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Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS

Section 503

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.

GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHT AND AREA LIMITATIONS

503.1 General.

Unless otherwise specifically modified in Chapter 4 and this chapter, building height, number of stories and building area shall not exceed the limits specified in Sections 504 and 506 based on the type of construction as determined by Section 602 and the occupancies as determined by Section 302 except as modified hereafter. Building height, number of stories and building area provisions shall be applied independently. For the purposes of determining area limitations, height limitations and type of construction, each portion of a building separated by one or more fire walls complying with Section 706 shall be considered to be a separate building.

Exceptions:

1. [HCD 1] Limited-density owner-built rural dwell- ings may be of any type of construction which will

provide for a sound structural condition. Structural hazards which result in an unsound condition and which may constitute a substandard building are delineated by Section 17920.3 of the Health and Safety Code.

2. Other than structural requirements, solar photo- voltaic panels supported by a structure with no use underneath shall not constitute additional story or additional floor area and may exceed the height limit when constructed on a roof top of a building provided the following conditions are met:

1.1. For all occupancies, the highest point of the structure/panel shall meet the lower of the two values below:

1. 3 ′ above the allowable building height per this code.

2. 3 ′ above the roof of the building immedi- ately below.

2.1. For installations on flat roofs in other than Group R-3 and R-4 occupancies, the highest point of the structure/panel shall meet the lower of the two values below:

1. 10 ′ above the allowable building height per this code.

2. 10 ′ above the roof of the building immedi- ately below.

3. Other than structural requirements, solar photovol- taic panels supported by a structure over parking stalls shall not constitute additional story or addi- tional floor area and may exceed the height limit as specified in exception 2 (above) when the following conditions are met (see Figure 5-1):

1. The area within the perimeter of the photovoltaic array has maximum rectangular dimension of 40 feet by 150 feet.

2. The distance between solar photovoltaic array structures is a minimum of 10 feet clear.

3. The driveway aisle separating solar photovoltaic array structures has a minimum width of 25 feet clear.

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.

GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS

4. Solar photovoltaic array structure is used only for parking purposes with no storage.

5. Completely open on all sides (other than neces- sary structural supports) with no interior parti- tions.

503.1.1 Special industrial occupancies. Buildings and structures designed to house special industrial processes that require large areas and unusual building heights to accommodate craneways or special machinery and equipment, including, among others, rolling mills; structural metal fabrication shops and foundries; or the production and distribution of electric, gas or steam power, shall be exempt from the building height, number of stories and building area limitations specified in Sections 504 and 506.

503.1.2 Buildings on same lot. Two or more buildings on the same lot shall be regulated as separate buildings or shall be considered as portions of one building where the building height, number of stories of each building and the aggregate building area of the buildings are within the limitations specified in Sections 504 and 506. The provisions of this code applicable to the aggregate building shall be applicable to each building.

503.1.3 Type I construction. Buildings of Type I construction permitted to be of unlimited tabular building heights and areas are not subject to the special requirements that allow unlimited area buildings in Section 507 or unlimited building height in Sections 503.1.1 and 504.3 or increased building heights and areas for other types of construction.

503.1.4 Occupied roofs. A roof level or portion thereof shall be permitted to be used as an occupied roof provided the occupancy of the roof is an occupancy that is permitted by Table 504.4 for the story immediately below the roof. The area of the occupied roofs shall not be included in the building area as regulated by Section 506. An occupied roof shall not be included in the building height or number of stories as regulated by Section 504, provided that the

penthouses and other enclosed rooftop structures comply with Section 1511.

Exceptions:

  1. The occupancy located on an occupied roof shall not be limited to the occupancies allowed on the story immediately below the roof where the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2 and occupant notification in accordance with Sections 907.5.2.1 and 907.5.2.3 is provided in the area of the occupied roof. Emergency voice/alarm communication system notification per Section 907.5.2.2 shall also be provided in the area of the occupied roof where such system is required elsewhere in the building.

  2. Assembly occupancies shall be permitted on roofs of open parking spaces of Type I or Type II construction, in accordance with the exception to Section 903.2.1.6.

503.1.4.1 Enclosures over occupied roof areas. Elements or structures enclosing the occupied roof areas shall not extend more than 48 inches (1220 mm) above the surface of the occupied roof.

Exception: Penthouses constructed in accordance with Section 1511.2 and towers, domes, spires and cupolas constructed in accordance with Section 1511.5.

5-4 2022 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

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.

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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…
  10. ▸Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
    Overview
    1. Section 501
    2. Section 502
    3. Section 503
    4. Section 504
    5. Section 505
    6. Section 506
    7. Section 507
    8. Section 508
    9. Section 509
    10. Section 510
  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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