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Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY AND USE

Section 404

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

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

404.1 General.

The provisions of Sections 404.1 through 404.11 shall apply to buildings containing atriums. Atriums are not permitted in buildings or structures classified as Group H.

Exception: Vertical openings that comply with Sections 712.1.1 through 712.1.3, and Sections 712.1.9 through 712.1.14.

404.2 Use.

The floor of the atrium shall not be used for other than low fire hazard uses and only approved materials and decorations in accordance with the California Fire Code shall be used in the atrium space.

Exception: The atrium floor area is permitted to be used for any approved use where the individual space is provided with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

[F] 404.3 Automatic sprinkler protection. An approved automatic sprinkler system shall be installed throughout the entire building.

Exceptions:

  1. That area of a building adjacent to or above the atrium need not be sprinklered provided that portion of the building is separated from the atrium portion by not less than 2-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 or horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both.

  2. Where the ceiling of the atrium is more than 55 feet (16 764 mm) above the floor, sprinkler protection at the ceiling of the atrium is not required.

[F] 404.4 Fire alarm system. A fire alarm system shall be provided in accordance with Section 907.2.14.

404.5 Smoke control.

A smoke control system shall be installed in accordance with Section 909.

Exceptions:

  1. In other than Group I-2 and R-2.1 Condition 2, smoke control is not required for atriums that connect only two stories.

  2. A smoke control system is not required for atriums connecting more than two stories when all of the following are met:

2.1. Only the two lowest stories shall be permitted to be open to the atrium.

the minimum number of exits required by Section 1006.3. The total capacity of any combination of remaining interior exit stairways with one interior exit stairway removed shall be not less than the total capacity required by Section 1005.1. Scissor stairways shall not be considered the additional interior exit stairway required by this section.

Exceptions:

  1. An additional interior exit stairway shall not be required to be installed in buildings having elevators used for occupant self-evacuation in accordance with Section 3008.

  2. An additional interior exit stairway shall not be required for other portions of the building where the highest occupiable floor level in those areas is less than 420 feet (128 m) in building height.

403.5.3 Stairway door operation. Stairway doors other than the exit discharge doors shall be permitted to be locked from the stairway side. Stairway doors that are locked from the stairway side shall be capable of being unlocked simultaneously without unlatching upon a signal from the fire command center. Upon failure of electrical power to the locking mechanism, the door shall unlock.

403.5.3.1 Stairway communication system. A telephone or other two-way communications system connected to an approved constantly attended station shall be provided at not less than every fifth floor in each stairway where the doors to the stairway are locked.

403.5.4 Smokeproof enclosures. Every exit enclosure in high-rise buildings shall comply with Sections 909.20 and 1023.11. Every required interior exit stairway in Group I-2 occupancies serving floors more than 75 feet (22 860 mm) above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access shall be a smokeproof enclosure in accordance with Sections 909.20 and 1023.11.

Exception: In high-rise buildings, exit enclosures serv- ing three or less adjacent floors where one of the adja- cent floors is the level of exit discharge.

403.5.5 Luminous egress path markings. Luminous egress path markings shall be provided in accordance with Section 1025.

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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. Appendix N — REPLICABLE
  6. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED
  7. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  8. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  9. ▸Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
    Overview
    1. Section 401
    2. Section 402
    3. Section 403
    4. Section 404
    5. Section 405
    6. Section 406
    7. Section 407
    8. Section 408
    9. Section 409
    10. Section 410
    11. Section 412
    12. Section 411
    13. Section 413
    14. Section 414
    15. Section 415
    16. Section 416
    17. Section 417
    18. Section 418
    19. Section 419
    20. Section 420
    21. Section 422
    22. Section 421
    23. Section 423
    24. Section 424
    25. Section 425
    26. Section 427
    27. Section 435
    28. Section 436
    29. Section 437
    30. Section 438
    31. Section 440
    32. Section 441
    33. Section 442
    34. Section 443
    35. Section 444
    36. Section 445
    37. Section 446
    38. Section 447
    39. Section 448
    40. Section 449
    41. Section 450
    42. Section 451
    43. Section 452
    44. Section 453
    45. Section 454
    46. Section 455
  10. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  11. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  13. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  14. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  15. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  16. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  17. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  18. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  19. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  20. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  21. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  22. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  23. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  24. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  25. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  26. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  30. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  31. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  32. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  33. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  34. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  35. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  36. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  37. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  38. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  39. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  40. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  41. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  42. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  43. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  44. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  45. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  46. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  47. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  48. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  49. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  50. Appendix H — SIGNS
  51. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  52. Appendix J — GRADING
  53. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  54. Appendix P — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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