Kingsport, TN Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- International Energy Conservation Code, 2018 edition
- State minimum
- Applies to one- and two-family work where 2018 code is stricter
- Table swap
- Listed 2018 tables replaced by 2009 edition tables
- Blower door and duct blaster
- Optional effective March 1, 2024
- Appeals body
- Board of Appeals referenced in the 2018 International Building Code
- General penalty
- $10.00 to $50.00 under Section 1-14
Summary
In the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, energy efficiency rules come from the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code adopted in Section 22-96(d). The state minimum standard controls for one-family and two-family construction wherever the 2018 code is more stringent, Kingsport swaps in 2009 code tables, and blower door and duct blaster testing became optional effective March 1, 2024.
Energy Conservation Code. The provisions of the International Energy Conservation Code, 2018 edition, published by the International Code Council, is hereby adopted by reference as though copied verbatim in this subsection. ... (1)To the extent the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code contains standards more stringent than the state minimum standards adopted by the state fire marshal for one-family and two-family construction and additions thereto of 30 or more square feet of interior space, the state minimum standard shall apply in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann § 68-120-101(b)(2)(A)(iii) (2023) and Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 0780-02-23 (2023) or as may be amended from time to time. ... (4)The following tables are to be replaced by tables from the 2009 edition of the International Energy Code as noted: ... (5)CHAPTER 4 [RE] - The testing required by 402.4.2.1 (Blower Door) & 403.2.2 (Duct Blaster) become optional effective March 1, 2024.
Full Breakdown
Kingsport's energy standards sit in Section 22-96(d), where the Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopted the International Energy Conservation Code, 2018 edition, by reference and then amended it in five numbered ways.
Amendment (1) deals with the State. To the extent the 2018 edition contains standards more stringent than the state minimum standards adopted by the state fire marshal for one-family and two-family construction and additions of 30 or more square feet of interior space, the state minimum standard applies. The section cites Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-120-101(b)(2)(A)(iii) (2023) and Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 0780-02-23 (2023), or as amended from time to time.
Amendments (2) and (3) add one sentence each to Section C109.1 (commercial) and Section R109.1 (residential): the Board of Appeals referenced in the International Building Code, 2018 edition, serves as the Board of Appeals for the Energy Conservation Code.
Amendment (4) replaces 2018 tables with tables from the 2009 edition. For example, the commercial opaque thermal envelope assembly table C402.1.4 gives way to 2009 table 502.1.2, the commercial fenestration table C402.4 to 502.3, and the residential insulation and fenestration by component table R402.1.2 to 402.1.1.
Amendment (5) makes the testing required by 402.4.2.1 (Blower Door) and 403.2.2 (Duct Blaster) optional effective March 1, 2024. The residential code amendment in Section 22-96(e)(6) deletes Chapter 11 Energy Conservation of the International Residential Code and replaces it with the 2018 Energy Code as adopted, with the same two tests optional from the same date.
The building official runs the building department and enforces the building codes under Section 22-49. The history note for Section 22-96 ends with Ord. No. 7136, § I, dated 2-20-2024, the ordinance that fits the March 1, 2024 date.
Violations & Fines
Section 22-96 prints no energy-code penalty of its own. Section 1-14 supplies the general penalty for a prohibited act with no specific penalty: not less than $10.00 or more than $50.00, unless state law permits a greater amount, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense unless the ordinance says otherwise. The amendment removes the mandatory status of the blower door and duct blaster tests effective March 1, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kingsport still require blower door and duct blaster tests?
Which energy code edition does Kingsport use?
What if the State minimum standard is different from the 2018 code?
Who hears an appeal on an energy code decision in Kingsport?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kingsport
Compare Kingsport to another location·View the Tennessee building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.