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Earlier editions: 20222019

Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC HOUSING

11B-1003 Recreational Boating Facilities — 2025 California Building Code

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-09-25 · California

CBSC: official editions, supplements and errata

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

Cite as: 2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) § 11B-1003 · Effective January 1, 2026 · Official source: Building Standards Commission

11B- 1003.1 General. Recreational boating facilities shall comply with Section 11B- 1003 .

11B- 1003.2 Accessible routes. Accessible routes serving recreational boating facilities, including gangways and floating piers, shall comply with Division 4 except as modified by the exceptions in Section 11B- 1003.2.

11B- 1003.2.1 Boat slips. Accessible routes serving boat slips shall be permitted to use the exceptions in Section 11B- 1003.2.1.

Exceptions:

  1. Where an existing gangway or series of gangways is replaced or altered, an increase in the length of the gangway shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 1003.2 unless required by Section 11B- 202.4.

  2. Gangways shall not be required to comply with the maximum rise specified in Section 11B- 405.6.

  3. Where the total length of a gangway or series of gangways serving as part of a required accessible route is 80 feet ( 24384 mm ) minimum, gangways shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 405.2.

  4. Where facilities contain fewer than 25 boat slips and the total length of the gangway or series of gangways serving as part of a required accessible route is 30 feet ( 9144 mm) minimum, gangways shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 405.2.

  5. Where gangways connect to transition plates, landings specified by Section 11B- 405.7 shall not be required.

  6. Where gangways and transition plates connect and are required to have handrails, handrail extensions shall not be required. Where handrail extensions are provided on gangways or transition plates, the handrail extensions shall not be required to be parallel with the ground or floor surface.

  7. The cross slope specified in Sections 11B -403.3 and 11B- 405.3 for gangways, transition plates and floating piers that are part of accessible routes shall be measured in the static position.

  8. Changes in level complying with Sections 11B- 303.3 and 11B- 303.4 shall be permitted on the surfaces of gangways and boat launch ramps.

11B-138 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC HOUSING

11B- 1003.2.2 Boarding piers at boat launch ramps. Accessible routes serving boarding piers at boat launch ramps shall be permitted to use the exceptions in Section 11B- 1003.2.2.

Exceptions:

  1. Accessible routes serving floating boarding piers shall be permitted to use Exceptions 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in Section 11B- 1003.2.1.

  2. Where the total length of the gangway or series of gangways serving as part of a required accessible route is 30 feet ( 9144 mm) minimum, gangways shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 405.2.

  3. Where the accessible route serving a floating boarding pier or skid pier is located within a boat launch ramp, the portion of the accessible route located within the boat launch ramp shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 405 .

11B- 1003.3 Clearances. Clearances at boat slips and on boarding piers at boat launch ramps shall comply with Section 11B- 1003.3.

11B- 1003.3.1 Boat slip clearance. Boat slips shall provide clear pier space 60 inches ( 1524 mm) wide minimum and at least as long as the boat slips. Each 10 feet ( 3048 mm) maximum of linear pier edge serving boat slips shall contain at least one continuous clear opening 60 inches ( 1524 mm) wide minimum.

Exceptions:

  1. Clear pier space shall be permitted to be 36 inches ( 914 mm) wide minimum for a length of 24 inches (610 mm) maximum, provided that multiple 36 inch ( 914 mm) wide segments are separated by segments that are 60 inches ( 1524 mm) wide minimum and 60 inches ( 1524 mm) long minimum.

  2. Edge protection shall be permitted at the continuous clear openings, provided that it is 4 inches ( 102 mm) high maximum and 2 inches (51 mm) wide maximum.

  3. In existing piers, clear pier space shall be permitted to be located perpendicular to the boat slip and shall extend the width of the boat slip, where the facility has at least one boat slip complying with Section 11B- 1003.3, and further compliance with Section 11B- 1003.3 would result in a reduction in the number of boat slips available or result in a reduction of the widths of existing slips.

FIGURE 11B- 1003.3.1—BOAT SLIP CLEARANCE

ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC HOUSING

FIGURE 11B- 1003.3.1 (EXCEPTION 1)—CLEAR PIER SPACE REDUCTION AT BOAT SLIPS

FIGURE 11B- 1003.3.1 (EXCEPTION 2)—EDGE PROTECTION AT BOAT SLIPS

11B- 1003.3.2 Boarding pier clearances. Boarding piers at boat launch ramps shall provide clear pier space 60 inches ( 1524 mm) wide minimum and shall extend the full length of the boarding pier. Every 10 feet ( 3048 mm) maximum of linear pier edge shall contain at least one continuous clear opening 60 inches ( 1524 mm) wide minimum.

Exceptions:

  1. The clear pier space shall be permitted to be 36 inches ( 914 mm) wide minimum for a length of 24 inches (610 mm) maximum provided that multiple 36 inch ( 914 mm) wide segments are separated by segments that are 60 inches ( 1524 mm) wide minimum and 60 inches ( 1524 mm) long minimum.

  2. Edge protection shall be permitted at the continuous clear openings provided that it is 4 inches ( 102 mm) high maximum and 2 inches (51 mm) wide maximum.

FIGURE 11B- 1003.3.2—BOARDING PIER CLEARANCE

11B-140 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC HOUSING

FIGURE 11B- 1003.3.2 (EXCEPTION 1)—CLEAR PIER SPACE REDUCTION AT BOARDING PIERS

FIGURE 11B- 1003.3.2 (EXCEPTION 2)—EDGE PROTECTION AT BOARDING PIERS

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)

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