Wood Inspection / IBC Chapter 23 Fundamentals

HoldPoint study map

Course outline

Unit and lesson titles below are HoldPoint original material. They are not an official exam bulletin.

1. Materials, grade marks and approved documents

   The piece in the wall has to carry the mark the drawing assumed. Unmarked lumber is not “probably #2.”

   • Grade marks, species and the mark that has to be present
   • Engineered wood: labels, orientation and substitution
   • Preservative treatment and the mark for the use
   • Moisture, storage and damaged stock
   • Approved drawings, shear walls and fastener schedules
   • Truss shop drawings versus the structural drawing
   • Fire-retardant-treated wood as a different product
   • Practice: identify eight material discrepancies
   • Unit review: Materials, grade marks and approved documents

2. Floor and roof framing

   Spans, bearing, and the hanging connections that disappear after the sheathing goes on.

   • Joist bearing, hangers and the schedule on the drawing
   • I-joists: web holes, cuts and the manufacturer’s instructions
   • Beams, posts and the load path you can still see
   • Floor sheathing, edge nailing and diaphragms
   • Roof rafters, ridges and collar ties as drawn
   • Trusses: bracing, bearing and field modifications
   • Notching and boring that turned a joist into a decoration
   • Practice: six framing conditions before cover
   • Unit review: Floor and roof framing

3. Wall framing, bracing and shear walls

   Stud walls are easy to walk past. Shear walls are not a vibe. Bracing is a method.

   • Stud grade, size and the plates they sit on
   • Headers, cripples and king studs as a load path
   • Wall bracing methods as a classification
   • Shear walls: nailing, hold-downs and the schedule
   • Openings that landed in a shear wall
   • Balloon framing, fireblocking and the concealed space
   • Cold-formed steel mixed into a wood wall
   • Practice: classify eight walls as bearing, braced or shear
   • Unit review: Wall framing, bracing and shear walls

4. Connections, fasteners and hardware

   The schedule on the drawing is the inspection. A handful of 16d is not a schedule.

   • Fastener identity: size, type and coating
   • Nailing schedules: edge, field and the diaphragm
   • Hold-downs, straps and the washer that was specified
   • Anchor bolts, sills and treated-wood compatibility
   • Hangers: nailing, seating and the wrong model
   • Screws versus nails where the drawing named one
   • Field-welded hardware on a wood job
   • Practice: six connection inspections
   • Unit review: Connections, fasteners and hardware

5. Protection, fire and decay

   Wood that will be wet, hot, or on the wrong side of a rated assembly is a different inspection.

   • Decay, termites and the clearance to grade
   • Flashing, weather-resistive barrier and the building inspector’s overlap
   • Fireblocking and draftstopping
   • Rated assemblies that include wood framing
   • Concealed spaces and the access that has to remain
   • Roof coverings and ventilation as a Chapter 23 interface
   • Existing wood structures and the alteration that cut a chord
   • Practice: five protection conditions
   • Unit review: Protection, fire and decay

6. Plan-to-field, mixed review and exam navigation

   Framing inspection is a cover-up race. Stems that hide the schedule inside a construction story.

   • Sequence: foundation to roof, what has to be seen
   • How a wood stem hides the fastener schedule
   • Grade-mark items versus nailing items
   • The unused span number
   • Mixed set: hold-down, shear nailing and I-joist hole
   • Timed retrieval across Chapter 23
   • Final self-assessment
   • Handoff to B2 commercial building inspection
   • Unit review: Plan-to-field, mixed review and exam navigation

Fit check

Who this roadmap is for

Code officials and inspectors building a study plan for the IBC Chapter 23 scope.

Always confirm the current ICC eligibility rules, exam outline, references, fees, and scheduling policies before purchasing materials or setting an exam date.

Study sequence

A controlled preparation roadmap

1. 01

   Verify the current program

   Start with the official source links below. Record the current outline, permitted references, eligibility rules, and any application steps that apply to your route.

2. 02

   Map the reference set

   Turn each published domain into a retrieval map. Practice where to look before trying to memorize isolated answers.

3. 03

   Build the IBC Chapter 23 core

   Study wood materials and framing systems alongside connections, fasteners, and load-path observations, then connect both to field decisions and documentation.

4. 04

   Practice under controlled timing

   Use short lookup drills first, then mixed review. Track missed concepts and slow retrievals separately so each can be corrected.

5. 05

   Recheck before exam day

   Return to the credentialing body for last-minute policy or reference changes. Do not rely on a third-party summary for current exam administration.

Primary sources

Verify current program facts

Exam outlines, editions, eligibility, fees, and administration policies can change. These credentialing-body pages are the authority; HoldPoint is an independent preparation provider.

• ICC certification and testingInternational Code Council

Common questions

Before you build a study plan