Section 701A

This chapter applies to building materials, systems and/or assemblies used in the exterior design and construction of new buildings located within a Wildland- Urban Interface Fire Area as defined in Section 702A.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish minimum standards for the protection of life and property by increasing the ability of a building located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas or any Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area to resist the intru- sion of flames or burning embers projected by a vegetation fire and contributes to a systematic reduction in conflagra- tion losses.

New buildings located in any Fire Haz- ard Severity Zone or any Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area designated by the enforcing agency constructed after the application date shall comply with the provisions of this chapter.

Exceptions:

1. Buildings of an accessory character classified as a Group U occupancy and not exceeding 120 square feet in floor area, when located at least 30 feet from an applicable building.

2. Buildings of an accessory character classified as Group U occupancy of any size located least 50 feet from an applicable building.

3. Buildings classified as a Group U Agricultural Building, as defined in Section 202 of this code (see also Appendix C – Group U Agricultural Buildings), when located at least 50 feet from an applicable building.

4. Additions to and remodels of buildings originally constructed prior to the applicable application date.

5. Group C, special buildings conforming to the limita- tions specified in Section 450.4.1.

For the purposes of this section and Section 710A, applicable building includes all buildings that have residential, commer- cial, educational, institutional, or similar occupancy type use.

701A.3.1 Application date and where required. New buildings for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after July 1, 2008 located in any Fire Haz- ard Severity Zone or Wildland Interface Fire Area shall comply with all sections of this chapter, including all of the following areas:

1. All unincorporated lands designated by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection as State Responsibility Area (SRA) including:

1.1. Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

1.2. High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

1.3. Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

2. Land designated as Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by cities and other local agencies.

3. Land designated as Wildland Interface Fire Area by cities and other local agencies.

Exceptions:

1. New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas, for which an application for a build- ing permit is submitted on or after January 1, 2008, shall comply with all sections of this chapter.

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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MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR WILDFIRE EXPOSURE

2. New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas or any Wildland Interface Fire Area designated by cities and other local agen- cies for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after December 1, 2005 but prior to July 1, 2008, shall only comply with the following sections of this chapter:

2.1. Section 705A – Roofing.

2.2. Section 706A – Attic Ventilation.

701A.3.2 Application to accessory buildings and mis- cellaneous structures. New accessory buildings and miscellaneous structures specified in Section 710A shall comply only with the requirements of that section.

Building permit appli- cations and final completion approvals for buildings within the scope and application of this chapter shall comply with the following:

1. Building permit issuance. The local building official shall, prior to construction, provide the owner or appli- cant a certification that the building as proposed to be built complies with all applicable state and local build- ing standards, including those for materials and con- struction methods for wildfire exposure as described in this chapter. Issuance of a building permit by the local building official for the proposed building shall be con- sidered as complying with this section.

2. Building permit final. The local building official shall, upon completion of construction, provide the owner or applicant with a copy of the final inspection report that demonstrates the building was constructed in compli- ance with all applicable state and local building stan- dards, including those for materials and construction methods for wildfire exposure as described in this chapter. Issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the local building official for the proposed building shall be considered as complying with this section.

Prior to building permit final approval, the property shall be in com- pliance with the vegetation management requirements pre- scribed in California Fire Code Section 4906, including California Public Resources Code 4291 or California Gov- ernment Code Section 51182. Acceptable methods of com- pliance inspection and documentation shall be determined by the enforcing agency and shall be permitted to include any of the following:

1. Local, state or federal fire authority or designee autho- rized to enforce vegetation management requirements. 2. Enforcing agency. 3. Third party inspection and certification authorized to enforce vegetation management requirements. 4. Property owner certification authorized by the enforc- ing agency.