Arroyo Grande Municipal Code Ch. 15.08 Residential Code

Adoption of the California Residential Code. The 2025 edition of the California Residential Code is hereby adopted by reference as the Residential Code of the City of Arroyo Grande, including Appendices BB, BF, CI, and CJ, except for the following amendments:

Section R108.6.1 Fees For Work Commencing Before Permit Issuance is hereby added to read as follows:

An investigation fee, in addition to the permit fee, shall be collected whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued. The investigation fee shall be equal to the amount of the permit fee required by this code. The city Council may adopt or amend the fees in this chapter by resolution.

Subsequent un-permitted work by the same permittee shall result in a progressive investigation fee being accessed, second violation would result in a three times the permit fee for the investigation fee, a third violation would result in a four times the permit fee for the investigation fee, a fourth violation would result in a five times the permit fee for the investigation fee, and so on to a maximum of a ten times the permit fee for the investigation fee.

The payment of such investigation fee shall not exempt an applicant from compliance with all other provisions of either this code or the technical codes nor from the penalty prescribed by law.

Swimming Pool Safety Barriers not finaled prior to pool water placement are subject to an investigation fee.

Section R309.1 Amended—Automatic sprinkler systems.

Sections R309.2 and R309.2, Exception 1 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

Section R309.2 and R309.2, Exception 1. An automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall be installed in additions or alterations for all one- and two-family dwelling buildings or structures as follows:

1. In all new buildings and structures that exceed 1,000 square feet.

2. In additions or alterations for all buildings or structures as follows:

a. Throughout structures where additions add more than 50% of the existing square footage to the structure AND results in a total square footage in excess of 1,000 (one thousand) square feet.

b. Throughout structures where alterations remove more than 50% of the exterior walls and/or remove more than 50% of the roof framing, and are in excess of 1,000 square feet.

c. Throughout structures where additions and alterations combined encompass more than 50% of the existing square footage of the structure AND are in excess of 1,000 (one thousand) square feet.

d. These requirements will be applicable to the combined square footage of all building permits issued for the address or site within the last five years. Buildings or structures separated by less than ten (10) feet shall be considered as a single building or structure unless separation is provided by a permitted, code compliant, rated assembly.

For the purpose of requiring the automatic fire sprinkler systems specified in this chapter, the floor area within the surrounding exterior walls shall be considered as one building (measured from the exterior surface of these exterior walls). For the purpose of calculating square footage for the application of fire sprinkler requirements and fire flow, the floor area shall be as defined by Floor Area, Gross in Section 202 of this code.

(Ord. No. 721, § 11, 1-24-2023; Ord. No. 2025-011, § 10, 11-25-2025)