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Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

Section 708A

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.

EXTERIOR WINDOWS, SKYLIGHTS AND DOORS

708A.1 General.

708A.2 Exterior glazing.

The following exterior glazing materials and/or assemblies shall comply with this section:

1. Exterior windows.

2. Exterior glazed doors.

3. Glazed openings within exterior doors.

4. Glazed openings within exterior garage doors.

5. Exterior structural glass veneer.

6. Skylights.

7. Vents.

708A.2.1 Exterior windows, skylights and exterior glazed door assembly requirements. Exterior windows, skylights and exterior glazed door assemblies shall comply with one of the following requirements:

1. Be constructed of multipane glazing with a minimum of one tempered pane meeting the requirements of Section 2406 Safety Glazing, or

2. Be constructed of glass block units, or

3. Have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 20 minutes when tested according to NFPA 257, or

4. Be tested to meet the performance requirements of SFM Standard 12-7A-2.

708A.2.2 Operable skylights. Operable skylights shall be protected by a non-combustible mesh screen where the dimensions of the openings in the screen shall not exceed 1/8-inch (3.2 mm).

708A.2.3 Structural glass veneer. The wall assembly behind structural glass veneer shall comply with Section 707A.3.

708A.3 Exterior doors.

Exterior doors shall comply with one of the following:

1. The exterior surface or cladding shall be of noncom- bustible material .

2. The exterior surface or cladding shall be of ignition- resistant material.

3. The exterior door shall be constructed of solid core wood that complies with the following requirements:

3.1. Stiles and rails shall not be less than 1 3 /8 inches thick.

3.2. Panels shall not be less than 1 1 /4 inches thick, except for the exterior perimeter of the panel that shall be permitted to taper to a tongue not less than 3 /8 inch thick.

4. The exterior door assembly shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 20 minutes when tested accord- ing to NFPA 252.

5. The exterior surface or cladding shall be tested to meet the performance requirements of Section 707A.3.1 when tested in accordance with ASTM E2707.

6. The exterior surface or cladding shall be tested to meet the performance requirements of SFM Standard 12-7A-1.

708A.3.1 Exterior door glazing. Glazing in exterior doors shall comply with Section 708A.2.1.

708A.4 Garage door perimeter gap.

Exterior garage doors shall resist the intrusion of embers from entering by prevent- ing gaps between doors and door openings, at the bottom, sides and tops of doors, from exceeding 1 /8 inch (3.2 mm). Gaps between doors and door openings shall be controlled by one of the following methods:

1. Weather-stripping products made of materials that: (a) have been tested for tensile strength in accordance with ASTM D638 (Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics) after exposure to ASTM G155 (Standard Practice for Operating Xenon Arc Light Apparatus for Exposure of Non-Metallic Materials) for a period of 2,000 hours, where the maximum allowable difference in tensile strength values between exposed and non-exposed samples does not exceed 10%; and (b) exhibit a V-2 or better flamma- bility rating when tested to UL 94, Standard for Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances.

2. Door overlaps onto jambs and headers.

3. Garage door jambs and headers covered with metal flashing.

7A-8 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.

MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR WILDFIRE EXPOSURE

three tests does not meet the conditions of acceptance, three additional tests shall be run. All of the additional tests shall meet the conditions of acceptance.

1. Peak heat release rate of less than or equal to 25 kW/ft 2 (269 kW/m 2 ).

2. Absence of sustained flaming or glowing combus- tion of any kind at the conclusion of the 40-min observation period.

3. Absence of falling particles that are still burning when reaching the burner or floor.

709A.4.2 Conditions of acceptance for ASTM E2726. The ASTM E2726 test shall be conducted, using a “Class A” size roof test brand, on a minimum of three test speci- mens and the conditions of acceptance in Items 1 and 2 below shall be met. If any one of the three tests does not meet the conditions of acceptance, three additional tests shall be run. All of the additional tests shall meet the con- ditions of acceptance.

1. Absence of sustained flaming or glowing combus- tion of any kind at the conclusion of the 40-min observation period.

2. Absence of falling particles that are still burning when reaching the burner or floor.

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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
  11. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  13. ▸Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
    Overview
    1. Section 701A
    2. Section 702A
    3. Section 703A
    4. Section 704A
    5. Section 705A
    6. Section 707A
    7. Section 706A
    8. Section 708A
    9. Section 710A
    10. Section 709A
  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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