The 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC): Explained: A Practical Guide to Existing Building Code Compliance, Renovation, and Adaptive Reuse (Code Companion Series) Paperback – March 17, 2026

Most buildings we work on today are not new.They come with structure already in place, systems layered over time, missing drawings, and decisions made under previous codes. The question is no longer how to build from scratch, but how to work with what already exists—safely, intelligently, and without unnecessary demolition.The 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) provides the framework for doing exactly that. Yet for many practitioners, it remains difficult to navigate: multiple compliance paths, overlapping requirements, and constant judgment calls between what must be upgraded and what can remain.This book clarifies that landscape.Rather than treating the IEBC as a list of rules, it presents it as a system for decision-making—one that balances risk, performance, and continuity in existing buildings .What this book helps you understandHow to choose between prescriptive, work area, and performance methodsWhen a project is a repair, alteration, addition, or change of occupancyWhat actually triggers upgrades in structure, fire safety, and egressHow to approach existing conditions, unknowns, and incomplete documentationHow to work with—not against—historic and existing fabricWhat it helps you do in practiceRead an existing building before applying the codeBuild a clear code compliance strategy, not just a checklistMake informed decisions about what must change and what can remainCoordinate across structure, envelope, fire protection, and MEP systemsCommunicate effectively with authorities having jurisdictionWhy this matters nowAdaptive reuse is no longer a niche. It is the dominant condition of practice.Working with existing buildings means dealing with embodied carbon, economic constraints, and cultural continuity at the same time as life safety and performance. The IEBC sits at the centre of that negotiation.Understanding it properly changes how projects are designed, evaluated, and built.This book is written for architects, engineers, code officials, and advanced students who are working with existing buildings and need to move beyond basic compliance toward clear, reasoned decision-making. Read more