R317 Garages and Carports — 2025 California Residential Code

Garage floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible material.

The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

Carports shall be open on not less than two sides. Carport floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible material. Carports not open on two or more sides shall be considered to be a garage and shall comply with the provisions of this section for garages.

The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

Exception: Asphalt surfaces shall be permitted at ground level in carports.

Garages and carports located in flood hazard areas as established by Table R301.2 shall be constructed in accordance with Section R306.

Automatic garage door openers, if provided, shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 325 and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions. See Health and Safety Code Sections 19890, 19891 and 19892 for additional provisions for residential garage door openers.

location on property . Private garages shall be protected by fire sprinklers where the garage wall has been designed based on Table R302.1(2), Note a. Sprinklers in garages shall be connected to an automatic sprinkler system that complies with Section R309 . Garage sprinklers shall be residential sprinklers or quick-response sprinklers, designed to provide a density of 0.05 gpm/ft [2] . Garage doors shall not be considered obstructions with respect to sprinkler placement.

BUILDING PLANNING

R3017.5.1 Fire sprinklers, attached garages and carports with habitable space above. Attached garages and carports with habit- able space above shall be protected by fire sprinklers in accordance with this section and Section R313. Protection shall be provided in accordance with one of the following: 1. Residential sprinklers installed in accordance with their listing. 2. Extended coverage sprinklers discharging water not less than their listed flow rate for Light Hazard in accordance with NFPA 13. 3. Quick-response spray sprinklers at light hazard spacing in accordance with NFPA 13 designed to discharge at 0.05 gpm/ft [2]

density (minimum).

The system demand shall be permitted to be limited to the number of sprinklers in the compartment but shall not exceed two sprin- klers for hydraulic calculation purposes. Garage doors shall not be considered obstructions and shall be permitted to be ignored for placement and calculation of sprinklers.

Exception: An automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall not be required when additions or alterations are made to existing carports and/or garages that do not have an automatic residential fire sprinkler system installed in accordance with this section.

(EV) charging systems. Newly constructed one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses with attached private garages shall comply with EV charging requirements in accordance with the California Green Building Standards Code.

Where provided, automotive lifts shall be listed and labeled in accordance with ANSI/ALI ALCTV.

R317.7.1 Installation. Automotive lifts shall be installed in accordance with ANSI/ALI ALCTV, the listing and the lift manufacturer’s installation instructions. Automotive lifts shall not be installed within the habitable space of a dwelling unit.

Every extension garage door spring sold or offered for sale, whether new or sold as a replace- ment, or installed in any garage or carport which is accessory to a dwelling covered by this code, shall conform to the requirements for garage door springs located in Section 1210 of the California Building Code.