National Building Code of the Philippines

Water Code of the Philippines

PD 1067

National Building Code of the Philippines

PD 1096

7 seats

It is the maximum number of seats between an aisle and a wall.

Department of Public Works and Highways

DPWH

Awning

It is a movable shelter supported entirely from an exterior wall of a building and of a type which can be retracted, folded or collapsed against the face of a supporting building.

Veneer

It is a non-structural facing of brick, concrete, tile, metal, plastic, glass or other similar materials attached to a backing or structural components of a building for the purpose of ornamentation, protection or enclosure.

1 year

It is the number of years a building permit issued shall expire and become null and void if the building or work does not commence.

Secretary

He is the head or the chief executive officer of the DPWH

Civil Engineer

He is the professional responsible for signed and sealed civil or structural documents

Geodetic Engineer

He is the professional responsible for signed and sealed lot survey plans.

Dangerous Buildings

It is a building declared as structurally unsafe or not provided with safe egress or which constitutes to a fire hazard or are otherwise dangerous to human life.

Conversion

It is a change in the use of occupancy of buildings or structures or any portion which has different requirements

Building Permit

It is a document issued by the building official to owner or applicant to proceed with construction.

14 seats

It is the maximum number of seats between aisles.

Construction

It is all on-site work done in the site preparation, excavation, foundation, assembly of al components and installation of utilities, machineries and equipment of building and structures.

Marquee

It is also known as a canopy. It is a permanent roofed structure above a door attached to and supported by the building and projecting over a wall or sidewalk.

Applicant

It is also known as the permittee. It is any person, firm, partnership, corporation, head of government or private institution of any character applying for the issuance of permits and certificates.

Addition

It is any new construction which increases the height and/or floor area of existing buildings or structures

Renovation

It is any physical change made on buildings or structures to increase the value, quality, and/or to improve the aesthetic.

1 MTR

It is the allowable clear width of a vent well in an opening in an abutment or firewall.

P 10,000

It is the amount of fine for grave violations of the code.

P 8,000

It is the amount of fine for less grave violations of the code.

P 5,000

It is the amount of fine for light violations of the code.

Referral Codes

It is the applicable provisions of the various agency and technical professional codes that are supplementary to the code.

Fire Zones

It is the area within which only certain type of building / structures are permitted to be constructed based on their use or occupancy, type of construction and resistance to fire.

Group C

It is the classification of occupancy for Education and Recreation

Group D

It is the classification of occupancy for Institutions such as mental hospitals, nurseries for full-time care of children or nursing homes for ambulatory patients.

Group B

It is the classification of occupancy for Residential, Hotels and Apartments

Group H

It is the classification of occupancy for assembly building with a stage and an occupant load of less than 1000.

Group I

It is the classification of occupancy for assembly building with a stage and an occupant load of more than 1000

Group E

It is the classification of occupancy for business use and mercantile use such as gasoline filling and service stations, wholesale and retail stores and aircraft hangars and open parking garages.

Group F

It is the classification of occupancy for industrial use such as ice plants, power plants, pumping plants, cold storage, creameries and the like.

Group A

It is the classification of occupancy for residential dwellings.

Group G

It is the classification of occupancy for storage and hazardous use such as storing and handling of highly flammable material, wood working establishments, repair garages and aircraft repair hangars

4 MTRS

It is the clear distance between the signboards erected on one building over roadways or publics streets.

3 MTRS

It is the clear height of an arcaded pedestrian walkway.

750 MM

It is the clear width of stairs

3 MTRS

It is the distance between the lowest portion of the outdoor display sign placed against the front of an exterior surface and the surface of the sidewalk.

Division 2

It is the division of Group A occupancy that includes residential building / structures for exclusive use of occupants not exceeding 10 personals including single attached or duplex or townhouses.

Division 1

It is the division of Group A occupancy that includes residential building / structures for exclusive use of single family occupants including school or company staff housing.

Economic & Social Housing Project

It is the exception to the scope and application of the National Building Code known as BP 220

Building Official

It is the executive officer of the OBO appointed by the secretary

2.70 MTRS

It is the fixed height of stands if stands are made of combustible framing.

3 MTRS

It is the height clearance measured from the finished road surface that shall be provided below the lowest parts of signs projecting over sidewalks on buildings without arcades.

300 MM

It is the horizontal clearance between the awning and the curb line.

300 MM

It is the horizontal clearance between the outermost edge of the marquee and the curb line.

P 20,000

It is the maximum amount in pesos prescribed in the penal provisions to any person, firm or corporation for violation of the provisions of the code or commit any act declared to be unlawful.

1.20 MTRS

It is the maximum dimension of which signs shall not exceed on non-arcaded streets and measured horizontally from the wall line or building line.

1.20 MTRS

It is the maximum door leaf width of an exit door.

300 MM

It is the maximum extension from the wall of an outdoor display sign placed against the front exterior surface of buildings.

200 MM

It is the maximum height of a riser

900 MM

It is the maximum height of the handrail above the nosing tread.

1.20 MTRS

It is the maximum length of a regular plate, sheer or patterned glass in a jalousie or louvered window with exposed edges smoothened.

2 Years

It is the maximum number of years prescribed in the penal provisions to any person, firm or corporation for violation of the provisions of the code or commit any act declared to be unlawful.

400 MM

It is the maximum rise from one row of seats to the next.

3 MTRS

It is the maximum width of a passageway for public use.

14 CU MTRS

It is the minimum air space per person provided for habitable rooms

3 CU MTRS

It is the minimum air space provided for school rooms with 1 SQ MTR of floor area per person.

12 CU MTRS

It is the minimum air space provided per person for workshops, factories and offices.

840 MM

It is the minimum back-to-back distance of seats in standard seating and spacing of rows.

2.10 MTRS

It is the minimum ceiling height for all succeeding story with an unobstructed typical head-room clearance.

2.40 MTRS

It is the minimum ceiling height for habitable rooms provided with artificial ventilation.

1.80 MTRS

It is the minimum ceiling height for mezzanine floors.

2.70 MTRS

It is the minimum ceiling height of the first story for a multi-story building.

2.40 MTRS

It is the minimum ceiling height of the second story for a multi-story building.

1 MTR

It is the minimum clear distance between a signboard and an electric and telephone post or wire.

3 MTRS

It is the minimum clearance between the established grade of the street and/or sidewalk and lowest under surface of any part of the balcony.

1.20 MTRS

It is the minimum clearance between the lowest part of the balcony and the level of the main floor.

5 MTRS

It is the minimum clearance provided below the lowest part of signs projecting over arcaded streets.

1.20 MTRS

It is the minimum dimension of every landing measured in the direction of travel equal to the width of the stairway when the stairs has a straight run.

600 SQ MM

It is the minimum dimension size of openings glazed with approved plastics where one person could pass through.

45 MTRS

It is the minimum distance of the line of travel to an exit door in areas occupied by seats and in Groups H and I occupancies without seats.

2 MTRS

It is the minimum headroom clearance for stairway.

2 MTRS

It is the minimum height of an exit door

800 MM

It is the minimum height of the handrail above the nosing tread.

15 seats

It is the minimum number of seats between any seat and an aisle for open air stands with seats without backrests.

6 SQ MTRS

It is the minimum room size for habitation with a least dimension of 2 MTRS

3 SQ MTRS

It is the minimum room size of a kitchen with a least dimension of 1.50 MTRS.

1.20 SQ MTRS

It is the minimum room size of a toilet and bath with a least dimension of 900 MM

200 MM

It is the minimum run of a thread.

300 MM

It is the minimum space between the back of each seat and the front of the seat immediately behind it.

850 MM

It is the minimum spacing of rows of chair seating in an open air space.

750 MM

It is the minimum spacing of rows of seats with backrest measured form back-to-back in open air stands.

600 MM

It is the minimum spacing of rows of seats without backrest measured form back-to-back in open air stands.

5.6 MM

It is the minimum thickness of a regular plate, sheet or patterned glass in a jalousie or louvered window with exposed edges smoothened.

5.6 MM

It is the minimum thickness of glass used for bathtub and shower glass enclosures.

6.4 MM

It is the minimum thickness of glass used, if laminated safety glass, for bathtub and shower glass enclosures.

4.6 MM

It is the minimum thickness of glass used, if tempered, for bathtub and shower glass enclosures.

3.60 MTRS

It is the minimum vertical distance between landings.

1.10 MTRS

It is the minimum width for every corridor or exit balcony.

750 MM

It is the minimum width of a stairway serving a private stairway with an occupant load of less than 10

900 MM

It is the minimum width of a stairway serving an occupant load of less than 50

1.10 MTRS

It is the minimum width of a stairway serving an occupant load of more than 50

800 MM

It is the minimum width of an aisle serving only one side.

1 MTR

It is the minimum width of an aisle serving two sides.

900 MM

It is the minimum width of an exit door

450 MM

It is the minimum width of seats.

1.10 MTRS

It is the minimum width of side aisles.

30 Days

It is the number of days a surcharge of 25% of the inspection fee will be imposed if there is a failure to pay the annual inspection fee.

Office of the Building Official

It is the office authorized to enforce the provisions of the building code and rules and regulations in the field as well as the enforcement of orders and decisions made.

DPWH Secretary

It is the official who approves the applicable and consistent provisions of the allied professional codes and other government agency codes that shall serve as referral codes of the PD 1096 & IRR

25% of the Building Permit Fee

It is the percentage of the amount of penalty or surcharge for construction of foundation including pile driving and laying of reinforcing bars without any permit.

10% of the Building Permit Fee

It is the percentage of the amount of penalty or surcharge for excavation for foundation without any permit.

100% of Building Permit Fee

It is the percentage of the amount of penalty or surcharge for the construction of superstructure higher than 2.00 meters without any permit.

50% of the Building Permit Fee

It is the percentage of the amount of penalty or surcharge for the construction of superstructure up to 2.00 meters above established grade without any permit.

Declaration of Policy of PD 1096

It is the policy of the State declared to safeguard life, health, property and public welfare, consistent with the principles of sound environment management and control. Provides for all buildings and structures, a framework of minimum standards and requirements to regulate and control their location, site, design, quality of materials, construction, use, occupancy and maintenance.

Application Forms

It is the preformatted prescribed application form duly accomplished and notarized by respective design professional with validation matrices related to other building rules and regulations.

Repair

It is the remedial work done on any damaged or deteriorated portions of a building or structure to restore it to its original condition.

Demolition

It is the systematic dismantling of destruction of a building or structure in whole or in part.

Moving

It is the transfer of building or structures or portions from the original location or position to another, either within the same lot or to a different one.

Type 3

It is the type of construction made of masonry and wood construction and the building is of one-hour fire-resistive throughout and exterior walls are of combustible fire-resistive construction

Type 4

It is the type of construction made of steel, iron, concrete, or of masonry construction and walls, ceiling and permanent partitions are of combustible, fire-resistive constriction.

Type 2

It is the type of construction made of wood construction with protective fire-resistant materials and one-hour fire-resistive throughout, except, that permanent non-bearing partitions may use fire-retardant treated wood within the framing assembly with one-hour resistivity.

Type 1

It is the type of construction made of wood construction.

Type 5

It is the type of construction that is of four-hour fire-resistive throughout and the structural elements are of steel, iron, concrete or masonry construction

3 MTRS

It is the vertical clearance between the pavement or ground line and the undersurface of any part of the marquee.

2.40 MTRS

It is the vertical clearance between the undermost surface of the awning and the pavement or ground line.

Alteration

It is the works in buildings or structures involving changes in the materials used, partitioning, location or size of openings, structural parts, existing utilities and equipment but does not increase the building height and/or floor area.

Traditional Indigenous Family Dwelling

It means a dwelling intended for use and occupancy by a family of the owner only and constructed of native materials such as bamboo, nipa, logs or lumber of which does exceed a total cost of P15,000

Agency of the Government

It refers to any of the various units of the government including a department, bureau, office, instrumentality or government owned or controlled corporation.

National Building Code Development Office

NBCDO

Philippine Electrical Engineering Law

RA 7920

Philippine Mechanical Engineering Law

RA 8495

120 days

The building permit issued shall expire and become null and void if the building or work is suspended or abandoned after a number of days.

National Standards for Drinking Water Standards

The quality of drinking water from meteoric surface or underground sources shall conform to the criteria set in this latest approved standards.

P 10,000

The secretary or his duly authorized representative may prescribe and impose fines not exceeding this amount in the imposition of administrative fees.

Revised National Plumbing Code of the Philippines

The water piping installation of water supply and distribution to each fixture including the wastewater drainage with proper venting inside the building and premises, shall conform to the provision of this code.

Ancillary Permits

These are duly signed and sealed by the corresponding professionals and the plans specifications shall be submitted together with the duly notarized application for the Building Permit.

Accessory Permits

These are issued by the Building Official for accessory parts of the project with very special functions or use which are indicated in the plans and specification that accompany the Building Permit application.

National Building Code Development Office

They shall serve as the technical staff of the secretary. They assist in administration and enforcement of the provisions, review evaluate and take action on various technical and legal problems, conduct seminars and workshops and undertake other duties assigned by the secretary.

15 days

Within this number of days from the date of receipt of advice of the non-issuance, suspension or revocation of permits, the application or permittee may file an appeal with the Secretary.