1505 Fire Classification — 2025 California Building Code

[BF] 1505.1 General. Fire classification of roof assemblies shall be in accordance with Section 1505. The minimum fire classification of roof assemblies installed on buildings shall comply with Table 1505.1 based on type of construction of the building. Class A, B and C roof assemblies and roof coverings required to be listed by this section shall be tested in accordance with ASTM E108 or UL 790. In addition, fire-retardant-treated woodroof coverings shall be tested in accordance with ASTM D2898; fire-retardant-treated shingles and shakes shall comply with Section 1505.6.

Exception: Skylights and sloped glazing that comply with Chapter 24 or Section 2610.

[BF] TABLE 1505.1—MINIMUM ROOF ASSEMBLY CLASSIFICATION FOR TYPES OF CONSTRUCTIONa, b

For SI: 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 square foot = 0.0929 m2.
a. Unless otherwise required in accordance with the_California Wildland-Urban Interface Code_ or due to the location of the building within a fire district in accordance with
Appendix D.
b. Nonclassified roof coverings shall be permitted on buildings of Group U occupancies, where there is a minimum fire-separation distance of 6 feet measured from the leading
edge of the roof.
c. Buildings that are not more than two stories above grade plane and having not more than 6,000 square feet of projected roof area and where there is a minimum 10-foot fire-
separation distance from the leading edge of the roof to a lot line on all sides of the building, except for street fronts or public ways, shall be permitted to have roofs of No. 1
cedar or redwood shakes and No. 1 shingles constructed in accordance with Section 1505.7.

ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES

1505.1.1 Roofing requirements within Fire Hazard Severity Zones or in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). Roofing require- ments for structures located within Fire Hazard Severity Zones or in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) shall also comply with Section 705A.

1505.1.2 Roof coverings within all other areas other than Fire Hazard Severity Zones or a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). The entire roof covering of every existing structure where more than 50 percent of the total roof area is replaced within any one-year period, the entire roof covering of every new structure, and any roof covering applied in the alteration, repair or replacement of the roof of every existing structure, shall be a fire-retardant roof covering that is at least Class C fire classification.

[BF] 1505.2 Class A roof assemblies. Class A roof assemblies are those that are effective against severe fire test exposure. Class A roof assemblies and roof coverings shall be listed and identified as Class A by an approved testing agency. Class A roof assemblies shall be permitted for use in buildings or structures of all types of construction.

Exceptions:

1. Class A roof assemblies include those with coverings of brick, masonry or an exposed concrete roof deck.

2. Class A roof assemblies also include ferrous or copper shingles or sheets, metal sheets and shingles, clay or concrete roof tile or slate installed on noncombustible decks or ferrous, copper or metal sheets installed without a roof deck on noncombustible framing.

3. Class A roof assemblies include minimum 16 ounce per square foot (0.0416 kg/m [2] ) copper sheets installed over combustible decks.

4. Class A roof assemblies include slate installed over ASTM D226, Type II or ASTM D4869, Type IV underlayment over combustible decks.

[BF] 1505.3 Class B roof assemblies. Class B roof assemblies are those that are effective against moderate fire-test exposure. Class B roof assemblies and roof coverings shall be listed and identified as Class B by an approved testing agency.

[BF] 1505.4 Class C roof assemblies. Class C roof assemblies are those that are effective against light fire-test exposure. Class C roof assemblies and roof coverings shall be listed and identified as Class C by an approved testing agency.

[BF] 1505.5 Nonclassified roofing. Nonclassified roofing is approved material that is not listed as a Class A, B or C roof covering assembly or roof covering.

[BF] 1505.6 Fire-retardant-treated wood shingles and shakes. Fire-retardant-treated wood shakes and shingles are wood shakes and shingles complying with UBC Standard 15-3 or 15-4 which are impregnated by the full-cell vacuum-pressure process with fire-retar- dant chemicals, and which have been qualified by UBC Standard 15-2 or ASTM E108 or UL 790 for use on Class A, B or C roofs.

Fire-retardant-treated wood shakes and shingles shall comply with ICC-ES EG107 and with the weathering requirements contained in Health and Safety Code Section 13132.7(j). Each bundle shall bear labels from an ICC accredited quality control agency identifying their roof-covering classification and indicating their compliance with ICC-ES EG107 and with the weathering requirements contained in Health and Safety Code Section 13132.7(j).

Health and Safety Code Section 13132.7(j). No wood roof covering materials shall be sold or applied in this state unless both of the following conditions are met: (1) The materials have been approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal as complying with the requirements of this section. (2) The materials have passed at least five years of the 10-year natural weathering test. The 10-year natural weathering test required by this subdivision shall be conducted in accordance with standard 15-2 of the 1994 edition of the Uniform Building Code at a testing facility recognized by the State Fire Marshal.

[BF] 1505.7 Special purpose roofs. Special purpose wood shingle or wood shake roofing shall conform to the grading and application requirements of Section 1507.8 or 1507.9. In addition, an underlayment of 5/8-inch (15.9 mm) Type X water-resistant gypsum backing board or gypsum sheathing shall be placed under minimum nominal 1/2-inch-thick (12.7 mm) wood structural panel solid sheathing or 1-inch (25 mm) nominal spaced sheathing.

[BF] 1505.8 Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems. BIPV products installed as the roof covering shall be tested, listed and labeled for fire classification in accordance with Section 1505.1.

[BF] 1505.9 Rooftop mounted photovoltaic (PV) panel systems. Rooftop mounted photovoltaic (PV) panel systems shall be tested, listed and identified with a fire classification in accordance with UL 2703. Listed systems shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions and their listing. The fire classification shall comply with Table 1505.1 based on the type of construction of the building.

[BF] 1505.10 Landscaped and vegetative roofs. Landscaped and vegetative roofs shall comply with Sections 1505.1 and 1507.15. Vegetative roofs shall be installed in accordance with ANSI/SPRI VF-1.