Occupancy Category

The nature of the building use, or its Occupancy Category, is determined by the building owner and the architect of record. In 2006 IBC the building use is defined through the occupancy category, which ranges from I to IV. Occupancy Category I and II is applied to buildings where failure presents a low hazard to human life, for example agricultural and minor storage buildings. Category III applies to high occupancy buildings such as schools and office buildings. At the other end of the range, Occupancy Category IV is applied to buildings, which are deemed to be essential for recovery after a disaster, such as hospitals, police stations and telecommunications centers.