Building codes & construction
California Building Code (CBC)
Title 24, Part 2 — California's adaptation of the IBC. Governs most multifamily (R-2) projects: occupancy, construction type, heights, fire protection, egress.
Definition
The California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) is the state's adaptation of the International Building Code and the primary code for everything the Residential Code doesn't cover — including all Group R-2 multifamily buildings. Its chapters set the framework an apartment deal lives inside: occupancy classification (Chapter 3), construction types (Chapter 6), allowable heights and areas (Chapter 5), fire protection and sprinklers (Chapter 9), means of egress (Chapter 10), and housing accessibility (Chapter 11A).
State agencies pre-amend the model code — HCD adopts the housing provisions — and cities and counties amend further with filed findings, so the enforceable text is always the California version plus local ordinances, never the bare IBC.
Why it matters in an underwrite
The CBC sets the levers that move a multifamily pro forma most: construction type, story count, sprinkler system, unit separations and exit count. Reading zoning without the CBC overstates capacity — a parcel zoned for six stories still needs a construction type (and budget) that can legally reach six stories. Underwrite the two together before locking in a unit count.
Sources & related guides
See also
See the term in the law itself
Read the controlling text in the Code Library, or ask the AI how it applies to your project.
Last reviewed 2026-07-29. General information, not legal advice.