1020 Corridors — 2025 California Fire Code

[BE] 1020.1 General. Corridors serving as an exit access component in a means of egress system shall comply with the requirements of Sections 1020.2 and 1020.7.

[BE] 1020.2 Construction. Corridors shall be fire-resistance rated in accordance with Table 1020.2. The corridor walls required to be fire-resistance rated shall comply with Section 708 of the California Building Code for fire partitions.

Exceptions:

1. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors in an occupancy in Group E where each room that is used for instruction has not less than one door opening directly to the exterior and rooms for assembly purposes have not less than onehalf of the required means of egress doors opening directly to the exterior. Exterior doors specified in this exception are required to be at ground level.
2. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors contained within a dwelling unit or sleeping unit in an occupancy in Groups I-1 and R.
3. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors in open parking garages.
4. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors in an occupancy in Group B that is a space requiring only a single means of egress complying with Section 1006.2.
5. Corridors adjacent to the exterior walls of buildings shall be permitted to have unprotected openings on unrated exterior walls where unrated walls are permitted by Table 705.5 of the California Building Code and unprotected openings are permitted by Table 705.9 of the California Building Code . 6. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors within suites in a Group I-2 constructed in accordance with Section 407.4.4 or 407.4.5 of the California Building Code.

[BE] TABLE 1020.2—CORRIDOR FIRE-RESISTANCE RATING

[BE] 1020.2.1 Hoistway protection. Elevator hoistway doors in elevators hoistway enclosures required to be fire-resistance rated shall be protected in accordance with Section 716 of the California Building Code .

Elevator hoistway doors shall also be protected in accordance with Section 3006.2 of the California Building Code .

[BE] 1020.3 Width and capacity. The required capacity of corridors shall be determined as specified in Section 1005.1, but the minimum width shall be not less than that specified in Table 1020.3.

Exception: In Group I-2 occupancies, corridors are not required to have a clear width of 96 inches (2438 mm) in areas where there will not be stretcher or bed movement for access to care or as part of the defend-in-place strategy.

10-44 2025 CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE

MEANS OF EGRESS

[BE] TABLE 1020.3—MINIMUM CORRIDOR WIDTH

[BE] 1020.4 Obstruction. The minimum width or required capacity of corridors shall be unobstructed.

Exception: Encroachments complying with Section 1005.7.

[BE] 1020.5 Dead ends. Where more than one exit or exit access doorway is required, the exit access shall be arranged such that dead-end corridors do not exceed 20 feet (6096 mm) in length.

Exceptions:

1. In Group I-3, Condition 2, 3 or 4 occupancies, the dead end in a corridor shall not exceed 50 feet (15 240 mm).

2. In occupancies in Groups B, E, F, I-1, M, R-1, R-2, R-2.1, R-2.2, S and U, where the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, the length of the dead-end corridors shall not exceed 50 feet (15 240 mm).

3. A dead-end corridor shall not be limited in length where the length of the dead-end corridor is less than 2.5 times the least width of the dead-end corridor.

4. In Group I-2 occupancies, where the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, the length of dead-end corridors that do not serve patient rooms or patient treatment spaces shall not exceed 30 feet (9144 mm).

[BE] 1020.6 Air movement in corridors. Corridors shall not serve as supply, return, exhaust, relief or ventilation air ducts.

Exceptions:

1. Use of a corridor as a source of makeup air for exhaust systems in small rooms of 30 square feet or less that open directly onto such corridors, including toilet rooms, bathrooms, dressing rooms, smoking lounges and janitor closets, shall be permitted, provided that each such corridor is directly supplied with outdoor air at a rate greater than the rate of makeup air taken from the corridor.
2. Where located within a dwelling unit, the use of corridors for conveying return air shall not be prohibited.
3. Where located within tenant spaces of 1,000 square feet (93 m [2] ) or less in area, utilization of corridors for conveying return air is permitted.
4. Transfer air movement required to maintain the pressurization difference within health care facilities and Group L occu- pancies, in accordance with ASHRAE 170. 5. For health care facilities under the jurisdiction of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), see the California Mechanical Code.

[BE] 1020.6.1 Corridor ceiling. Use of the space between the corridor ceiling and the floor or roof structure above as a return air plenum is permitted for one or more of the following conditions:

1. The corridor is not required to be of fire-resistance-rated construction.
2. The corridor is separated from the plenum by fire-resistance-rated construction.
3. The air-handling system serving the corridor is shut down upon activation of the air-handling unit smoke detectors required by the California Mechanical Code .
4. The air-handling system serving the corridor is shut down upon detection of sprinkler water flow where the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system.
5. The space between the corridor ceiling and the floor or roof structure above the corridor is used as a component of an approved engineered smoke control system.

[BE] 1020.7 Corridor continuity. Fire-resistance-rated corridors shall be continuous from the point of entry to an exit, and shall not be interrupted by intervening rooms. Where the path of egress travel within a fire-resistance-rated corridor to the exit includes travel along unenclosed exit access stairways or ramps, the fire-resistance-rating shall be continuous for the length of the stairway or ramp and for the length of the connecting corridor on the adjacent floor leading to the exit.

Exceptions:

1. Foyers, lobbies or reception rooms constructed as required for corridors shall not be construed as intervening rooms.
2. Enclosed elevator lobbies as permitted by Item 1 of Section 1016.2 shall not be construed as intervening rooms. 3. [SFM] In fully sprinklered office buildings, corridors may lead through enclosed elevator lobbies if all areas of the building have access to at least one required exit without passing through the elevator lobby.