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How to read an ICC-ES report
The header on an ICC-ES PDF is not the product. Open the file. On ESL-1689 the title is BrandGuard Vents. The evaluated models are in Table 1. The limits are in Conditions of listing. An ESL is not an evaluation report (ESR). It is not an OSFM BML number. The building official still decides.
You are on page 1 of ESL-1689. The title says BrandGuard Vents. Scroll to Table 1 and to Conditions of listing. Those two blocks are what you spec. The header is the family.
This page walks the PDF. The program split lives on ICC-ES. The five document layers live on how to read a listing. Do not stop at either hub.
Why it matters
People copy “ICC-ES” onto a drawing and stop. Embers enter the opening you actually built. ESL-1689 is a listing to ASTM E2886 for named BrandGuard models. If you spec the brand and skip Table 1, you have not specified the listing. If you skip Conditions of listing, you have not read the limits.
How an ICC-ES PDF is built
ICC-ES publishes two documents. Read Do I need an ESR or ESL?.
| Letters | What the PDF is | What fools people |
|---|---|---|
| ESR | Evaluation report. How a named product meets I-Code provisions. May use Acceptance Criteria when the code does not fully address the product. Includes identification, installation, and conditions of use. | Treating the product name as the whole evaluation |
| ESL | Listing. Compliance with a consensus test method already referenced in the codes, and only the aspects in that standard. ESL-1689 is this kind. The matching heading is Conditions of listing. | Treating “BrandGuard Vents” as a model |
Search and download at icc-es.org. Bookmark the PDF, not a search box.
The ESL-1689 walkthrough
Open ESL-1689. Issued July 2026. Subject to renewal July 2027. Confirm those dates on the live file. Listings renew.
1. Letters and number. The first line is ICC-ES Listing Report. The number is ESL-1689. If the file said ESR, you would be in a different program.
2. Product versus listee. Both lines currently read BrandGuard Vents. That is the family and the company. It is not a SKU.
3. Standard named. The evaluation is to ASTM E2886/E2886M (the listing names the -20 and -14 editions) for ember exposure and direct flame impingement in vertical and horizontal orientations. Condition of listing 1 says the report addresses only that standard. Do not read this ESL as an E84, E136, or E108 listing.
4. Findings. Ember-intrusion and flame-intrusion results are written against ASTM E2886 sections. The ember paragraph notes smoldering of the cotton target and no flaming ignition, then states the specimens met Section 9.1. Do not stop at the smoldering sentence. Do not rewrite the method. See ASTM E2886.
5. The AHJ sentence. The listing repeats that approval of the product’s use is the sole responsibility of the local building official. That is not boilerplate you can ignore. Listing is not a permit.
6. Identification. The ICC-ES mark of conformity, ESL-1689, and the listee name belong on the product label. If the unit on site has no number, you cannot match the listing.
7. Installation. Manufacturer’s published instructions and as required by the AHJ.
8. Conditions of listing. This is the product. The listing says the report addresses only the named standard, the official still approves use, the listing applies only to the materials tested and submitted, and the vents are produced under a quality-control program with ICC-ES inspections. If your model, orientation, or install is outside that, the PDF does not cover it.
9. Table 1. Foundation, balcony-inspection, continuous soffit, soffit, eave, gable-end, and dormer rows. Examples on this site: BrandGuard gable vents and BrandGuard soffit and undereave (8165-2232:0500). Match the model string (for example FP2011, GV2011-FF, CS2011-FF) to Table 1. Custom sizes that are not on the table are not this listing.
The evaluation text describes 26-gauge G90 galvanized steel, an intumescent strip, and 1/16 inch wire mesh. That is product construction inside this listed vent. It is not the prescriptive 1/16–1/8 inch mesh path in Oregon R327. See mesh versus listed vents.
The paths after you finish the PDF
- ICC-ES ESL. You have a named model, a standard, dates, and conditions of listing.
- ICC-ES ESR. Different letters. Conditions of use, code editions, maybe Acceptance Criteria. Do not paste ESL habits onto an ESR, or the reverse.
- OSFM BML. Category 8165 is California’s vent bucket. Listing is usually voluntary. Some BrandGuard models have both an ESL and an 8165 number. Cite both when both are part of the spec. They are not the same ID.
- Adopted code. Oregon R327, where adopted, has its own vent paths. An ESL is evidence for E2886. It does not rewrite R327. CWUIC is a different book.
- The drawing. Put the model and the program on the sheet. See show the product on the drawings.
What people mix up
- Specifying “BrandGuard” or “ICC-ES vents” from the header.
- Calling ESL-1689 an ESR.
- Treating ESL-1689 as OSFM 8165-2232:0501.
- Stopping at the smoldering-cotton sentence and declaring a fail.
- Treating the issued date as a permanent stamp. This file is subject to renewal.
- Skipping Conditions of listing.
- Using this ESL as the Oregon mesh path because the product contains 1/16 inch mesh.
- Assuming every vent ESL covers both vertical and horizontal orientations because this one did.
- Writing “ICC-ES approved.” ICC-ES is a listing body. This site records citations. It does not approve products.
- Bookmarking a search form instead of the PDF.
How to check
- Download the live PDF from ICC-ES. Confirm ESL versus ESR in the title block.
- Read issued and renewal dates.
- Name the standard. On ESL-1689 it is ASTM E2886.
- Open Table 1. Match the model string and the vent type (gable, soffit, eave, foundation, dormer).
- Read Conditions of listing. If your install is outside those sentences, stop.
- Confirm identification on the unit you will buy.
- If the job also cites OSFM, search the BML for that ID. Do not reuse the ESL number as a BML number.
- Put manufacturer, model, and program on the drawing. Confirm with the official.
If you cannot match the model on Table 1, do not spec it from this site’s summary.
Limits
This page does not host ICC-ES PDFs. It does not replace the ICC-ES hub. It does not decide the permit. It does not rank brands. Table 1 on ESL-1689 is longer than the two product records on this site. Those records are examples, not a catalog.
An annotated screenshot of this PDF is not published yet. Read the live file.
FireApproved is not the listing body and not the AHJ.
Related records
Questions
Is the title on the first page the model I spec?
No. ESL-1689 is titled BrandGuard Vents. The evaluated models and sizes are in Table 1. Put a Table 1 model on the drawing. A brand name is not the listing.
Is an ESL the same as an ESR?
No. An ESL shows compliance with a consensus standard already named in the codes. An ESR evaluates how a product meets I-Code provisions, and it may rest on Acceptance Criteria. ICC-ES publishes that split. ESL-1689 is a listing, not an evaluation report.
Is ESL-1689 the same as OSFM 8165-2232?
No. ESL-1689 is an ICC-ES listing to ASTM E2886. OSFM category 8165 rows are California Building Materials Listing numbers. Some BrandGuard models hold both. Read both records. Do not treat one ID as the other.
Does an ICC-ES report replace the permit?
No. ESL-1689 states that approval of the product’s use is the sole responsibility of the local building official. ICC-ES listings help code-enforcement professionals. They do not stamp the job.