Joto-Vent System® in the State of Oregon
Joto-Vent System® in the State of Oregon
Oregon Building Codes
Joto-Vent System® is installed between the foundation and the sill plate, allowing crawlspace vents without making holes in the concrete foundation or cutting into the exterior walls.
Oregon has unique building code requirements – primarily OSSC (Oregon Structural Specialty Code) and ORSC (Oregon Residential Specialty Code) – which require verification of Net Free Vent Area (NFVA) and structural compliance. In many cases, jurisdiction also request supporting documents such as ICC-ES evaluation reports for product approval.
Is Joto-Vent System® Approved in Oregon?
In April 2025, an engineer from the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) reviewed the contents of ICC-ES ESR-4161 for the Joto-Vent System and provided the following technical comments regarding its use in Oregon.
The current product ICC-ES report (ESR-4161 – ICC Evaluation Service, LLC (ICC-ES)) has enough information for the product’s use in Oregon as foundation vent product. The product ICC-ES report lists the effective vent area (square inches per lineal foot) to determine compliance with Oregon code under ORSC Section 408. I assume the anchor spacing/loading information is adequate for our seismic design loads; the designer would need to show that compliance. No alternate method would be necessary if the minimum ventilation opening can be met and the structural design criteria are met. If the product cannot provide the minimum area, more openings might be necessary, or use of other compliance paths, such as unvented crawlspaces.
Listed in the ESR-4161 State of OR Supplement.
In May 2025, ICC-ES updated ESR-4161, adding a State of Oregon Supplement conforming that the Joto-Vent System complies with the 2022 Oregon Structural Specialty Code (OSSC). For more details, please refer to the ESR-4161 – State of Oregon Supplement.
