1106A Site and Building Characteristics — 2025 California Building Code

Covered multifamily dwellings with elevators shall be designed and constructed to provide at least one accessible entrance on an accessible route, regardless of terrain or unusual characteristics of the site. Covered multifamily dwellings without eleva- tors shall be designed and constructed to provide at least one accessible entrance on an accessible route unless terrain or unusual characteristics of the site prevent an accessible route based on the conditions listed below: 1. Accessible entrance. Regardless of site considerations described in Section 1150A, an accessible entrance on an accessible route is required when there is an elevator connecting the parking area with the dwelling units on a ground floor. (In this case, those dwelling units on the ground floor served by an elevator and at least one of each type of public- and common-use areas, would be subject to these requirements.) 2. Elevator building. When a building elevator or elevators are provided as a means of access to dwelling units other than dwell- ing units on a ground floor (see Section 1104A.2), the building is an elevator building. All dwelling units become covered multifamily dwellings in that building. The elevator in that building must provide accessibility to all dwelling units in the build- ing, regardless of the slope of the natural terrain. For multistory dwelling units in buildings with one or more elevators, see Section 1102A.3.2.

Note: Where a building elevator is provided only as means of creating an accessible route to covered multifamily dwelling units on a ground floor, the building is not considered to be an elevator building, only dwelling units located on the ground floor shall be required to comply with this chapter. 3. Elevated walkway. When an elevated walkway is planned between a building entrance and a vehicular or pedestrian arrival point and the planned walkway has a slope no greater than 10 percent (1 unit vertical in 10 units horizontal), the floor being served by the elevated walkway becomes a ground floor and accessibility to all dwellings on that ground floor is required.

Note: Since the planned walkway meets the 10 percent slope criterion, it is required to provide an accessible route to the entrance and the slope of the walkway must be reduced to 1 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (8.33 percent slope) maximum.

For tests to determine site impracticality due to terrain considerations in nonelevator buildings, see Section 1150A.