Who We Are

[For Frequently Asked Questions, click here.]

ICC-ES is a nonprofit, public-benefit corporation that does technical evaluations of building products, components, methods, and materials. The evaluation process culminates with the issuance of technical reports that, because they directly address the issue of code compliance, are extremely useful to both regulatory agencies and building-product manufacturers. Agencies use evaluation reports to help determine code compliance and enforce building regulations; manufacturers use reports as evidence that their products (and this is especially important if the products are new and innovative) meet code requirements and warrant regulatory approval. ICC-ES evaluation reports are public documents, available free of charge on the worldwide Web, not only to building regulators and manufacturers, but also to contractors, specifiers, architects, engineers, and anyone else with an interest in the building industry. All of these people look to ICC-ES evaluation reports for evidence that products and systems are code-compliant.

ICC-ES Board of Directors

ICC-ES Evaluation Committee

Evaluation Service Advisory Committee (ESAC)

A New Organization, A Long History

ICC-ES came into being on February 1, 2003, when America's four building-product evaluation services officially combined their operations. The four "legacy" evaluation services that came together to form ICC-ES were the National Evaluation Service, Inc.; BOCAI Evaluation Services; ICBO Evaluation Service, Inc.; and SBCCI Public Service Testing and Evaluation Services, Inc. Through the legacy evaluation services, ICC-ES has a history that goes back more than seventy years.

Our Technical Staff

ICC-ES employs highly experienced evaluation specialists, licensed architects, and professional engineers with expertise in such specialized fields as civil, structural, fire protection, and mechanical engineering. Collectively, the ICC-ES technical staff has literally centuries of experience in evaluating construction products and technology.

Help Promote Safety and Building Innovation

ICC-ES has made a webpage available to Jurisdictions, ICC Chapters, and organizations that would like to incorporate direct recognition of ICC-ES Evaluation Reports, the PMG Listing Program, and the SAVE Program into their existing website. The page has been designed to offer easy access to important information on the ICC-ES website in reference to ICC Evaluation Service. To view instructions and download the webpage for building departments click here or for chapters click here.

The Report Process

The report process begins when a company submits an application for an evaluation report. The application is normally submitted with supporting data such as product information and test reports, along with appropriate fees to cover the cost of the evaluation. (Click here for the fee schedule.) Once the application is received, ICC-ES assigns a member of its technical staff to evaluate the data and work with the applicant to make sure compliance is proven, before a report is issued, with either the building code or an ICC-ES acceptance criteria. (The latter documents are approved by an ICC-ES Evaluation Committee that is made up of building officials from across the United States.) Once the applicant has satisfactorily answered all questions raised by ICC-ES staff, and has fulfilled other applicable requirements, an evaluation report is issued and posted on the worldwide Web--where it may be referenced by thousands of building departments and other interested parties. The applicant is also provided with a printed copy of the report.

New reports are issued for one year, after which they are re-examined and may be reissued at one- or two-year intervals, depending on the applicant's preference.

What ICC-ES Can Do for You

• If you are a building regulator, ICC-ES can tell you about products, systems, materials and methods that are code-compliant.
• If you are a manufacturer, a report from ICC-ES will make it easier to market your building-related product, because you have solid evidence that your product meets code requirements. The report on your product is available for reference by thousands of building departments, as well as other construction-industry professionals, free of charge, through the worldwide Web. For a tiny unit cost, you reach huge numbers of regulators and end users.
• If you are a specifier, designer, architect or contractor, and you want evidence for the local building official that you are using code-complying materials--look for an ICC-ES report!
• If you are a member of the general public, you, too, benefit from the work of ICC-ES--because ICC-ES actively promotes public safety in the built environment. Additionally, you can use evaluation reports to help in selection of building products for your own home or other property.

Contact Us Directly

To better serve our clients and the public, ICC-ES maintains three regional offices. Click for contact information.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Click for questions about the following topics:
- General Questions
- Legacy Reports
- ICC-ES Evaluation Reports
- Testing Laboratories and Inspection Agencies

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General

1. Question: What is ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES), and what is the purpose of its work?
   
   Answer: ICC-ES is a nonprofit, public-benefit corporation 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.
   
   
2. Question: What is an evaluation report?
   
   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.
   
   
3. Question: Who uses evaluation reports?
   
   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.
   
   
4. Question: What is the relationship between the International Code Council (ICC) and ICC-ES?
   
   Answer: ICC-ES is a subsidiary of ICC, but is separately incorporated and has its own board of directors, bylaws, management, staff, rules, and procedures.
   
   
5. Question: Why would I want to apply for an evaluation report?
   
   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.
   
   
6. Question: What is the process for obtaining an evaluation report?
   
   Answer: The "Application Information" section of this web site contains documents that explain the process in detail.
   
   
7. Question: How much does it cost to get an evaluation report?
   
   Answer: See the ICC-ES fee schedule, on the "Application Information" section of this web site.
   
   
8. Question: What is an "additional listee?"
   
   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.
   
   
9. Question: What is the ICC-ES Evaluation Committee?
   
   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.
   
   
10. Question: What are the "legacy" evaluation services?
    
    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.
    
    
11. Question:  How are acceptance criteria put in final form and approved for use?
    
    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 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.
    
    
12. Question:   How can I find out which criteria are on the agenda for any given public hearing, and which criteria are being considered using the alternative acceptance criteria process?
    
    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.
    
    
13. Question: I am looking for a specific evaluation report. How do I find it?
    
    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.
    
    
14. Question: What are "further-study" fees?
    
    Answer: Reports are required to be periodically re-examined. If the re-examination date passes before the re-examination is completed and the report approved, ICC-ES charges monthly "further-study" fees to maintain the existing report until the new report can be issued.
    
    
15. Question: Can I be sure that my ICC-ES report will be accepted by regulatory agencies?
    
    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.
    
    
16. Question: Where are the offices of ICC-ES?
    
    Answer: ICC-ES has a Chicago regional office, a Birmingham regional office, and a Los Angeles regional office. The Los Angeles office is also the business office.
    
    
17. Question: Is there some easy way for interested parties to receive regular updates on the ICC-ES evaluation program, ICC-ES reports and criteria, and so on?
    
    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.
    
    
18. Question: Is ICC-ES accredited?
    
    Answer: Yes, ICC-ES is accredited by the American National Standards Institute under ISO/IEC Guide 65, General Requirements for Bodies Operating Product Certification Systems.

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Legacy Reports

1. Question: What is a legacy report?
   
   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. (In the case of applications for legacy reports that were not approved by March 1, 2004, such applications are required to be converted to an application for a new ICC-ES evaluation report.)
   
   
2. Question: What is the status of legacy reports?
   
   Answer: Any legacy report that appears on the ICC-ES web site is a valid report.
   
   
3. Question: What is the cost of maintaining a legacy report?
   
   Answer: See the ICC-ES fee schedule, in the "Application Information" section of this web site.
   
   
4. Question: What happens to a legacy report when it expires?
   
   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.
   
   
5. Question: Can I make changes to my legacy report?
   
   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.
   
   
6. Question: Can I add new products to my legacy report; or change the products already covered in the 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. The existing legacy report can be maintained, however, if the new/altered product(s) are covered in a new ICC-ES report.
   
   
7. Question: What is the process for consolidating legacy reports issued by two or more organizations into one ICC-ES evaluation report?
   
   Answer: Report holders wanting to consolidate two or more legacy reports into one ICC-ES evaluation report can do so by applying for a new ICC-ES report. Any legacy reports that expire prior to the issuance of the new ICC-ES report may be maintained (under further-study status, and with payment of appropriate fees) until the new ICC-ES report is issued.
   
   
8. Question: Whom do I contact to discuss my existing report originally issued by BOCA ES, ICBO ES, NES or SBCCI PST & ESI?
   
   Answer: You may contact any of the three ICC-ES offices for information. Note that you will also be notified by mail as your re-examination date approaches, and you will receive instructions for filing your re-examination application.

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ICC-ES Evaluation Reports

1. Question: How do I apply for an ICC-ES report?
   
   Answer: The necessary application forms, fee schedule, 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.
   
   
2. Question: Where should I send my application for a new ICC-ES evaluation report?
   
   Answer: Applications for ICC-ES reports should be sent to the Los Angeles Business/Regional office. Work on individual reports is then assigned to the regional offices based on applicant location, staff workload, and staff experience.
   
   
3. Question: What is the cost of securing a new ICC-ES evaluation report?
   
   Answer: The ICC-ES fee schedule is posted on this web site.
   
   
4. Question: How long does it take to get an ICC-ES evaluation report?
   
   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. Given that every evaluation is different, the best information ICC-ES can offer is this: During the first two years of ICC-ES's existence, the time required to get a new ICC-ES report, that was not a conversion of a legacy report or a conversion from a legacy file, varied from three months to 23 months. The average evaluation time, for products ultimately found to meet code, was eleven months.
   
   
5. Question: Does a new ICC-ES report have to include coverage under the International Codes?
   
   Answer: Yes, all ICC-ES reports include review under the International Codes.
   
   
6. Question: Does a new ICC-ES report have to include coverage under the legacy codes; i.e., the National Codes, the Standard Codes, or the Uniform Codes?
   
   Answer: No. The decision to add recognition under the National, Standard or Uniform Codes is strictly up to the applicant.
   
   
7. Question: Does ICC-ES have provisions for interim changes to evaluation reports?
   
   Answer: There are provisions for interim changes to an evaluation report during the period after the report is published but before it is due for re-examination. Administrative changes and minor technical changes (requiring no more than eight technical staff hours) can be handled through an interim revision; substantive technical changes must be made through a re-examination out-of-schedule.
   
   
8. Question: What are acceptance criteria?
   
   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.
   
   
9. Question: What processes are used to develop ICC-ES acceptance criteria?
   
   Answer: ICC-ES acceptance criteria 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.
   
   
10. Question: What is the meeting schedule for the ICC-ES Evaluation Committee?
    
    Answer: The committee's schedule is available in the "Criteria Development" section.
    
    
11. Question: Do manufacturing plant(s) have to be inspected prior to issuance of a new ICC-ES evaluation report?
    
    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.
    
    
12. Question: How many inspections are required?
    
    Answer: For products required to be under periodic inspection by an accredited third-party inspection agency, the required number of inspections is noted in the approved quality documentation. (There must be a minimum of four inspections per year.) For products that do not require third-party inspections, there must be a one-time inspection of the manufacturing facility before the evaluation report is issued.
    
    
13. Question: Is the cost for manufacturing plant inspections included in the basic fee for service, or are there separate charges based on the number of plants inspected, the travel costs, etc.?
    
    Answer: Fees for inspections are not included in the basic fee, but are outlined separately in the ICC-ES fee schedule.

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Testing Laboratories and Inspection Agencies

1. Question: What are ICC-ES requirements for acceptance of data from testing laboratories and inspection agencies?
   
   Answer: Generally, data that consists of laboratory test reports or inspection reports must be from agencies that are accredited for the work in question, either by the International Accreditation Service, Inc. (IAS), or by a party (for laboratories) that is a signatory to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation; or (for inspection agencies) that has a Mutual Recognition Arrangement with IAS.
   
   See also the "Labs/Inspections" section.
   
   
2. Question: What is the International Accreditation Service (IAS)?
   
   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 fabricator inspection programs. For more information, see the IAS web site.
   
   
3. Question: What is the relationship between IAS and ICC-ES, and is IAS involved with the evaluation process?
   
   Answer: ICC-ES uses IAS to provide lists of accredited laboratories and inspection agencies. IAS also provides other services related to quality control issues. IAS is not involved with any decisions related to the issuance of ICC-ES evaluation reports.
   
   
4. Question: What standards does ICC-ES apply for testing laboratories and inspection agencies?
   
   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).
   
   
5. Question: Does ICC-ES accept test data from nonaccredited test laboratories?
   
   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.

 

 

 
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