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Appendix AQ — TINY HOUSES

Section AQ106

California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

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

AQ106.1 Air leakage testing.

The air leakage rate for tiny houses shall not exceed 0.30 cubic feet per minute at 50 Pascals of pressure per square foot of the dwelling unit enclosure area. The air leakage testing shall be in accordance with the testing methods required in Section N1102.4.1.2. The dwelling unit enclosure area shall be the sum of the areas of ceilings, floors and walls that separate the conditioned space of a dwelling unit from the exterior, its adjacent unconditioned spaces and adjacent dwelling units.

AQ106.1.1 Whole-house mechanical ventilation. Where the air leakage rate is in accordance with Section AQ106.1, the tiny house shall be provided with wholehouse mechanical ventilation in accordance with Section M1505.4.

AQ106.2 Alternative compliance.

Tiny houses shall be deemed to be in compliance with Chapter 11 of this code and Chapter R4 of the California Energy Code, provided that the following conditions are met:

  1. The insulation and fenestration meet the requirements of Table N1102.1.2.

  2. The thermal envelope meets the requirements of Section N1102.4.1.1 and Table N1102.4.1.1.

  3. Solar, wind or other renewable energy source supplies not less than 90 percent of the energy use for the structure.

APPENDIX AQ—TINY HOUSES

  1. Solar, wind or other renewable energy source supplies not less than 90 percent of the energy for service water heating.

  2. Permanently installed lighting is in accordance with Section N1104.

  3. Mechanical ventilation is provided in accordance with Section M1505 and operable fenestration is not used to meet ventilation requirements.

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution is a violation of the federal copyright act and the license agreement, and subject to civil and criminal penalties thereunder.

APPENDIX AQ-4 2022 CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution is a violation of the federal copyright act and the license agreement, and subject to civil and criminal penalties thereunder.

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE – MATRIX ADOPTION TABLE

APPENDIX AR – LIGHT STRAW-CLAY CONSTRUCTION

(Matrix Adoption Tables are nonregulatory, intended only as an aid to the code user.

See Chapter 1 for state agency authority and building applications.)

APPENDIX AR

User note:

LIGHT STRAW-CLAY CONSTRUCTION

The provisions contained in this appendix are not mandatory unless specifically adopted by a state agency or referenced in the adopting ordinance.

About this appendix: While heavier forms of straw-clay construction have been used in various parts of the world for thousands of years, light forms of straw-clay construction began to appear in Europe in 1950 and in the United States in 1990. These lighter forms of straw-clay construction are intended as infill materials in nonload-bearing walls. The advantages of light straw-clay construction, such as regulated by Appendix AR, include thermal performance and low environmental impact.

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▸Contents — California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5)
California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix AF — RADON CONTROL
  3. Appendix AI — PRIVATE SEWAGE
  4. Appendix AJ — EXISTING
  5. Appendix AK — SOUND
  6. Appendix AO — AUTOMATIC
  7. Appendix AR — LIGHT STRAW-CLAY
  8. Appendix AS — STRAWBALE
  9. Appendix AU — COB CONSTRUCTION
  10. Appendix AV — BOARD
  11. Appendix AW — 3D-PRINTED BUILDING
  12. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND APPLICATION
  13. Chapter 3 — BUILDING PLANNING
  14. Chapter 4 — FOUNDATIONS
  15. Chapter 5 — FLOORS
  16. Chapter 6 — WALL CONSTRUCTION
  17. Chapter 7 — WALL COVERING
  18. Chapter 8 — ROOF-CEILING CONSTRUCTION
  19. Chapter 9 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES
  20. Chapter 10 — CHIMNEYS AND FIREPLACES
  21. Chapter 44 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  22. Appendix AH — PATIO COVERS
  23. Appendix AL — PERMIT FEES
  24. ▸Appendix AQ — TINY HOUSES
    Overview
    1. Section AQ101
    2. Section AQ102
    3. Section AQ103
    4. Section AQ104
    5. Section AQ105
    6. Section AQ106
    7. Section AR101
    8. Section AR102
    9. Section AR103
    10. Section AR104
    11. Section AR105
    12. Section AS101
    13. Section AS102
    14. Section AS103
    15. Section AS104
    16. Section AS105
    17. Section AS106
    18. Section AS107
    19. Section AS108
    20. Section AS109
  25. Appendix AT — SOLAR-READY PROVISIONS—DETACHED ONE- AND
  26. Appendix AX — SWIMMING POOL SAFETY ACT
  27. Appendix AY — AREAS PROTECTED BY THE FACILITIES
  28. Appendix AZ — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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