Skip to content
ChatProjectCodes

Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES

Section 804

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.

804.1 General.

Interior floor finish and floor covering materials shall comply with Sections 804.2 through 804.4.2.

Exception: In areas except Groups I-2 with detention and I-3, floor finishes and coverings of a traditional type, such as wood, vinyl, linoleum or terrazzo, and resilient floor covering materials that are not comprised of fibers.

804.2 Classification.

Interior floor finish and floor covering materials required by Section 804.4.2 to be of Class I or II materials shall be classified in accordance with ASTM E648 or NFPA 253. The classification referred to herein corresponds to the classifications determined by ASTM E648 or NFPA 253 as follows: Class I, 0.45 watts/cm 2 or greater; Class II, 0.22 watts/cm 2 or greater.

804.3 Testing and identification.

Interior floor finish and floor covering materials shall be tested by an agency in accordance with ASTM E648 or NFPA 253 and identified by a hang tag or other suitable method so as to identify the manufacturer or supplier and style, and shall indicate the interior floor finish or floor covering classification in accordance with Section 804.2. Carpet-type floor coverings shall be tested as proposed for use, including underlayment. Test reports confirming the information provided in the manufacturer’s product identification shall be furnished to the building official upon request.

804.4 Interior floor finish requirements.

Interior floor covering materials shall comply with Sections 804.4.1 and 804.4.2 and interior floor finish materials shall comply with Section 804.4.3.

804.4.1 Test requirement. In all occupancies, interior floor finish and interior floor covering materials shall comply with the requirements of the ASTM Standard E648, and having a specific optical density smoke rating not to exceed 450 per ASTM E662. For Group I-3 occu- pancies and Group I-2 areas where patients are restrained, see Section 804.4.3.

804.4.2 Minimum critical radiant flux. In all occupancies, interior floor finish and floor covering materials in enclosures for stairways and ramps, exit passageways, corridors and rooms or spaces not separated from corridors by partitions extending from the floor to the underside of the ceiling shall withstand a minimum critical radiant flux. The minimum critical radiant flux shall be

310 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.

100735044

INTERIOR FINISHES

805.1.3 Insulating boards. Combustible insulating boards not more than 1 /2 inch (12.7 mm) thick and covered with finish flooring are permitted where attached directly to a noncombustible floor assembly or to wood subflooring attached to sleepers as provided for in Section 805.1.1.

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
Export this section
▸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
  11. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  12. ▸Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
    Overview
    1. Section 801
    2. Section 802
    3. Section 803
    4. Section 804
    5. Section 806
    6. Section 805
    7. Section 807
    8. Section 808
  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

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.