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Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES

Section 708

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

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

708.1 General.

The following wall assemblies shall comply with this section.

  1. Separation walls as required by Section 420.2 for Group R occupancies.

  2. Walls separating tenant spaces in covered and open mall buildings as required by Section 402.4.2.1.

  3. Corridor walls as required by Section 1020.1.

  4. Enclosed elevator lobby separation as required by Section 3006.2.

  5. Egress balconies as required by Section 1021.2.

6. Walls separating enclosed tenant spaces in high-rise buildings and in buildings of Types I, IIA, IIIA, IV or VA construction of Group A, E, H, I, L and R-2.1 occu- pancies and other applications listed in Section 1.11 regulated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

708.2 Materials.

The walls shall be of materials permitted by the building type of construction.

216 2019 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.

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708.3 Fire-resistance rating.

Fire partitions shall have a fireresistance rating of not less than 1 hour.

Exceptions:

  1. Corridor walls permitted to have a 1 /2-hour fire-resistance rating by Table 1020.1.

  2. Dwelling unit and sleeping unit separations in buildings of Types IIB, IIIB and VB construction shall have fire-resistance ratings of not less than 1 /2 hour in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

3. Walls separating enclosed tenant spaces in Group B high-rise buildings of Type I and II construction equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

708.4 Continuity.

Fire partitions shall extend from the top of the foundation or floor/ceiling assembly below and be securely attached to one of the following:

  1. The underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab above.

  2. The underside of a floor/ceiling or roof/ceiling assembly having a fire-resistance rating that is not less than the fire-resistance rating of the fire partition.

Exceptions:

  1. Fire partitions shall not be required to extend into a crawl space below where the floor above the crawl space has a minimum 1-hour fire-resistance rating.

  2. Fire partitions serving as a corridor wall shall not be required to extend above the lower membrane of a corridor ceiling provided that the corridor ceiling membrane is equivalent to corridor wall membrane, and either of the following conditions is met:

2.1. The room-side membrane of the corridor wall extends to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab of a fire-resistance-rated floor or roof above.

2.2. The building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system installed throughout in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2, including automatic sprinklers installed in the space between the top of the fire partition and underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab above.

  1. Fire partitions serving as a corridor wall shall be permitted to terminate at the upper membrane of the corridor ceiling assembly where the corridor ceiling is constructed as required for the corridor wall.

  2. Fire partitions separating tenant spaces in a covered or open mall building complying with Section 402.4.2.1 shall not be required to extend above the underside of a ceiling. Such ceiling shall not be required to be part of a fire-resistance-rated assembly, and the attic or space above the ceiling at tenant separation walls shall not be required to be subdivided by fire partitions.

FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES

708.4.1 Supporting construction. The supporting construction for a fire partition shall have a fire-resistance rating that is equal to or greater than the required fireresistance rating of the supported fire partition.

Exception: In buildings of Types IIB, IIIB and VB construction, the supporting construction requirement shall not apply to fire partitions separating tenant spaces in covered and open mall buildings, fire partitions separating dwelling units, fire partitions separating sleeping units and fire partitions serving as corridor walls.

708.4.2 Fireblocks and draftstops in combustible con- struction. In combustible construction where fire partitions do not extend to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab above, the space above and along the line of the fire partition shall be provided with one of the following:

  1. Fireblocking up to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab above using materials complying with Section 718.2.1.

  2. Draftstopping up to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab above using materials complying with Section 718.3.1 for floors or Section 718.4.1 for attics.

Exceptions:

  1. Buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system installed throughout in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, or in accordance with Section 903.3.1.2 provided that protection is provided in the space between the top of the fire partition and underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab above as required for systems complying with Section 903.3.1.1.

  2. Where corridor walls provide a sleeping unit or dwelling unit separation, draftstopping shall only be required above one of the corridor walls.

  3. In Group R-2 occupancies with fewer than four dwelling units, fireblocking and draftstopping shall not be required.

  4. In Group R-2 occupancies up to and including four stories in height in buildings not exceeding 60 feet (18 288 mm) in height above grade plane, the attic space shall be subdivided by draftstops into areas not exceeding 3,000 square feet (279 m 2 ) or above every two dwelling units, whichever is smaller.

  5. In Group R-3 occupancies with fewer than three dwelling units, fire-blocking and draftstopping shall not be required in floor assemblies.

708.5 Exterior walls.

Where exterior walls serve as a part of a required fire-resistance-rated separation, such walls shall comply with the requirements of Section 705 for exterior walls, and the fire-resistance-rated separation requirements shall not apply.

Exception: Exterior walls required to be fire-resistance rated in accordance with Section 1021.2 for exterior egress balconies, Section 1023.7 for interior exit stairways and

Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.

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FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES

ramps and Section 1027.6 for exterior exit stairways and ramps.

708.6 Openings.

Openings in a fire partition shall be protected in accordance with Section 716.

708.7 Penetrations.

Penetrations of fire partitions shall comply with Section 714.

708.8 Joints.

Joints made in or between fire partitions shall comply with Section 715.

708.9 Ducts and air transfer openings.

Penetrations in a fire partition by ducts and air transfer openings shall comply with Section 717.

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  6. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  7. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED
  8. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  9. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  10. ▸Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
    Overview
    1. Section 701
    2. Section 702
    3. Section 703
    4. Section 704
    5. Section 705
    6. Section 706
    7. Section 707
    8. Section 708
    9. Section 709
    10. Section 710
    11. Section 711
    12. Section 712
    13. Section 713
    14. Section 714
    15. Section 715
    16. Section 716
    17. Section 717
    18. Section 718
    19. Section 719
    20. Section 720
    21. Section 721
    22. Section 722
  11. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  13. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  14. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  15. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  16. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  17. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  18. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  19. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  20. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  22. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  25. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  26. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  27. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  28. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  29. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  30. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  31. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  32. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  33. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  34. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  35. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  36. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  37. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  38. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  39. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  40. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  41. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  42. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  43. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  44. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  45. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  46. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  47. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  48. Appendix H — SIGNS
  49. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  50. Appendix J — GRADING
  51. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  52. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix O — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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