Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
Section 905
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.
STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
[F] 905.1 General. Standpipe systems shall be provided in new buildings and structures in accordance with Sections 905.2 through 905.11. In buildings used for high-piled combustible storage, fire protection shall be in accordance with the California Fire Code .
[F] 905.2 Installation standard. Standpipe systems shall be installed in accordance with this section and NFPA 14 as amended in Chapter 35 . Fire department connections for standpipe systems shall be in accordance with Section 912.
[F] 905.3 Required installations. Standpipe systems shall be installed where required by Sections 905.3.1 through 905.3.11.1 . Standpipe systems are allowed to be combined with automatic sprinkler systems.
Exception: Standpipe systems are not required in Group R-3 occupancies.
[F] 905.3.1 Height. In other than Group R-3 and R-3.1 occupancies, Class III standpipe systems shall be installed throughout each floor where any of the following occur :
1. Buildings where the floor level of the highest story is located more than 30 feet (9144 mm) above the low- est level of fire department vehicle access.
2. Buildings that are four or more stories in height.
3. Buildings where the floor level of the lowest story is located more than 30 feet (9144 mm) below the highest level of fire department vehicle access.
4. Buildings that are two or more stories below the highest level of fire department vehicle access.
Exceptions:
Class I standpipes are allowed in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2.
Class I standpipes are allowed in Group B and E occupancies.
Class I manual standpipes are allowed in open parking garages where the highest floor is located not more than 150 feet (45 720 mm) above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.
Class I manual dry standpipes are allowed in open parking garages that are subject to freezing temperatures, provided that the hose connections are located as required for Class II standpipes in accordance with Section 905.5.
Class I standpipes are allowed in basements equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system.
Class I standpipes are allowed in buildings where occupant-use hose lines will not be utilized by trained personnel or the fire department.
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[F] 904.12.4 Special provisions for automatic sprinkler systems. Automatic sprinkler systems protecting commercial-type cooking equipment shall be supplied from a separate, indicating-type control valve that is identified. Access to the control valve shall be provided.
[F] 904.12.4.1 Listed sprinklers. Sprinklers used for the protection of fryers shall be tested in accordance with UL 199E, listed for that application and installed in accordance with their listing.
[F] 904.13 Domestic cooking systems. Cooktops and ranges installed in the following occupancies shall be protected in accordance with Section 904.13.1:
In Group R-2.1 occupancies where domestic cooking facilities are installed in accordance with Section 420.8.
In Group I-2 and I-2.1 occupancies where domestic cooking facilities are installed in accordance with Section 407.2.6.
In Group R-2 college dormitories where domestic cooking facilities are installed in accordance with Section 420.10.
[F] 904.13.1 Protection from fire. Cooktops and ranges shall be protected in accordance with Section 904.13.1.1 or 904.13.1.2.
[F] 904.13.1.1 Automatic fire-extinguishing system. The domestic recirculating or exterior vented cooking hood provided over the cooktop or range shall be equipped with an approved automatic fire-extinguishing system complying with the following:
The automatic fire-extinguishing system shall be of a type recognized for protection of domestic cooking equipment. Preengineered automatic fire-extinguishing systems shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 300A and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Manual actuation of the fire-extinguishing system shall be provided in accordance with Section 904.12.1.
Interconnection of the fuel and electric power supply shall be in accordance with Section 904.12.2.
[F] 904.13.1.2 Ignition prevention. Cooktops and ranges shall include burners that have been tested and listed to prevent ignition of cooking oil with burners turned on to their maximum heat settings and allowed to operate for 30 minutes.
[F] 904.14 Aerosol fire-extinguishing systems. Aerosol fire-extinguishing systems shall be installed, periodically inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with Sections 901 and 904.4, NFPA 2010, and in accordance with their listing.
Such devices and appurtenances shall be listed and installed in compliance with manufacturer’s instructions.
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 PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
- In determining the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, it shall not be required to consider either of the following:
7.1. Recessed loading docks for four vehicles or less.
7.2. Conditions where topography makes access from the fire department vehicle to the building impractical or impossible.
[F] 905.3.2 Group A. Class I automatic wet standpipes shall be provided in nonsprinklered Group A buildings having an occupant load exceeding 1,000 persons.
Exceptions:
Open-air-seating spaces without enclosed spaces.
Class I automatic dry and semiautomatic dry standpipes or manual wet standpipes are allowed in buildings that are not high-rise buildings.
[F] 905.3.3 Covered and open mall buildings. Covered mall and open mall buildings shall be equipped throughout with a standpipe system where required by Section 905.3.1. Mall buildings not required to be equipped with a standpipe system by Section 905.3.1 shall be equipped with Class I hose connections connected to the automatic sprinkler system sized to deliver water at 250 gallons per minute (946.4 L/min) at the hydraulically most remote hose connection while concurrently supplying the automatic sprinkler system demand. The standpipe system shall be designed to not exceed a 50 pounds per square inch (psi) (345 kPa) residual pressure loss with a flow of 250 gallons per minute (946.4 L/min) from the fire department connection to the hydraulically most remote hose connection. Hose connections shall be provided at each of the following locations:
Within the mall at the entrance to each exit passageway or corridor.
At each floor-level landing within interior exit stairways opening directly on the mall.
At exterior public entrances to the mall of a covered mall building.
At public entrances at the perimeter line of an open mall building.
At other locations as necessary so that the distance to reach all portions of a tenant space does not exceed 200 feet (60 960 mm) from a hose connection.
[F] 905.3.4 Stages. Stages greater than 1,000 square feet in area (93 m 2 ) shall be equipped with a Class III wet standpipe system with 1 1 /2-inch and 2 1 /2-inch (38 mm and 64 mm) hose connections on each side of the stage.
Exception: Where the building or area is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system, a 1 1 /2inch (38 mm) hose connection shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 13 or in accordance with NFPA 14 for Class II or III standpipes.
[F] 905.3.4.1 Hose and cabinet. The 1 1 /2-inch (38 mm) hose connections shall be equipped with sufficient lengths of 1 1 /2-inch (38 mm) hose to provide fire pro
tection for the stage area. Hose connections shall be equipped with an approved adjustable fog nozzle and be mounted in a cabinet or on a rack.
[F] 905.3.5 Underground buildings. Underground buildings shall be equipped throughout with a Class I automatic wet or manual wet standpipe system.
[F] 905.3.6 Helistops and heliports. Buildings with a rooftop helistop or heliport shall be equipped with a Class I or III standpipe system extended to the roof level on which the helistop or heliport is located in accordance with Section 2007.5 of the California Fire Code .
[F] 905.3.7 Marinas and boatyards. Standpipes in marinas and boatyards shall comply with Chapter 36 of the California Fire Code .
[F] 905.3.8 Rooftop gardens and landscaped roofs. Buildings or structures that have rooftop gardens or landscaped roofs and that are equipped with a standpipe system shall have the standpipe system extended to the roof level on which the rooftop garden or landscaped roof is located.
[F] 905.3.9 Smokeproof enclosures. For smokeproof enclosures see Section 909.20.
[F] 905.3.10 Group I-3. Housing pods within housing units where 50 or more inmates are restrained, shall be provided with Class I wet standpipes. In addition, Class I wet standpipes shall be located so that it will not be neces- sary to extend hose lines through interlocking security doors and any doors in smoke-barrier walls, horizontal fire walls or fire barrier walls. Standpipes located in hous- ing units may be placed in secured pipe chases.
905.3.11 Fixed-guideway and passenger rail transit sys- tems. Fixed-guideway and passenger rail transit systems shall be provided with a Class 1 standpipe system in accordance with this section.
905.3.11.1 Undergraound stations. Underground sta- tions shall be provided with an automatic Class I stand- pipe system.
905.3.11.2 All other stations. All other stations shall be provided with a Class I.
Exception: Open at-grade stations with unrestricted fire department access need not be provided with a standpipe system.
[F] 905.4 Location of Class I standpipe hose connections. Class I standpipe hose connections shall be provided in all of the following locations:
- In every required interior exit stairway, a hose connection shall be provided for each story above and below grade plane. Hose connections shall be located at the main floor landing unless otherwise approved by the fire code official. See Section 909.20.2.3 for additional provisions in smokeproof enclosures.
Exception: A single hose connection shall be permitted to be installed in the open corridor or open breezeway between open stairs that are not greater than 75 feet (22 860 mm) apart.
332 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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- On each side of the wall adjacent to the exit opening of a horizontal exit.
Exception: Where floor areas adjacent to a horizontal exit are reachable from an interior exit stairway hose connection by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hose stream from a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose as measured along the path of travel, a hose connection shall not be required at the horizontal exit.
- In every exit passageway, at the entrance from the exit passageway to other areas of a building.
Exception: Where floor areas adjacent to an exit passageway are reachable from an interior exit stairway hose connection by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hose stream from a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose, a hose connection shall not be required at the entrance from the exit passageway to other areas of the building.
In covered mall buildings, adjacent to each exterior public entrance to the mall and adjacent to each entrance from an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall. In open mall buildings, adjacent to each public entrance to the mall at the perimeter line and adjacent to each entrance from an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall.
Where the roof has a slope less than four units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33.3-percent slope), a hose connection shall be located to serve the roof or at the highest landing of an interior exit stairway with access to the roof provided in accordance with Section 1011.12.
Where the most remote portion of a nonsprinklered floor or story is more than 150 feet (45 720 mm) from a hose connection or the most remote portion of a sprinklered floor or story is more than 200 feet (60 960 mm) from a hose connection, the fire code official is authorized to require that additional hose connections be provided in approved locations. The distances from a hose connection shall be measured along the path of travel.
[F] 905.4.1 Protection. Risers and laterals of Class I standpipe systems not located within an interior exit stairway shall be protected by a degree of fire resistance equal to that required for vertical enclosures in the building in which they are located.
Exception: In buildings equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system, laterals that are not located within an interior exit stairway are not required to be enclosed within fire-resistance-rated construction.
[F] 905.4.2 Interconnection. In buildings where more than one standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be interconnected in accordance with NFPA 14.
[F] 905.5 Location of Class II standpipe hose connections. Class II standpipe hose connections located so that all portions of the building are within 30 feet (9144 mm) of a listed
FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
variable stream fog nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose. Class II standpipe hose connections shall be located where they will have ready access.
[F] 905.5.1 Groups A-1 and A-2. In Group A-1 and A-2 occupancies having occupant loads exceeding 1,000 persons, hose connections shall be located on each side of any stage, on each side of the rear of the auditorium, on each side of the balcony and on each tier of dressing rooms.
[F] 905.5.2 Protection. Fire-resistance-rated protection of risers and laterals of Class II standpipe systems is not required.
[F] 905.5.3 Class II system 1-inch hose. A minimum 1inch (25 mm) hose shall be allowed to be used for hose stations in light-hazard occupancies where investigated and listed for this service and where approved by the fire code official.
[F] 905.6 Location of Class III standpipe hose connec- tions. Class III standpipe systems shall have hose connections located as required for Class I standpipes in Section 905.4 and shall have Class II hose connections as required in Section 905.5.
[F] 905.6.1 Protection. Risers and laterals of Class III standpipe systems shall be protected as required for Class I systems in accordance with Section 905.4.1.
[F] 905.6.2 Interconnection. In buildings where more than one Class III standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be interconnected in accordance with NFPA 14.
[F] 905.7 Cabinets. Cabinets containing fire-fighting equipment such as standpipes, fire hoses, fire extinguishers or fire department valves shall not be blocked from use or obscured from view.
[F] 905.7.1 Cabinet equipment identification. Cabinets shall be identified in an approved manner by a permanently attached sign with letters not less than 2 inches (51 mm) high in a color that contrasts with the background color, indicating the equipment contained therein.
Exceptions:
Doors not large enough to accommodate a written sign shall be marked with a permanently attached pictogram of the equipment contained therein.
Doors that have either an approved visual identification clear glass panel or a complete glass door panel are not required to be marked.
[F] 905.7.2 Locking cabinet doors. Cabinets shall be unlocked.
Exceptions:
Visual identification panels of glass or other approved transparent frangible material that is easily broken and allows access.
Approved locking arrangements.
Group I-3 and in mental health areas of Group I-2 occupancies.
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 PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
[F] 905.8 Dry standpipes. Dry standpipes shall not be installed.
Exception: Where subject to freezing and in accordance with NFPA 14.
[F] 905.9 Valve supervision. Valves controlling water supplies shall be supervised in the open position so that a change in the normal position of the valve will generate a supervisory signal at the supervising station required by Section 903.4. Where a fire alarm system is provided, a signal shall be transmitted to the control unit.
Exceptions:
Valves to underground key or hub valves in roadway boxes provided by the municipality or public utility do not require supervision.
Valves locked in the normal position and inspected as provided in this code in buildings not equipped with a fire alarm system.
[F] 905.10 During construction. Standpipe systems required during construction and demolition operations shall be provided in accordance with Section 3311.
[F] 905.11 Locking standpipe outlet caps. The fire code official is authorized to require locking caps on the outlets on dry standpipes where the responding fire department carries key wrenches for the removal that are compatible with locking FDC connection caps.
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Ask AI about this code▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
- Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
- Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
- Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
- Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
- Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
- Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
- Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED
- Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
- Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
- Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
▸Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
- Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
- Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
- Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
- Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
- Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
- Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
- Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
- Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
- Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
- Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
- Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
- Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
- Chapter 21 — MASONRY
- Chapter 22 — STEEL
- Chapter 23 — WOOD
- Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
- Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
- Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
- Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
- Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
- Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
- Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
- Chapter 31C — RADIATION
- Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
- Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
- Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
- Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
- Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
- Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
- Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
- Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
- Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
- Appendix H — SIGNS
- Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
- Appendix J — GRADING
- Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
- Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
- Appendix O — EMERGENCY HOUSING