510.7 Interior Installations. In all buildings more than one
California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California
Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.
story in height and in one-story buildings where the roof-ceiling assembly is required to have a fire resistance rating, the ducts shall be enclosed in a continuous enclosure extending from the lowest fire-rated ceiling or floor above the hood, through any concealed spaces, to or through the roof, to maintain the integrity of the fire separations required by the applicable building code provisions. The enclosure shall be sealed around the duct at the point of penetration of the first firerated barrier after the hood, to maintain the fire resistance rating of the enclosure. The enclosure shall be vented to the exterior of the building through weather-protected openings.
[NFPA 96:7.7.1.2 – 7.7.1.4]
Exception: The continuous enclosure provisions shall not be required where a field-applied grease duct enclosure or a factory-built grease duct enclosure (see Section 507.4.4 through Section 507.4.6.3) is protected with a listed duct-through-penetration protection system equivalent to the fire resistance rating of the assembly being penetrated and where the materials are installed in accordance with the conditions of the listings and the manufacturer’s instructions and are acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction. [NFPA 96:7.7.1.5] 510.7.1 Less than Four Stories. Buildings less than four stories in height shall have an enclosure with a fire resistance rating of not less than 1 hour. [NFPA 96:7.7.2.1.1]
510.7.2 Four Stories or More. Buildings four stories or more in height shall have an enclosure with a fire resistance rating of not less than 2 hours. [NFPA 96:7.7.2.1.2]
510.7.3 Clearance. Clearance from the duct or the
exhaust fan to the interior surface of enclosures of combustible construction shall be not less than 18 inches (457 mm). Clearance from the duct to the interior surface of enclosures of noncombustible or limited-combustible construction shall be not less than 6 inches (152 mm). Provisions for reducing clearances as described in Section 507.4 through Section 507.4.3.3 shall not be applicable to enclosures. [NFPA 96:7.7.2.2.1 – 7.7.2.2.3]
Exception: Clearance from the outer surfaces of fieldapplied grease duct enclosures and factory-built grease duct enclosures to the interior surfaces of construction installed around them shall be permitted to be reduced where the field-applied grease duct enclosure materials and factory-built grease duct enclosures are installed in accordance with the conditions of the listing and the manufacturer’s instructions and are acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction. [NFPA 96:7.7.2.2.4] 510.7.4 Mechanical and Structural Integrity. Fieldapplied grease duct enclosures and factory-built grease duct enclosures shall provide mechanical and structural
integrity, resiliency, and stability when subjected to expected building environmental conditions, duct movement under general operating conditions, and duct movement as a result of interior and exterior fire conditions.
[NFPA 96:7.7.2.2.5]
510.7.5 Materials. For field-applied grease duct enclosures and factory-built grease duct enclosures, the materials and products shall be provided in accordance with Section 510.7.5.1 and Section 510.7.5.2.
510.7.5.1 Protection from Physical Damage. Measures shall be taken to prevent physical damage to any covering or enclosure material. Any damage to the covering or enclosure shall be repaired, and the covering or enclosure shall be restored to meet its intended listing and fire resistance rating and to be acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
[NFPA 96:7.7.3.1, 7.7.3.2]
510.7.5.2 Inspection. In the event of a fire within a kitchen exhaust system, the duct, the enclosure, and the covering directly applied to the duct shall be inspected by qualified personnel to determine whether the duct, the enclosure, and the covering directly applied to the duct are structurally sound, capable of maintaining their fire protection functions, suitable for continued operation, and acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction. [NFPA 96:7.7.3.3]
510.7.6 Listed. For listed grease ducts, see Section 510.4.
510.7.7 Fire Doors. Where openings in the enclosure walls are provided, they shall be protected by listed fire doors of proper rating. Fire doors shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 80. Openings on other listed materials or products shall be clearly identified and labeled according to the terms of the listing and the manufacturer’s instructions and shall be acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction. [NFPA 96:7.7.4.1 – 7.7.4.3] The fire door shall be readily accessible, aligned, and of sufficient size to allow access to the rated access
panels on the ductwork. [NFPA 96:7.7.4.4]
510.7.8 Ducts with Enclosure(s). Each duct system shall constitute an individual system serving only exhaust hoods in one fire zone on one floor. Multiple ducts shall not be permitted in a single enclosure unless acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction. [NFPA 96:7.7.5.1 – 7.7.5.2]
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Ask AI about this code▸Contents — California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4)
- Chapter 1 — GENERAL CODE PROVISIONS
- Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
- Chapter 3 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
- Chapter 4 — VENTILATION AIR
▸Chapter 5 — EXHAUST SYSTEMS
Overview- 503.1 General. Motors and fans shall be sized to provide
- 503.2 Fans. Parts of fans in contact with explosive or flammab…
- 504.1 General. Where not specified in this chapter, exhaust
- 501.1 Applicability. This chapter includes requirements for
- 502.1 Exhaust Opening Protection. Exhaust openings
- 502.2 Termination of Exhaust Ducts. Exhaust ducts
- 504.2 Independent Exhaust Systems. Single or combined mechanic…
- 504.3 Domestic Cooking Exhaust Equipment.
- 504.4 Clothes Dryers. A clothes dryer exhaust duct shall
- 504.5 Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) and Energy
- 505.1 General. A mechanical ventilation or exhaust system
- 505.2 Incompatible Materials. Incompatible materials
- 505.3 Flammability Limit. Unless the circumstances stipulated …
- 505.4 Air-Moving Devices. Air-moving devices shall be
- 505.5 Generating Flames, Sparks, or Hot Materials.
- 505.6 Fire Dampers. Fire dampers shall be permitted to be
- 505.7 Fire Detection, Smoke Control, and Alarm Sys-
- 505.8 Product-Conveying Duct Classifications. Product-conveyin…
- 505.9 Minimum Velocities and Circulation. The velocity and cir…
- 505.10 Makeup Air. Makeup air shall be provided to replenish a…
- 505.11 Hoods and Enclosures. Hoods and enclosures shall
- 505.12 Pharmacies – Compounding Area of Par-
- 506.1 Materials. Materials used in product-conveying duct
- 506.2 Construction. Ducts used for conveying products
- 506.3 Penetrations. Exhaust ducts shall not pass through
- 506.4 Condensate. Joints in duct construction shall be liquidt…
- 506.5 Fittings. Fittings in Class 2, 3, and 4 systems shall be
- 506.6 Explosion Venting. Ducts conveying explosive dusts
- 506.7 Supports. Supports shall be of noncombustible materials,…
- 506.8 Fire Protection. Sprinklers or other fire-protection
- 506.9 Protection from Physical Damage. Ducts and
- 506.10 Duct Clearances. Unless the conditions stipulated
- 506.11 Clearance Reduction Methods. It shall be permitted to p…
- 507.1 Exhaust Systems. Exhaust systems serving Type I
- 507.2 Type I Hood Exhaust System Requirements.
- 507.3 Listed Devices. Penetrations shall be sealed with
- 507.4 Clearance. Where enclosures are not required, hoods,
- 507.5 Drawings. For cooking operations in buildings, a
- 507.6 Notification of Change. If required by the Authority Hav…
- 507.7 Pharmaceutical Compounding Exhaust Dis-
- 508.1 Where Required. Type I hoods shall be installed at
- 508.2 Listed Type I Hood Assemblies. Listed hood
- 508.3 Construction of Type I Hoods. The hood or that
- 508.4 Supports. Hoods shall be secured in place to resist
- 508.5 Hood Size. Hoods shall be sized in accordance with
- 508.6 Solid-Fuel Hood Assemblies. Where solid-fuel
- 508.7 Exhaust Outlets. An exhaust outlet within an
- 509.1 Grease Removal Devices. Listed grease filters or
- 509.2 Installation. The distance between the grease removal
- 509.3 Solid-Fuel Grease Removal Devices. Where
- 510.1 General. Ducts shall not pass through fire walls.
- 510.2 Clearance. Clearance between ducts and combustible
- 510.3 Openings. Openings shall be provided at the sides or
- 510.4 Listed Grease Ducts. Listed grease ducts shall be
- 510.5 Other Grease Ducts. Other grease ducts shall comply with…
- 510.6 Exterior Installations. For cooking operations in
- 510.7 Interior Installations. In all buildings more than one
- 510.8 Underground Installations. Grease ducts installed
- 510.9 Termination of Type I Hood Exhaust System.
- 510.10 Solid-Fuel Duct Systems. Where solid-fuel cooking equip…
- 511.1 Exhaust Fans for Commercial Cooking Opera-
- 511.2 Airflow. The air velocity through a duct shall be not
- 511.3 Makeup Air. The makeup air quantity shall prevent
- 511.4 Common Duct (Manifold) Systems. Master
- 511.5 Solid-Fuel Air Movement Requirements. Where
- 512.1 Dampers. Dampers shall not be installed in exhaust
- 512.2 Electrical Equipment. Wiring systems of any type
- 512.3 Other Equipment. Fume incinerators, thermal recovery uni…
- 512.4 Solid-Fuel Auxiliary Equipment. Where solid fuel
- 513.1 General. Fire-extinguishing equipment for the protection…
- 513.2 Types of Equipment. Fire-extinguishing equipment
- 513.3 Simultaneous Operation. Fixed pipe extinguishing
- 513.4 Fuel and Electric Power Shutoff. Upon actuation of
- 513.5 Manual Actuation. All systems shall have both automatic …
- 513.6 System Annunciation. Upon actuation of an automatic fire…
- 513.7 Special Design and Application. Hoods containing
- 513.8 Review and Certification. Where required, complete
- 513.9 Installation Requirements. Installation of systems
- 513.10 Portable Fire Extinguishers. Portable fire extinguisher…
- 513.11 Maintenance. Portable fire extinguishers shall be
- 513.12 Solid-Fuel Fire-Extinguishing Equipment.
- 514.1 Operating Procedures. Exhaust systems shall be
- 514.2 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance. Maintenance of the…
- 514.3 Inspection for Grease Buildup. The entire exhaust
- 514.4 Cleaning of Exhaust Systems. If, upon inspection,
- 514.5 Cooking Equipment Maintenance. Inspection and
- 515.1 Cooking Equipment. Cooking equipment shall be
- 515.2 Operating Controls. Deep-fat fryers shall be equipped
- 516.1 General Requirements. Recirculating systems containing o…
- 516.2 Design Restrictions. All recirculating systems shall
- 516.3 Interlocks. The recirculating system shall be provided
- 516.4 Location and Application Restrictions. The
- 516.5 Additional Fire Safety Requirements. In addition to the …
- 516.6 Use and Maintenance. Automatic or manual covers on cooki…
- 517.1 Venting Application. Venting requirements of solidfuel c…
- 517.2 Location of Appliances. For cooking operations in
- 517.3 Hoods for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Hoods shall be sized
- 517.4 Exhaust Systems for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Where
- 517.5 Grease Removal Devices for Solid-Fuel Cook-
- 517.6 Air Movement for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Exhaust
- 517.7 Fire-Extinguishing Equipment for Solid-Fuel
- 517.8 Other Safety Requirements. Metal-fabricated solidfuel co…
- 518.1 General. Downdraft appliance ventilation system
- 518.2 Ventilation System. The downdraft appliance ventilation …
- 518.3 Fire-Extinguishing Equipment. For fire-extinguishing equ…
- 518.4 Airflow Switch or Transducer. An airflow switch or
- 518.5 Surface Materials. Any surface located directly
- 519.1 Where Required. Type II hoods shall be installed
- 519.2 Construction of Type II Hoods. Type II hoods
- 519.3 Type II Hood Exhaust System Net Airflow. The
- 519.4 Type II Exhaust Duct Systems. Ducts and
- 519.5 Termination of Type II Hood Exhaust System.
- 519.6 Makeup Air. Makeup air shall be provided in accordance w…
- 519.7 Independent Exhaust Duct System. Single or
- Chapter 6 — DUCT SYSTEMS
- Chapter 7 — COMBUSTION AIR
- Chapter 8 — CHIMNEYS AND VENTS
- Chapter 9 — INSTALLATION OF SPECIFIC APPLIANCES
- Chapter 10 — BOILERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS
- Chapter 11 — REFRIGERATION
- Chapter 12 — HYDRONICS
- Chapter 13 — FUEL GAS PIPING
- Chapter 14 — PROCESS PIPING
- Chapter 15 — SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
- Chapter 16 — STATIONARY POWER PLANTS
- Chapter 17 — GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE…
- Chapter 18 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
- Appendix A — RESIDENTIAL PLAN EXAMINER REVIEW FORM FOR HVAC SY…
- Appendix B — PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED TO PLACE GAS EQUIPMENT …
- Appendix C — INSTALLATION AND TESTING OF OIL (LIQUID) FUEL-FIR…
- Appendix D — FUEL SUPPLY: MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOME PARKS AND R…
- Appendix E — SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
- Appendix F — SIZING OF VENTING SYSTEMS AND OUTDOOR COMBUSTION …
- Appendix G — EXAMPLE CALCULATION OF OUTDOOR AIR RATE
- Appendix H — PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
- Appendix I — INDOOR HORTICULTURAL FACILITIES
- Appendix J — CLEAN AIR DELIVERY