Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS

(Matrix Adoption Tables are nonregulatory, intended only as an aid to the code user.

See Chapter 1 for state agency authority and building applications.)

Adopting Agency	BSC	BSC -CG	SFM	HCD			DSA			OSHPD						BSCC	DPH	AGR	DWR	CEC	CA	SL	SLC
Adopting Agency	BSC	BSC -CG	SFM	1	2	1/AC	AC	SS	SS/CC	1	1R	2	3	4	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
Adopt entire chapter	X							X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Adopt entire chapter as amended (amended sections listed below)			X	X	X
Adopt only those sections that are listed below
Chapter / Section
503.1,Exception 1			X	X
Figure 5-1			X
Table 504.3			X
Table 504.4			X
Table 506.2			X
506.2.3			X
506.2.4			X
508.2.4			X
508.3.3			X
Table 508.4			X
508.5				X	X
508.5.3_Exception_				X	X
508.5.8_Exception_				X	X
508.5.9						X	X
508.5.10				X	X
508.5.11						X
Table 509.1			X
509.3			X

The state agency does not adopt sections identified with the following symbol: † The Office of the State Fire Marshal’s adoption of this chapter or individual sections is applicable to structures regulated by other state agencies pursuant to Section 1.11.

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. 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.

5-2 2022 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

CHAPTER 5

GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS

User note:

About this chapter: Chapter 5 establishes the limits to which a building can be built. Building height, number of stories and building area are specified in this chapter. Chapter 5 must be used in conjunction with the occupancies established in Chapter 3 and the types of construction established in Chapter 6. This chapter also specifies the impact that mezzanines, accessory occupancies and mixed occupancies have on the overall size of a building.

508.5 Live/work units¶

A live/work unit shall comply with Sections 508.5 through 508.5.11.

Exception s :

1. Dwelling or sleeping units that include an office that is less than 10 percent of the area of the dwelling unit are permitted to be classified as dwelling units with accessory occupancies in accordance with Section 508.2.

2. Live/work units complying with the requirements of Section 508.5 shall be permitted to be constructed as one- and two-family dwellings or townhouses in accordance with the California Residential Code, as applicable.

508.5.1 Limitations. The following shall apply to live/work areas:

The live/work unit is permitted to be not greater than 3,000 square feet (279 m ² ) in area.
The nonresidential area is permitted to be not more than 50 percent of the area of each live/work unit.
The nonresidential area function shall be limited to the first or main floor only of the live/work unit.
Not more than five nonresidential workers or employees are allowed to occupy the nonresidential area at any one time.

508.5.2 Occupancies. Live/work units shall be classified as a Group R-2 occupancy. Separation requirements found in Sections 420 and 508 shall not apply within the live/work unit where the live/work unit is in compliance with Section 508.5. Nonresidential uses that would otherwise be classified as either a Group H or S occupancy shall not be permitted in a live/work unit.

Exception: Storage shall be permitted in the live/work unit provided that the aggregate area of storage in the nonresidential portion of the live/work unit shall be limited to 10 percent of the space dedicated to nonresidential activities.

508.5.3 Means of egress. Except as modified by this section, the means of egress components for a live/work unit shall be designed in accordance with Chapter 10 for the function served.

Exception: Residential areas of live/work units constructed in accordance with the California Residential Code shall not be required to comply with Chapter 10.

508.5.4 Egress capacity. The egress capacity for each element of the live/work unit shall be based on the occupant load for the function served in accordance with Table 1004.5.

5-18 2022 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

horizontal assembly constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both. Construction supporting 1-hour fire barriers or horizontal assemblies used for incidental use separations in buildings of Type IIB, IIIB and VB construction is not required to be fire-resistance rated unless required by other sections of this code.

509.4.1.1 Type IV-B and IV-C construction. Where Table 509.1 specifies a fire-resistance-rated separation, mass timber elements serving as fire barriers or horizontal assemblies in Type IV-B or IV-C construction shall be separated from the interior of the incidental use with an approved thermal barrier consisting of gypsum board that is not less than ¹ /2 inch (12.7 mm) in thickness or a material that is tested in accordance with and meets the acceptance criteria of both the Temperature Transmission Fire Test and the Integrity Fire Test of NFPA 275.

509.4.2 Protection. Where Table 509.1 permits an automatic sprinkler system without a fire barrier, the incidental

GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS

uses shall be separated from the remainder of the building by construction capable of resisting the passage of smoke. The walls shall extend from the top of the foundation or floor assembly below to the underside of the ceiling that is a component of a fire-resistance-rated floor assembly or roof assembly above or to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab above. Doors shall be self- or automatic-closing upon detection of smoke in accordance with Section 716.2.6.6. Doors shall not have air transfer openings and shall not be undercut in excess of the clearance permitted in accordance with NFPA 80. Walls surrounding the incidental use shall not have air transfer openings unless provided with smoke dampers in accordance with Section 710.8.

509.4.2.1 Protection limitation. Where an automatic sprinkler system is provided in accordance with Table 509.1, only the space occupied by the incidental use need be equipped with such a system.

[F]TABLE 509.1 INCIDENTAL USES

ROOM OR AREA	SEPARATION AND/OR PROTECTION
Furnace room where any piece of equipment is over 400,000 Btu per hour input	1 hour or provide automatic sprinkler system
Rooms with boilers where the largest piece of equipment is over 15 psi and 10 horse- power	1 hour or provide automatic sprinkler system
Refrigerant machinery room	1 hour or provide automatic sprinkler system
Hydrogen fuel gas rooms, not classified as Group H	1 hour in Group B, F, M, S and U occupancies; 2 hours in Group A, E, I and R occupancies.
Incinerator rooms	2 hours and provide automatic sprinkler system
Paint shops, not classified as Group H, located in occupancies other than Group F	2 hours; or 1 hour and provide automatic sprinkler system
In Group E occupancies, laboratories and vocational shops not classified as Group H	1 hour or provide automatic sprinkler system
*[SFM]*Rooms or areas with special hazards such as laboratories, vocational shops and other such areas not classified as Group H, located in Group E occupancies where hazardous materials in quantities not exceeding the maximum allowable quantity are used or stored.	1 hour
In Group I-2_and I-2.1_occupancies, laboratories not classified as Group H	1 hour_a_
In ambulatory care facilities, laboratories not classified as Group H	1 hour or provide automatic sprinkler system
Laundry rooms over 100 square feet	1 hour or provide automatic sprinkler system
In Group I-2_and I-2.1_ laundry rooms over 100 square feet	1 hour_a_
Group I-3 cells and Group I-2_and I-2.1_patient rooms equipped with padded surfaces	1 hour_a_
In Group I-2_and I-2.1_ physical plant maintenance shops	1 hour_a_
In ambulatory care facilities or Group I-2_and I-2.1_occupancies, waste and linen col- lection rooms with containers that have an aggregate volume of 10 cubic feet or greater	1 hour_a_
In other than ambulatory care facilities and Group I-2_and I-2.1_occupancies, waste and linen collection rooms over 100 square feet	1 hour or provide automatic sprinkler system
In ambulatory care facilities or Group I-2_and I-2.1_occupancies, storage rooms greater than 100 square feet	1 hour_a_
Electrical installations and transformers	See Sections 110.26 through 110.34 and Sections 450.8 through 450.48 of the_California Electrical Cod_e for protection and separation requirements.

For SI: 1 square foot = 0.0929 m ², 1 pound per square inch (psi) = 6.9 kPa, 1 British thermal unit (Btu) per hour = 0.293 watts, 1 horsepower = 746 watts, 1 gallon = 3.785 L, 1 cubic foot = 0.0283 m ³ . a. [SFM] Fire barrier protection and automatic sprinkler protection required throughout the fire area in I-2 and I-2.1 occupancies as indicated.

GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS