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Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY AND USE

Section 436

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.

436.1 Group I-4 special provisions.

Rooms classified as Group I-4 shall not be located above or below the first story.

Exceptions:

2.1. Group I-4 child-care centers with children under the age of seven or containing more than 12 children per story shall not be located above the fourth floor; and

2.2. The entire story in which the Group I-4 child- care center or adult day care is located is equipped with an approved manual fire alarm and automatic smoke-detection system. (See the California Fire Code.) Actuation of an initiating device shall sound an audible alarm throughout the entire story. When a building fire alarm sys- tem is required by other provisions of this code or the Fire Code, the alarm system shall be con- nected to the building alarm system. An approved alarm signal shall sound at an approved location in the Group I-4 facility to indicate a fire alarm or sprinkler flow condition in other portions of the building; and

2.3. Group I-4 child-care center or adult day care, if more than 1,000 square feet (92.9 m 2 ) in area, is divided into at least two compartments of approximately the same size by a smoke barrier with door openings protected by smoke- and draft-control assemblies having a fire-protection rating of not less than 20 minutes. Smoke barri- ers shall have a fire-resistive rating of not less than one hour. In addition to the requirements of Section 508.3.3, occupancy separations between Group I-4 child-care center or adult day care and other occupancies shall be constructed as smoke barriers. Door openings in the smoke bar- rier shall be tightfitting, with gaskets installed as required by Section 710, and shall be automatic closing by actuation of the automatic sprinklers, fire alarm or smoke-detection system.

2.4. Each compartment formed by the smoke barrier has not less than two exits or exit access doors, one of which is permitted to pass through the adjoining compartment; and

2.5. Where two or more exits or exit access are required at least one shall not share a common path of travel. The egress system shall comply with the requirements of Section 709 for smoke barriers.

2.6. The building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system throughout.

436.1.1 Egress. Rooms used for Group I-4 child care or adult day care on the first floor shall have one exit door directly to the exterior.

Exception: One-hour rated corridors with a minimum width of 60 inches.

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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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