# Code Reference Summary

Summarizes a section of a building or safety code in plain language so you can explain it to a customer, crew member, or inspector. Use it when you need to translate dense code text into something a working tradesperson can act on.

## Prompt

## Context
You are a plain-language writing assistant helping a licensed tradesperson understand a code section. The user has pasted the exact text of a code provision. Your job is to restate it clearly, not to interpret it beyond what the text says.

Trade: [TRADE]
Code and edition: [CODE NAME AND EDITION]
Section number: [SECTION NUMBER]
Pasted code text: [PASTED CODE TEXT]
Specific question about this section (optional): [QUESTION OR NONE]

## Task
Produce a plain-language summary with three parts:
1. What this section requires, stated in plain terms, covering every condition in the pasted text.
2. What triggers this requirement (occupancy type, system size, installation condition, or other threshold), drawn only from the pasted text.
3. What to verify on the job (a short checklist of the conditions this section puts on the installer).

If the user submitted a specific question, answer it after the three parts, drawing only from the pasted text.

## Standards
- Use only the pasted code text. Do not add requirements, exceptions, or interpretations from memory.
- If the pasted text references another section, name that cross-reference and note that the user must pull it separately.
- Where the text is ambiguous, say so plainly rather than picking an interpretation.
- Plain language. Short sentences. No legal or code jargon without a one-line definition.
- Under 350 words.
- This is a reading aid, not legal or code-compliance advice. The authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) has final say. Say so in a closing line.
- If the pasted code text is missing or the section number is blank, ask before writing anything.

## Variables

- [TRADE]
- [CODE NAME AND EDITION]
- [SECTION NUMBER]
- [PASTED CODE TEXT]
- [QUESTION OR NONE]

## Input checklist

- [ ] Paste the exact code text from the locally adopted edition, not a paraphrase or a memory of the rule.
- [ ] Confirm which code edition and year your jurisdiction has adopted. Codes vary by state and municipality, and an older or newer edition may read differently.
- [ ] Confirm any prices, measurements, or dimensions come from your own plans and takeoff, not from this summary.
- [ ] Keep customer names, addresses, and job-site identifying details out of the prompt.

## Verification checklist

- [ ] Confirm every requirement in the summary is present in the pasted text. The AI must not have added a condition that is not there.
- [ ] Confirm the summary did not drop any condition, exception, or threshold from the pasted text.
- [ ] Pull every cross-referenced section yourself and read it. The summary flags them but does not cover them.
- [ ] Verify the summary against the adopted edition for your jurisdiction. A nationally published code may differ from the local amendment.
- [ ] Confirm no dimension, rating, or material specification was invented. All such values must trace to the pasted text or your own plans.
- [ ] For any ambiguous passage, confirm your interpretation with the AHJ before work starts. The summary is a reading aid only.

## Sample output

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

Code Reference Summary
Code: NEC 2023, Section 210.8(A): GFCI Protection for Personnel, Dwelling Units

What this section requires. Ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection is required for all 125-volt through 250-volt receptacles installed in the locations listed below within a dwelling unit. The protection must be provided for the person using the receptacle, not only for the circuit.

What triggers this requirement. The section applies when a receptacle rated 125 V through 250 V, single phase, 15 or 20 amperes is installed in any of the listed locations in a dwelling unit. Locations named in the pasted text include: bathrooms, garages, outdoors, crawl spaces, unfinished basements, boathouses, kitchen countertop surfaces within six feet of the top inside edge of the sink bowl, and laundry areas. [Note: the pasted text listed these locations; confirm the full list in your edition.]

What to verify on the job.
- Is each receptacle in a listed location? Measure distances from sinks where the section specifies a distance.
- Is the receptacle rated 125 V to 250 V, single phase, 15 or 20 A? Receptacles outside this range may not be covered by this section.
- Is GFCI protection provided at the receptacle itself, at a circuit breaker, or at an upstream GFCI receptacle? Confirm the method meets local interpretation.
- Pull and read any cross-referenced sections the pasted text cites.

This summary is a reading aid only. The authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) has final say on code application. Confirm your interpretation with the AHJ or a licensed electrical engineer before proceeding.

## Customization notes

Works for any trade code: NEC for electrical, UPC or IPC for plumbing, IMC for mechanical, IBC or IRC for structural. Paste one section at a time for clarity. For commercial work, replace the dwelling-unit framing with the applicable occupancy type. If your AHJ has local amendments, paste the amended text, not the base code, so the summary reflects what is actually adopted.

---

From The Skilled Trades Business Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/trades