Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference

ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) Exam (2015 IRC)

National  ·  Pearson Vue

Verified, not estimated. Every figure below is drawn from the official exam structure we maintain — question counts, passing standard and topic weighting. Practice questions are grounded in the source law with statute citations. We omit any figure we can't verify rather than guess at it.
Total questions
80
Passing score
70%
Exam time
240 min
Administered by
Pearson Vue
Format
Reference materials allowed

National State Portion 80 questions

Permits and General Regulations 17 Q · 21%
Regulations and Job PlanningCode Definitions and TermsPermit application requirements and proceduresWork exempt from permit requirementsPermit validity, expiration, and extensionTypes and sequence of required inspectionsCertificate of occupancy requirements and issuanceBuilding official authority, duties, and powersViolations, stop work orders, and penaltiesBoard of appeals authority and limitationsScope and AdministrationDefinitions
Building Safety and Life Planning 13 Q · 16%
Fire & Smoke Alarms & Fire Protection SysOccupancy Needs & Interior EnvironmentExiting & Means of EgressFire-Resistant Construction & Separation (exterior walls, townhouse/two-family dwelling separations, dwelling-garage separation)Fireblocking & Draftstopping RequirementsGuards & Window Fall ProtectionBuilding Planning
Structural Systems 40 Q · 50%
Footings and FoundationsConcreteFloorsWall Framing and StairsRoof Ceiling Construction Roof AssemblyMasonryWall Bracing Methods and RequirementsCold-Formed Steel Wall FramingHeaders and Girder SpansDrilling and Notching Limitations for Studs and Top PlatesFoundation Anchorage and Sill Plate AttachmentChimney and Fireplace Structural Requirements +5 more
Building Envelope 10 Q · 13%
Interior FinishesGlass and GlazingExterior Finishes and Roof CoveringsWater-resistive barriers and vapor retardersFlashing installation requirements and locationsSiding and cladding attachment (fasteners, thickness, and wind resistance)Exterior masonry and stone veneer (anchored and adhered)Roof underlayment types, application, and ice barriersRoof covering minimum slopes and deck requirementsReroofing and roof re-cover requirementsWall CoveringRoof Assemblies

Key Distinctions

Metal roof panelvsMetal roof shingle

Both are interlocking metal sheets used as roof covering, but a metal roof panel has an installed weather exposure of not less than 3 square feet per sheet while a metal roof shingle has an installed weather exposure of less than 3 square feet per sheet.

IRC 2015 Section R202 (METAL ROOF PANEL; METAL ROOF SHINGLE)
Natural light glazing for habitable rooms (8%)vsNatural ventilation openable area for habitable rooms (4%)

Habitable rooms relying on natural light need an aggregate glazing area of not less than 8 percent of floor area, while the openable area for natural ventilation must be not less than 4 percent of floor area.

IRC 2015 Section R303.1
Townhouse common wall with P2904 sprinkler systemvsTownhouse common wall without sprinkler system

Where a fire sprinkler system per Section P2904 is provided the common wall shall be not less than a 1-hour fire-resistance-rated assembly (ASTM E 119 or UL 263); where no sprinkler system is provided a 2-hour assembly is required.

IRC 2015 Section R302.2
Crawl space access opening through the floorvsCrawl space access opening through the perimeter wall

Access through the floor to under-floor space shall be a minimum of 18 inches by 24 inches, while an opening through a perimeter wall shall be not less than 16 inches by 24 inches (with a below-grade areaway of the same minimum size).

IRC 2015 Section R408.4
Cold-formed steel floor joist bearing at exterior wallvsCold-formed steel floor joist bearing at interior wall

Bearing support length shall be not less than 1-1/2 inches at exterior wall supports and not less than 3-1/2 inches at interior wall supports.

IRC 2015 Section R505.3.2
General cripple wall bracing factor (1.15) — R602.10.11vsCripple wall factor for interior braced wall lines not on a continuous foundation (1.5) — R602.10.11.1, applies only in Seismic Design Categories D0 and D1 and townhouses in Seismic Design Category C

Cripple walls braced with the same method and tabulated length as the wall above multiply the required bracing length by 1.15; in addition, in Seismic Design Categories D0 and D1 (and townhouses in Seismic Design Category C), where braced wall lines at interior walls are not supported on a continuous foundation below, the adjacent parallel cripple walls must be braced with Method WSP or CS-WSP with the Table R602.10.3(3) length multiplied by 1.5.

IRC 2015 Section R602.10.11
Stairway clear width with handrail on one sidevsStairway clear width with handrails on both sides

At and below the permitted handrail height the clear width shall be not less than 31-1/2 inches with a handrail on one side and not less than 27 inches with handrails on both sides (36 inches minimum above handrail height; 26 inches is the spiral stairway minimum).

IRC 2015 Section R311.7.1
Ionization smoke alarm without alarm-silencing switchvsIonization alarm with silencing switch / photoelectric alarm

An ionization alarm without a silencing switch shall not be installed less than 20 feet horizontally from a permanently installed cooking appliance, while the distance is 10 feet for an ionization alarm with a silencing switch and 6 feet for a photoelectric alarm.

IRC 2015 Section R314.3.1
General guard opening limitvsGuard opening limit on the open side of stairs

The general guard limit prohibits passage of a 4-inch sphere, while guards on the open side of stairs may have openings that do not allow passage of a 4-3/8-inch sphere, and the triangular opening formed by riser, tread and bottom rail is limited to a 6-inch sphere.

IRC 2015 Section R312.1.3
AdditionvsAlteration / Repair

An addition is an extension or increase in floor area OR height of a building (so adding a second story is an addition), while an alteration is construction other than repair or addition and a repair is renewal of part of a building for maintenance or to correct damage.

IRC 2015 Section R202 (Addition)
LabeledvsListed / Approved

Labeled means a label, seal, symbol or mark of a nationally recognized testing laboratory or inspection agency that maintains periodic inspection of production has been affixed; listed means inclusion in a published list, and approved means acceptable to the building official.

IRC 2015 Section R202 (Labeled)
Egress door landing where the door swings over the landingvsEgress door landing where the door does not swing over the landing

Where the door swings outward over the landing, the landing or finished floor shall be not more than 1-1/2 inches lower than the top of the threshold; the 7-3/4-inch allowance applies only where the door does not swing over the landing or floor.

IRC 2015 Section R311.3.1
Cold-formed steel load-bearing wall stud web hole (70%)vsReinforcing gable endwall stud hole (65%)

A load-bearing steel framing member must be replaced or designed by accepted engineering practice where the hole depth across the web exceeds 70 percent of the flat width of the web (Section R603.2.6.3), while the 65-percent figure applies to reinforcing gable endwall stud holes under Section R603.2.6.2.

IRC 2015 Section R603.2.6.3

Key Terms

Townhouse IRC 2015 Section R202 (Townhouse)
A single-family dwelling unit constructed in a group of three or more attached units, each extending from foundation to roof with a yard or public way on not less than two sides.
Building, Existing IRC 2015 Section R202 (Building, Existing)
A building erected prior to the adoption of this code, or one for which a legal building permit has been issued.
Accessory structure IRC 2015 Section R202 (Accessory Structure)
A structure that is accessory to and incidental to that of the dwelling(s) and that is located on the same lot (the 200-square-foot and one-story conditions belong to the permit exemptions of R105.2, not the definition).
Addition IRC 2015 Section R202 (Addition)
An extension or increase in floor area or height of a building or structure.
Labeled IRC 2015 Section R202 (Labeled)
Equipment, materials or products to which has been affixed a label, seal, symbol or other identifying mark of a nationally recognized testing laboratory or inspection agency that maintains periodic inspection of production.
Single ply membrane IRC 2015 Section R202 (SINGLE PLY MEMBRANE)
A roofing membrane that is field applied using one layer of membrane material, either homogeneous or composite, rather than multiple layers.
Photovoltaic module IRC 2015 Section R202 (PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE)
A complete, environmentally protected unit consisting of solar cells, optics and other components, exclusive of a tracker, designed to generate DC power where exposed to sunlight.
Photovoltaic panel IRC 2015 Section R202 (PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL)
A collection of photovoltaic modules mechanically fastened together, wired, and designed to provide a field-installable unit (a photovoltaic panel system is the overall system of discrete panels including rack supports).
Scope of the IRC (R101.2) IRC 2015 Section R101.2
The residential code applies to detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories above grade plane in height with a separate means of egress, and their accessory structures not more than three stories above grade plane.
Appendix provisions (R102.5) IRC 2015 Section R102.5
Provisions in the code appendices shall not apply unless specifically referenced in the adopting ordinance.
Permit application content (R105.3) IRC 2015 Section R105.3
The written application must identify the work, describe the land, indicate intended use and occupancy, and state the valuation of the proposed work.
Stop work order (R114.1, R114.2) IRC 2015 Section R114.1
A written order given to the owner, the owner's authorized agent or the person performing the work that states the conditions under which work will be permitted to resume; continuing work subjects a person to penalties except work directed to remove a violation or unsafe condition.
Board of appeals authority (R112.2) IRC 2015 Section R112.2
An appeal must claim the code was incorrectly interpreted, that its provisions do not fully apply, or that an equally good or better form of construction is proposed; the board shall not have authority to waive requirements of the code.
Certificate of occupancy content (R110.3) IRC 2015 Section R110.3
Must contain, among other items, the permit number, address, owner's name and address, description of the portion covered, a compliance statement, the name of the building official, and the edition of the code under which the permit was issued.
Modification (R104.10) IRC 2015 Section R104.10
A building official's grant of relief for practical difficulties, allowed only on finding it does not lessen health, life and fire safety or structural requirements, with the details recorded and entered in the files of the department of building safety.
Expansive soil (R403.1.8.1) IRC 2015 Section R403.1.8.1
Soil meeting listed criteria, one of which is a Plasticity Index of 15 or greater determined in accordance with ASTM D 4318 (an Expansion Index greater than 20 is a separate criterion).
Draftstop (R302.12) IRC 2015 Section R302.12
Required in combustible construction where there is usable space both above and below the concealed space of a floor-ceiling assembly, installed so the concealed space area does not exceed 1,000 square feet divided into approximately equal areas.

Formulas to Know

Minimum aggregate glazing area for natural light in a habitable roomGlazing area = floor area x 0.08 (not less than 8%); worked example: 300 sq ft x 0.08 = 24 sq ft
Minimum openable area for natural ventilation in a habitable roomOpenable area = floor area x 0.04 (not less than 4%); worked example: 300 sq ft x 0.04 = 12 sq ft
Required cripple wall bracing length (general)Required length = tabulated length for the wall above x 1.15; any adjustment for omitting gypsum wall board on the inside face is taken in addition to the 1.15 increase
Cripple wall bracing where interior braced wall lines lack a continuous foundation (Seismic Design Categories D0 and D1, and townhouses in Seismic Design Category C)Required length = length from Table R602.10.3(3) x 1.5, using Method WSP or CS-WSP (applies only in SDC D0/D1 and townhouses in SDC C)
Cold-formed steel web hole limit requiring replacement/engineered designReplace or design by accepted engineering practice where hole depth across web > 70% of the flat width of the web, or the hole length exceeds 10 inches or the web depth, whichever is greater
Roof slope at which asphalt shingles follow the manufacturer instead of code fastener minimumsSlope exceeding 21 units vertical in 12 units horizontal (= 175-percent slope); otherwise not less than 4 fasteners per strip shingle or 2 per individual shingle
Permit exemption for water tanks supported directly upon gradeCapacity not exceeding 5,000 gallons AND ratio of height to diameter or width not exceeding 2 to 1
Permit exemption height for retaining wallsHeight measured from bottom of footing to top of wall not over 4 feet, and not supporting a surcharge
Permit/application time limitsPermit invalid unless work commenced within 180 days of issuance (or suspended/abandoned 180 days after commencement); application deemed abandoned 180 days after filing unless pursued in good faith; building official may grant written extensions of not more than 180 days each
Guard trigger for open-sided walking surfacesGuard required where the surface is more than 30 inches vertically above the floor or grade below at any point within 36 inches horizontally to the edge of the open side
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