Del Mar Municipal Code Div. 6 Residential Code

There is adopted and incorporated by reference herein as the city residential code for the purpose of prescribing regulations in the City of Del Mar for the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal and demolition of one- and two-family dwellings, and townhouses, the California Residential Code, Part 2.5, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, a portion of the California Building Standards Code, as defined in the California Health and Safety Code, Section 18902 et seq. and the 2025 California Residential Code. Except as otherwise provided by this Chapter and other parts of the City of Del Mar Municipal Code, all construction of one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses shall be in conformance with the California Building Standards Code and rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, including the 2025 California Residential Code, and the adopted Appendix Chapters, published by the California Building Standards Commission.

(Ord. No. 922, § 3, 11-21-2016; Ord. No. 957, § 9, 11-18-2019; Ord. No. 994, § 10, 10-17-2022, eff. 1-1-2023; Ord. No. 1022, § 11, 9-22-2025, eff. 10-22-2025)

Note— See editor's note at Section 23.12.010.

Section R101.1 Title shall be amended as follows, "These provisions shall be known as the Residential Code for One- and Two-family Dwellings of the City of Del Mar and shall be cited as such and will be referred to herein as "this code.""

(Ord. No. 922, § 3, 11-21-2016; Ord. No. 1022, § 12, 9-22-2025, eff. 10-22-2025)

Note— See editor's note at Section 23.12.010.

Local amendments to Section R105.2 (Work exempt from a Building Permit) are as follows:

1. Modifies California Residential Code Section R105.2 - 1. as follows: One-story detached accessory structures, provided that the floor area does not exceed 48 square feet (4.46 square meters). It is permissible that these structures shall be regulated by Part 7 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, despite exemption from permit.

2. Modifies California Residential Code Section 105.2 - 2. as follows: Fences not over 12 inches (305 mm) high.

3. Modifies California Residential Code Section 105.2 - 3. as follows: Retaining walls that are not over 12 inches (305 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge.

4. Modifies California Residential Code Section 105.2 - 5. to add an additional requirement as follows: Sidewalks and driveways, not more than 30 inches in the rear yard, and 18 inches in the side yard, above adjacent grade, and not over any basement or story below and are not part of an accessible route. This exception applies only to structures accessory to a single-family dwelling (Group R, Division 3 Occupancy).

(Ord. No. 922, § 3, 11-21-2016; Ord. No. 994, § 11, 10-17-2022, eff. 1-1-2023; Ord. No. 1022, § 13, 9-22-2025, eff. 10-22-2025)

Note— See editor's note at Section 23.12.010.

Local amendments to Section R902.1 (Roof Assemblies) to delete reference to Class B and C roof covering and be consistent with Section 1505 of the California Building Code as follows:

R902.1 Roof assemblies. Roof decks shall be covered with materials as set forth in Section R904 or with roof coverings as set forth in Section R905. Where Class A roof assemblies are required, they shall be tested in accordance with ASTM E108 or UL 790. Where required, the roof assembly shall be listed and identified as to class by an approved testing agency.

Exceptions:

1. Class A roof assemblies include those with coverings of brick, masonry and exposed concrete roof deck.

2. Class A roof assemblies include ferrous or copper shingles or sheets, metal sheets and shingles, clay or concrete roof tile, or slate installed on noncombustible roof decks or ferrous, copper or metal sheets installed without a roof deck on noncombustible framing.

3. Class A roof assemblies include minimum 16 ounces per square foot (4.882 kg/m 2 ) copper sheets installed over combustible roof decks.

4. Class A roof assemblies include slate installed over underlayment over ASTM D226, Type II underlayment over combustible decks.

All roof-coverings, including re-roofing except as specified in Section R902.1.2 below, shall be of a roof classification not less than a Class A Roof-Covering.

No wood shake or shingle products are permitted to be installed on the roof of any Occupancy Group.

For re-roofing of existing residential buildings, the Class A Roofing Assembly may be limited to the part of the assembly specified from the sheathing upward, provided the existing sheathing is solid with a minimum thickness of 3/8". Where spaced sheathing currently exists, it shall be replaced or covered with sheathing of a thickness required for a Class A assembly.

Roofing shall be secured or fastened to the supporting roof construction and shall provide weather protection for the building at the roof.

(Ord. No. 922, § 3, 11-21-2016; Ord. No. 957, § 10, 11-18-2019; Ord. No. 994, § 12, 10-17-2022, eff. 1-1-2023; Ord. No. 1022, § 14, 9-22-2025, eff. 10-22-2025)

Note— See editor's note at Section 23.12.010.

Local amendments to Section R902.1.2 to be renumbered to be consistent with the 2025 California Residential Code to read as follows:

R902.1.2 Roof Covering in all other areas. The entire roof covering of every existing structure where more than 10 percent of the total roof area is replaced within any one-year period, the entire roof covering of every new structure, and any roof covering applied in the alteration, repair or replacement of the roof of every existing structure, shall be a fire-retardant roof covering that is at least Class A.

(Ord. No. 994, § 12, 10-17-2022, eff. 1-1-2023; Ord. No. 1022, § 15, 9-22-2025, eff. 10-22-2025)

Section R309.1 (Townhouse Automatic Sprinkler Systems) Exception is amended to read as follows:

R309.1 Exception: An automatic residential fire sprinkler system may be required by the Fire Code Official when additions or alterations are made to existing townhouses that do not have an automatic residential fire sprinkler installed.

(Ord. No. 922, § 3, 11-21-2016; Ord. No. 994, § 14, 10-17-2022, eff. 1-1-2023; Ord. No. 1022, § 16, 9-22-2025, eff. 10-22-2025)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 994, § 14, adopted Oct. 17, 2022, added a new provision as Section 23.12.064 and subsequently renumbered the former Sections 23.12.064 and 23.12.065 as Sections 23.12.065 and 23.12.066.

Note— See editor's note at Section 23.12.010.

Section R309.2 (One- and Two-family Dwellings Automatic Sprinkler Systems) Exceptions is amended to read as follows:

R309.2 Exceptions:

1. An automatic residential fire sprinkler system may be required by the Fire Code Official for additions or alterations to existing buildings that are not already provided with an automatic residential fire sprinkler system.

(Ord. No. 922, § 3, 11-21-2016; Ord. No. 994, § 15, 10-17-2022, eff. 1-1-2023; Ord. No. 1022, § 17, 9-22-2025, eff. 10-22-2025)

Note— See editor's note at Sections 23.12.010 and 23.12.065.

Appendix CI of the 2025 California Residential Code is adopted.

(Ord. No. 1022, § 18, 9-22-2025, eff. 10-22-2025)