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Chapter 3 — PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS

Section 304

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.

STRUCTURAL DESIGN LOADS AND EVALUATION AND DESIGN PROCEDURES

[BS] 304.1 Live loads. Where an addition or alteration does not result in increased design live load, existing gravity loadcarrying structural elements shall be permitted to be evaluated and designed for live loads approved prior to the addition or alteration. If the approved live load is less than that required by Section 1607 of the California Building Code, the area designated for the nonconforming live load shall be posted with placards of approved design indicating the approved live load. Where the addition or alteration results in increased design live load, the live load required by Section 1607 of the California Building Code shall be used.

[BS] 304.2 Snow loads on adjacent buildings. Where an alteration or addition changes the potential snow drift effects on an adjacent building, the code official is authorized to enforce Section 7.12 of ASCE 7.

[BS] 304.3 Seismic evaluation and design procedures. Where required, seismic evaluation or design shall be based on the procedures and criteria in this section, regardless of which compliance method is used.

[BS] 304.3.1 Compliance with full seismic forces. Where compliance requires the use of full seismic forces, the criteria shall be in accordance with one of the following:

  1. One-hundred percent of the values in the California Building Code . Where the existing seismic forceresisting system is a type that can be designated as “Ordinary,” values of R, Ω0 and Cd used for analysis in accordance with Chapter 16 of the California Building Code shall be those specified for structural systems classified as “Ordinary” in accordance with Table 12.2-1 of ASCE 7, unless it can be demonstrated that

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any building or accessory structure, provided such building or structure complied with the building code provisions in effect at the time of original construction and the building or acces- sory structure does not become or continue to be a substandard building. For additional information, see Health and Safety Code Sections 17912, 17920.3, 17922(d), 17922.3, 17958.8 and 17958.9.

Exception: No replacement residential garage door shall be installed to connect the replacement door to an existing residential automatic garage door opener that does not have a battery backup function designed to keep the garage door operational without interruption during an electrical outage. See Health and Safety Code Section 19892.

[BS] 302.4.1 New structural members and connections. New structural members and connections shall comply with the detailing provisions of the California Building Code for new buildings of similar structure, purpose and location.

Exception: Where alternative design criteria are specifically permitted.

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▸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
    Overview
    1. Section 301
    2. Section 302
    3. Section 304
    4. Section 303
    5. Section 305
    6. Section 306
    7. Section 309
    8. Section 310 — [OSHPD 1R, 2 and 5]
    9. Section 311 — [OSHPD 1R, 2 and 5]
    10. Section 307
    11. Section 308
    12. Section 312 — [OSHPD 1R]
    13. Section 313 — [SFM]
    14. Section 314 — [SFM]
    15. Section 315 — [SFM]
    16. Section 316 — [SFM]
    17. Section 317
    18. Section 319
    19. Section 318
    20. Section 320
    21. Section 321
    22. Section 322
    23. Section 323 — [DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC]
    24. Section 301A
    25. Section 302A
    26. Section 303A
    27. Section 304A
    28. Section 305A
    29. Section 306A
    30. Section 307A — 309 A
    31. Section 310A
    32. Section 311A
    33. Section 312A
    34. Section 313A
  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

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