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Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND APPLICATION

Section R201

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.

GENERAL

multifamily dwelling is or will be situated. (See Government Code Section 65852.2)

[RB] ACCESSORY STRUCTURE. A structure that is accessory to and incidental to that of the dwelling(s) and that is located on the same lot.

[RB] ADDITION. An extension or increase in floor area, number of stories or height of a building or structure.

[RB] ADHERED STONE OR MASONRY VENEER. Stone or masonry veneer secured and supported through the adhesion of an approved bonding material applied to an approved backing.

AGED HOME OR INSTITUTION. A facility used for the housing of persons 65 years of age or older in need of care and supervision. (See definition of “care and supervision.”)

[RB] AIR-IMPERMEABLE INSULATION. An insulation having an air permanence equal to or less than 0.02 L/s-m 2 at 75 Pa pressure differential as tested in accordance with ASTM E283 or E2178.

[RB] ALTERATION. Any construction, retrofit or renovation to an existing structure other than repair or addition that requires a permit. Also, a change in a building, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system that involves an extension, addition or change to the arrangement, type or purpose of the original installation that requires a permit.

[RB] ALTERNATING TREAD DEVICE. A device that has a series of steps between 50 and 70 degrees (0.87 and 1.22 rad) from horizontal, usually attached to a center support rail in an alternating manner so that the user does not have both feet on the same level at the same time.

[RB] ANCHORED STONE OR MASONRY VENEER. Stone or masonry veneer secured with approved mechanical fasteners to an approved backing.

[RB] APPROVED. Acceptable to the building official.

APPROVED. (HCD 1) Meeting the approval of the enforc- ing agency, except as otherwise provided by law, when used in connection with any system, material, type of construction, fixture or appliance as the result of investigations and tests conducted by the agency, or by reason of accepted principles

R201.1 Scope.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this code, have the meanings indicated in this chapter.

R201.2 Interchangeability.

Words used in the present tense include the future; words in the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter; the singular number includes the plural and the plural, the singular.

R201.3 Terms defined in other codes.

Where terms are not defined in this code such terms shall have the meanings ascribed in the California Building Standards Code, Title 24, California Code of Regulations.

R201.4 Terms not defined.

Where terms are not defined through the methods authorized by this section, such terms shall have ordinarily accepted meanings such as the context implies.

For applications listed in Section 1.11 regulated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, where terms are not defined through the methods authorized by this section, such terms shall have ordinarily accepted meanings such as the context implies. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged, shall be considered as pro- viding ordinarily accepted meanings.

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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
    Overview
    1. Section 1.2
    2. Section 1.3
    3. Section 1.4
    4. Section 1.5
    5. Section 1.6
    6. Section 1.7
    7. Section 1.8
    8. Section 1.8.2
    9. Section 1.8.3
    10. Section 1.8.4
    11. Section 1.8.5
    12. Section 1.8.6
    13. Section 1.8.7
    14. Section 1.8.8
    15. Section 1.8.9
    16. Section 1.8.10
    17. Section 1.9
    18. Section 1.10
    19. Section 1.11
    20. Section 1.12
    21. Section 1.13
    22. Section 1.14
    23. Section R101
    24. Section R102
    25. Section R103
    26. Section R104
    27. Section R105
    28. Section R106
    29. Section R107
    30. Section R108
    31. Section R109
    32. Section R110
    33. Section R111
    34. Section R112
    35. Section R113
    36. Section R114
    37. Section R201
    38. Section R202
  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
  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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