the free ICC digital codes viewer. ICC offers free read-only access to the I-Codes, including the International Plumbing Code. This page explains the 2021 and 2024 IBC tables; it does not reproduce them.

Table 1607.1 lists minimum uniform and concentrated live loads by use. The engineer designs to it and lists the result on the structural general notes. For the field it answers two questions: can this area take the material we want to stage here, and does the owner’s new use still fit the design? A typical office is designed for 50 psf, while first-floor lobbies and corridors are designed for 100 psf.

Table 2902.1 sets the minimum number of water closets, lavatories, bathtubs or showers, drinking fountains and service sinks by occupancy. Start from the occupant load, split it by sex, apply the ratio and round up. For an 80-person office, 40 per sex at the Group B ratio of 1 per 25 for the first 50 gives 2 water closets per restroom. The same table appears in the International Plumbing Code as Table 403.1.

The occupant load comes from IBC Table 1004.5; occupancy and construction type from the allowable height and area guide. This page is not a substitute for the engineer or design professional of record, and is not a structural calculation. Field PM logs RFIs, staging photos and daily reports on the job so load and use questions are answered on the record.

FAQ

What is the live load for an office floor?+

IBC Table 1607.1 lists 50 psf uniform live load for office areas, with higher values for lobbies and corridors and a separate concentrated load. The actual design value for your job is on the structural general notes. Read the table free at codes.iccsafe.org.

Can I stage material on a floor rated for its design live load?+

Only within limits the engineer of record sets. A concentrated stack of drywall, block or rebar can exceed the uniform design load over its footprint. Construction loading is the contractor’s responsibility to plan with the EOR.

How many toilets does an office building need?+

Take the occupant load, split it 50/50 by sex, and apply the Group B water closet ratio in IBC Table 2902.1 — 1 per 25 for the first 50 and 1 per 50 for the remainder — rounding each half up. Then count lavatories, drinking fountains and a service sink the same way.

What is the difference between IBC Table 2902.1 and IPC Table 403.1?+

They are the same requirement published in both codes: IBC Chapter 29 mirrors the International Plumbing Code Section 403.1. Local amendments sometimes change one and not the other, so check which one your AHJ enforces for fixture counts.

Are these the engineer’s or the contractor’s responsibility?+

The design professionals set design loads and fixture counts. The contractor should understand them to catch use changes, plan construction loads, and avoid building a restroom layout that fails the count after a tenant change.

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