Skip to content
ChatProjectCodes

Chapter 16 — REFERENCED STANDARDS

Section A301

California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California

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

GENERAL

[BS] A301.1 Purpose. The provisions of this chapter are intended to promote public safety and welfare by reducing the risk of earthquake-induced damage to existing woodframe residential buildings. The requirements contained in this chapter are prescriptive minimum standards intended to improve the seismic performance of residential buildings; however, they will not necessarily prevent earthquake damage.

This chapter sets standards for strengthening that may be approved by the code official without requiring plans or calculations prepared by a registered design professional. The provisions of this chapter are not intended to prevent the use of any material or method of construction not prescribed herein. The code official may require that construction documents for strengthening using alternative materials or methods be prepared by a registered design professional.

[BS] A301.2 Scope. The provisions of this chapter apply to residential buildings of light-frame wood construction containing one or more of the structural weaknesses specified in Section A303.

Exception: The provisions of this chapter do not apply to the buildings, or elements thereof, listed as follows. These buildings or elements require analysis by a registered design professional in accordance with Section A301.3 to determine appropriate strengthening:

  1. Group R-1.
  2. Group R with more than four dwelling units.
  3. Buildings with a lateral force-resisting system using poles or columns embedded in the ground.
  4. Cripple walls that exceed 4 feet (1219 mm) in height.
  5. Buildings exceeding three stories in height and any three-story building with cripple wall studs exceeding 14 inches (356 mm) in height.
  6. Buildings where the code official determines that conditions exist that are beyond the scope of the prescriptive requirements of this chapter.
  7. Buildings or portions thereof constructed on concrete slabs on grade.

[BS] A301.3 Alternative design procedures. The details and prescriptive provisions herein are not intended to be the only acceptable strengthening methods permitted. Alternative details and methods shall be permitted to be used where approved by the code official. Approval of alternatives shall be based on a demonstration that the method or material used

is at least equivalent in terms of strength, deflection and capacity to that provided by the prescriptive methods and materials.

Where analysis by a registered design professional is required, such analysis shall be in accordance with all requirements of the building code, except that the seismic forces may be taken as 75 percent of those specified in the California Building Code .

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
Export this section
▸Contents — California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10)
California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  2. Appendix A — GUIDELINES FOR
  3. Appendix B — SUPPLEMENTARY
  4. Appendix C — GUIDELINES FOR THE WIND
  5. Appendix D — BOARD OF
  6. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  7. Chapter 3 — PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS
  8. Chapter 4 — REPAIRS
  9. Chapter 5 — PRESCRIPTIVE COMPLIANCE METHOD
  10. Chapter 6 — CLASSIFICATION OF WORK
  11. Chapter 7 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 1
  12. Chapter 8 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 2
  13. Chapter 9 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 3
  14. Chapter 10 — CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY
  15. Chapter 11 — ADDITIONS
  16. Chapter 12 — HISTORIC BUILDINGS
  17. Chapter 13 — PERFORMANCE COMPLIANCE METHODS
  18. Chapter 14 — RELOCATED OR MOVED BUILDINGS
  19. Chapter 15 — CONSTRUCTION SAFEGUARDS
  20. ▸Chapter 16 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
    Overview
    1. Section A100
    2. Section A101
    3. Section A102
    4. Section A103
    5. Section A104
    6. Section A105
    7. Section A106
    8. Section A107
    9. Section A108
    10. Section A109
    11. Section A110
    12. Section A111
    13. Section A112
    14. Section A113
    15. Section A114
    16. Section A201
    17. Section A202
    18. Section A203
    19. Section A204
    20. Section A205
    21. Section A206
    22. Section A207
    23. Section A301
    24. Section A302
    25. Section A303
    26. Section A304
    27. Section A401
    28. Section A403
    29. Section A402
    30. Section A404
    31. Section A405
    32. Section A406
    33. Section A407
    34. Section A501
    35. Section B101
    36. Section B102
    37. Section B103
    38. Section B104
    39. Section C101
    40. Section C102
    41. Section C103
    42. Section C104
    43. Section C201
    44. Section C202
    45. Section C301
    46. Section D101

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.