Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Answer: The "Application Information" section of this web site contains documents that explain the process in detail.

Answer: Yes, ICC-ES is accredited under ISO/IEC 17065 Conformity Assessment – Requirements for Bodies Certifying Products, Processes, and Services by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), and Entidad Mexicana de la Acreditación (ema).

Answer: This web site is the major source of information on ICC-ES, and is updated regularly. ICC-ES also publishes an electronic newsletter that is both posted on this web site (see the ICC-ES News section) and disseminated by e-mail.

Answer: ICC-ES has a Central Regional office in Chicago, Illinois, an Eastern Regional office in Birmingham, Alabama, and a Regional office in Brea, Calif. The Western Regional office is also the business office.

Answer: Evaluation reports are only advisory. The authority having jurisdiction is always the final decision-maker with respect to acceptance of the product in question.

Answer: All current and valid evaluation reports are available on this web site, and you can search for reports by the product name, the name of the product manufacturer, or the type of product. If you search and still can’t find it, it may be that there is no current report; or call any of the ICC-ES offices for assistance.

Answer:  To keep interested parties informed about proposals for new or revised acceptance criteria, ICC-E sends an e-mail notification when the agenda is set for each Evaluation Committee meeting, and six times a year it posts an agenda on its web site for the alternative process.  If you would like to be added to the list of persons notified by e-mail about committee meetings, please contact us at es@icc-es.org. If you would like to be notified about criteria being considered under the alternative process, please click here.

Answer:  ICC-ES has two methods by which acceptance criteria are approved.  Most criteria, as noted above, are subject to public hearings of the Evaluation rules Committee; but criteria falling into selected categories are considered and approved through an alternative acceptance criteria process that includes posting of the proposed criteria to the ICC-ES web site for public comment, and electronic balloting by the Evaluation Committee.  In general, the alternative process provides a quicker way to develop and approve simpler items that, in the opinion of ICC-ES management, do not require consideration at Evaluation Committee hearings.

Answer: Prior to February 1,2003, there were four different building-product evaluation services in the United States: the National Evaluation Service (NES), BOCA evaluation services (BOCA ES), ICBO Evaluation Service (ICBO ES), and SBCCI Public Safety Testing and Evaluation Services, Inc. (SBCCI PST & ESI). On February 1, 2003, these four “legacy” services combined their operations as ICC Evaluation Service.

Answer: The Evaluation Committee is made up of code officials from across the United States who volunteer their time to help ICC-ES. Three times a year, the committee holds public hearings to consider acceptance criteria and other items related to ICC-ES operations. Where code requirements are not clear, ICC-ES may use committee-approved acceptance criteria to perform product evaluations.

Answer: An additional listee is a company, in addition to the company that has been issued an evaluation report, that is also shown in the report as producing or distributing products under the report. The report holder must formally request to have additional listees included in the report.

Answer: Fees may vary. Contact us for a Statement of Work and/or an initial estimate.

Answer: An ICC-ES evaluation report provides evidence that a building product complies with code. This can make it easier to get the product accepted by regulators, and by the building industry in general.

Answer: ICC-ES is a subsidiary of ICC, but is a separate company and has its own management, staff, rules, and procedures.

Answer: ICC-ES evaluation reports are aimed particularly at making it easier for those charged with enforcing code—building officials, building departments, building inspectors in the field—to determine the compliance of products with code. Evaluation reports are also used extensively by architects, engineers, contractors, specifiers, and others in the building industry who have an interest in making sure products and systems meet building-code requirements.

Answer: An evaluation report presents the findings of ICC-ES as to the compliance with code requirements of the subject of the report—a particular building product, component, method or material.

Answer: ICC-ES is a nonprofit, limited liability company that does technical evaluations of building products, components, methods, and materials. If it is found that the subject of an evaluation complies with code requirements, then ICC-ES publishes a report to that effect, and makes the report available to the public. ICC-ES evaluation reports are intended mainly to aid agencies that enforce building regulations, by assisting them to determine code compliance. On the other hand, companies that hold evaluation reports find them to be of great value, because their products have been recognized as code-complying by an organization known for its independence, impartiality, and technical expertise. ICC-ES also has growing programs for evaluation of plumbing, mechanical, and fuel gas products, and of “green” building products.

Answer: The listing will include important product information, the applicable standards, and references to the relevant sections of the International Codes.

Answer: Please contact ICC-ES and we can discuss your situation. A listing may be appropriate, or you may need an evaluation report.

Answer: It is sometimes possible to obtain a listing to a standard not included in the codes. However, there will be no code reference in such listing reports.

Answer: A listing may be obtained for components or subassemblies already covered by an existing evaluation report.

Answer: For details regarding specific pricing, please contact us directly at 1-800-423-6587. You may also send an email to Danny Wong, Staff Engineer or Michael Temesvary, Director of Sales.

Answer: Code officials routinely require proof of compliance of products with the applicable requirements of the International Building Code and International Residential Code. An ICC-ES listing simplifies the approval of products by code officials and reduces the burden on manufacturers.

Answer: The number of included standards is only limited by the applicability to the product.

Answer: You can find program documents and an application at icc-es.org/building-products-listing-program/listing-categories or contact us directly at 1-800-423-6587. You can also send an email to Danny Wong, Senior Staff Engineer or Michael Temesvary, Director of Sales.

Answer: After all required data is submitted, the listing can be published within eight weeks.

Answer: The listing program covers specific products which may meet consensus standards. Moreover, the program covers only specific aspects of the product as outlined in the standard and specific related code sections. The ICC-ES product evaluation process, on the other hand, is specifically formulated to address innovative products where code requirements are not clear and national consensus standards do not apply. Moreover, evaluation reports cover all aspects of the product, from components to installation.

Answer: Manufacturers who wish to show their building product’s compliance with code-referenced consensus standards may apply for a listing. The Product Categories covered by the ICC-ES listing program are shown on the ICC-ES website.

Answer: The ICC-ES listing program offers a fast and cost-effective way for building product manufacturers to show their product’s compliance with consensus standards referenced in the building codes.

Answer: Information regarding fees is available upon request.

Answer: For products subject to regular, ongoing follow-up inspections, the required number of inspections is noted in the approved quality documentation. For products that do not require regular ongoing inspections, there must be a qualifying inspection of the manufacturing facility before the evaluation report is issued, and an annual follow-up inspection thereafter.

Answer: ICC-ES requires qualifying inspections at manufacturing plants in conjunction with initial report applications, addition of new products to existing reports, or where new manufacturing facilities are added to a report.

Answer: The committee’s schedule is available in the “Criteria Development” section.

Answer: ICC-ES acceptance hcriteria are developed cooperatively between ICC-ES staff and report applicants, and are discussed and approved, usually in open hearings with public input, by the ICC-ES Evaluation Committee.

Answer: An acceptance criteria is developed when an application is received for an ICC-ES report on a product that is an alternative to what is specified in the code, and there is no existing criteria that would apply to the product. Acceptance criteria may also be developed when the codes are not clear in a particular area or on specific issues related to a product; when industry raises concerns regarding report requirements; or when a new criteria is deemed necessary by the report applicant, ICC-ES staff, or the ICC-ES Evaluation Committee. Click here for current acceptance criteria.

Answer: Report holders can apply at any time for revisions. Of course, data and fees must be submitted.

Answer: No. The decision to add recognition under the National, Standard or Uniform Codes is strictly up to the applicant. The legacy codes are little used these days, however, so few applicants ask for their inclusion.

Answer: Yes, all ICC-ES reports include review under the International Codes.

Answer: The length of the evaluation process depends on such factors as the complexity of the product under consideration; whether an acceptance criteria needs to be developed and approved; and the applicant’s promptness and thoroughness in submitting data. Every evaluation is different.

Answer: Fees may vary. Contact us for a Statement of Work and/or an initial estimate.

Answer: Applications for ICC-ES reports should be sent to the Western Regional office in Brea, Calif. Work on individual reports is then assigned to the regional offices based on applicant location, staff workload, and staff experience.

Answer: The necessary application forms, instructions, and procedures are posted on this web site. See especially the “Application Information” section of the web site, and the Rules of Procedure for Evaluation Reports.

Answer: Any legacy report that appears on the ICC-ES web site is a valid report.

 Answer: No. This would constitute a technical change to your report, and an application for a new ICC-ES report (or conversion of the legacy report to an ICC-ES report) would be required.

Answer: The only changes permitted to legacy reports are those considered editorial in nature, such as a change of name or address, or deletion of a product or listee. When technical changes are desired or necessary, an application for a new ICC-ES report (or conversion of the legacy report to an ICC-ES report) is required.

Answer: ICC-ES notifies report holders of the need to renew their legacy report prior to its expiration date. Should a report holder wish to renew a legacy report without change or with editorial change only, ICC-ES rules allow this. On the other hand, should a technical change to the report be desired or necessary, an application for a new ICC-ES report (or conversion of the legacy report to an ICC-ES report) is required, and all rules and procedures of ICC-ES apply.

Answer: A legacy report is an evaluation report that was originally issued by BOCA ES, ICBO ES, NES or SBCCI PST & ESI, and that was in good standing at the time these organizations came together to form ICC-ES; or may be an evaluation report issued as a result of an application received by one of the above-noted organizations prior to March 1, 2003, with the application being approved by March 1, 2004.

Answer: You may contact either organization. To reach ICC-ES, you may contact Michael Temesvary, Director of Sales and Partnerships, at (800) 423-6587, ext. 3877,  Dawn LaFleur-Qualley, Director of Plumbing, Mechanical and Gas (PMG), at (800) 423-6587, ext. 3772 or you may contact our Connect+ Customer Care department at (800) 423-6587, ext. 1.

Answer: In very special circumstances, ICC-ES may accept data from nonaccredited laboratories. Applicants interested in having tests performed by such laboratories should always consult with ICC-ES before contracting for the testing.

Answer:For testing laboratories, ICC-ES uses ISO/IEC 17025, General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. For inspection agencies, ICC-ES uses ISO/IEC 17020, General Criteria for the Operation of Types of Bodies Performing Inspection, and its own Acceptance Criteria for Inspection Agencies (AC304).

Answer: IAS is a member of the ICC family of companies. It accredits, under national and international standards, testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, inspection agencies, building departments, and other agencies. For more information, see the IAS web site.

Answer: Generally, data that consists of laboratory test reports or inspection reports must be from agencies that are accredited for the work in question by a party that is a signatory to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.