Section K106 — DECKS AND BALCONIES THAT ARE EVACUATION LOCATIONS
2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-27 · California
Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.
K106.1 General. ¶
Decks and balconies that have finish floors no less than one (1) foot (0.30 meter) above the WSEL200 shall be permitted to be evacuation locations. When a deck or balcony used as an evacuation location is not at the same level as a floor within the building, it shall be permitted to be accessed by a stairway, ramp, alternating tread device, fixed ladder or other means approved by the building official.
K106.2 Live load. ¶
Decks and balconies that are evacuation locations shall be designed for the live load required for the occupancy as required in Table 1607.2.
K106.3 Evacuation route. ¶
Evacuation routes to decks and balconies that are evacuation locations shall be permitted to be provided by a stairway, ramp, alternating tread device, fixed ladder or other means approved by the building official.
Exception: In Group R-3.1 Occupancies that are subject to the requirements of Chapter 11A or 11B, such requirements shall apply to the evacuation routes to decks and balconies.
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- Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
- Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
- Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
- Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
- Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
- Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
- Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR W…
- Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
- Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
- Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
- Chapter 11 — RESERVED
- Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
- Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
- Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
- Chapter 13 — ENERGY EFFICIENCY
- Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
- Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
- Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
- Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
- Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
- Chapter 17A — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
- Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
- Chapter 18A — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
- Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
- Chapter 19A — CONCRETE
- Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
- Chapter 21 — MASONRY
- Chapter 21A — MASONRY
- Chapter 22 — STEEL
- Chapter 22A — STEEL
- Chapter 23 — WOOD
- Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
- Chapter 25 — GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
- Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
- Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
- Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
- Chapter 29 — PLUMBING SYSTEMS
- Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
- Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 31A — SYSTEMS FOR WINDOW CLEANING OR EXTERIOR BUILDING…
- Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
- Chapter 31C — RADIATION
- Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
- Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
- Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
- Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 34 — RESERVED
- Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
- Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
- Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
- Appendix C — GROUP U—AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
- Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
- Appendix E — RESERVED
- Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
- Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
- Appendix H — SIGNS
- Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
- Appendix J — GRADING
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▸ Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES PROTECTED B…
Overview- Section K101 — SCOPE
- Section K102 — DEFINITIONS
- Section K103 — STRUCTURAL STABILITY
- Section K104 — EVACUATION LOCATIONS
- Section K105 — SPACE WITHIN THE BUILDING
- Section K106 — DECKS AND BALCONIES THAT ARE EVACUATION LOCATIONS
- Section K107 — ROOFTOP EVACUATION LOCATIONS
- Section K108 — ATTICS THAT ARE EVACUATION LOCATIONS
- Section K109 — ALTERNATE MEANS OF PROTECTION
- Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING INSTRUMENTATION
- Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED FLOOD HAZARDS
- Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
- Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED APPLICATION
- Appendix P — SLEEPING LOFTS
- Appendix Q — EMERGENCY HOUSING