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Nevada WUI code status
Nevada does not have a statewide IWUIC construction book. NAC 477.281 adopts the 2018 IWUIC, including Appendices A and B. NAC 477.283(4)(e) then deletes Chapter 5. Chapter 5 is the special building construction chapter. A deleted chapter is not a Class A roof, a listed vent, or an ignition-resistant wall.
You are looking at a lot in Nevada and asking which book binds a new roof or a new deck. The State Fire Marshal did adopt IWUIC. The construction chapter is gone. Your city or county may have put Chapter 5, or another WUI construction text, back by local ordinance. That local text is the live path if it exists. Clark County Ordinance 5320 and Washoe County’s current adopted-code record are two opened examples. Each is a county book, not Nevada’s.
Why it matters
Embers do not wait for a construction chapter. A statewide deletion means you cannot spec “Nevada IWUIC vents” or “Nevada IWUIC Class A” as a state minimum. You can spec a local adoption, an insurer checklist such as IBHS Wildfire Prepared, or a hardening sequence that does not need a WUI permit. See the hardening ladder.
How it works
The State Fire Marshal adopts model codes under NRS 477.030. NAC 477.281 names the 2018 IWUIC with Appendices A and B. NAC 477.283(4) then amends that book (R048-24, 16 September 2024):
| NAC 477.283(4) | What it does |
|---|---|
| (a) | Deletes Section 106 |
| (e) | Deletes Chapter 5 |
| (f) | Deletes Section 602.1 |
| (g) | Deletes the Table 503.1 hook in Section 603.2 |
What remains is not a substitute for Chapter 5. Mapping, access, and defensible-space text without a construction chapter is not a statewide roof or vent book.
NRS 477.030 also limits where those SFM building-code regulations apply. They do not apply in a county whose population is 700,000 or more that has adopted a code at least as stringent as the International Fire Code, the International Building Code, and the IWUIC, kept current within two years of a new edition. They still apply there to state-owned or state-occupied buildings and public schools, and where the local chief executive asks the SFM to act. That exemption is not a specification. Confirm the local ordinance.
Washoe has a split path. The building-code history records Ordinance 1736 and 2024 IWUIC Chapter 5, effective 1 July 2025. Ordinance 1750, effective 1 January 2026, separately adopts Chapters 1–4, 6, and 7 for the fire-code layer and deletes Chapter 5 from that layer. It also says Chapter 5 and other building-construction matters go to the building code official. Read together, the fire-book deletion does not erase the Chapter 100 building-book adoption; it keeps the two officials’ roles separate.
The paths
- Statewide SFM IWUIC (construction chapter deleted). Do not spec Chapter 5 as a Nevada minimum.
- Local ordinance that is more stringent. NAC 477.280 allows it. Spec that text if the building official names it.
- Large-county exemption. A 700,000-plus county that keeps IFC, IBC, and IWUIC current is outside SFM building-code regulations for most private work. Spec the county book, not NAC 477.283.
- No WUI construction book. Harden anyway. IBHS is a designation, not adopted code.
What people mix up
- Treating “Nevada adopted IWUIC” as a statewide Class A roof. Chapter 5 is deleted.
- Importing Oregon R327 or California CWUIC onto a Nevada drawing.
- Treating Nevada’s deleted Chapter 5 as if it also deleted Clark County’s 2024 book. See Clark County IWUIC over Nevada.
- Treating Washoe’s hazard-map color as the finished IR class. Water and defensible-space conformity are separate fire-district inputs.
How to check
- Ask the building official whether the city or county adopted IWUIC Chapter 5, or another WUI construction text, locally.
- Read NAC 477.283(4). If it still deletes Chapter 5, there is no statewide IWUIC construction book.
- If you are in unincorporated Clark County, open Ordinance 5320 and ask which map 13.08.080 uses. Confirm with the building official.
- If you are in unincorporated Washoe County, open the official EZ Fire-WUI Map, then ask the applicable fire district to confirm water and defensible-space conformity and the resulting Table 503.1 class.
- This site does not read your parcel.
Limits
This page does not decide a permit or classify your parcel. The Washoe map, fire-district findings, Table 503.1 class, project scope, and official confirmation remain separate checks. Listed OSFM products are California listings unless the local official accepts them.
Related records
- IWUIC model book and Nevada diffs
- Covering versus assembly
- Mesh versus listed vents
- Clark County IWUIC over Nevada for the opened 2024 county book
- Washoe County for the active Chapter 5 application, source trail, map link, and scoped material rows
- Washington WUI code status for a different adopted-but-not-in-force pattern
Questions
Does Nevada require IWUIC construction on my lot today?
Not as a statewide construction book. NAC 477.281 adopts the 2018 IWUIC including Appendices A and B. NAC 477.283(4)(e) then deletes Chapter 5, which is the special building construction chapter.
Did the State Fire Marshal still adopt IWUIC?
Yes. The 2018 edition, including Appendices A and B, is adopted by reference. The SFM then deletes Section 106, Chapter 5, Section 602.1, and the Table 503.1 hook in Section 603.2. Remaining WUI-area and fire-protection text is not a substitute for Chapter 5.
Can my city adopt a stricter book?
Yes. NAC 477.280 lets a local government adopt a more stringent code or ordinance. This page does not quote a local Chapter 5 we have not opened.
What about a large county such as Clark?
Clark County Ordinance 5320 adopts the 2024 IWUIC with Appendices A, B, and C, effective 1 January 2026. Listed amendments hit Chapters 1, 3, and 4. Chapter 5 is not among them. That is Clark County’s book, not Nevada’s. See Clark County IWUIC over Nevada.
What is the current Washoe County path?
Washoe uses two coordinated adoptions. Ordinance 1736 puts 2024 IWUIC Chapter 5 in the Building Code. Ordinance 1750 puts Chapters 1–4, 6, and 7 in the companion fire code, deletes Chapter 5 from that fire-code layer, and supplies the fire-authority inputs. The official map supplies hazard; the applicable fire district confirms water and defensible space before Table 503.1 yields an IR class.
Sources
- NAC 477.281 Codes adopted by reference
- NAC 477.283 Changes to codes adopted by reference
- NAC 477.280 Adoption and effect of local requirements
- NRS 477.030 Duties; powers; applicability of regulations in certain counties
- Washoe County Adopted Building Codes
- History of Adopted Building Codes within Washoe County
- Washoe County Ordinance 1750
- Washoe County Wildland Urban Interface Code Guide