Monterey County Municipal Code Ch. 18.02 Building Code

Footnotes:

--- (4) ---

Editor's note— Ord. No. 5442, § 4, adopted Dec. 9, 2025, repealed Ch. 18.02, §§ 18.02.010—18.02.060, and enacted a new Ch. 18.02 to read as set out herein. Former Ch. 18.02 pertained to similar subject matter and derived from Ord. No. 5286, § 5, adopted April 18, 2017; Ord. No. 5337, §§ 2, 5, adopted July 28, 2020; and Ord. No. 5389, adopted Dec. 6, 2022.

That certain document entitled 2025 California Building Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 2, Volumes 1 and 2, which includes Appendices I, J, L and P as published by the California Building Standards Commission, which is based on the 2024 International Building Code with applicable amendments from the State of California, and the local amendments of this Chapter, are hereby adopted as the Building Code for the County of Monterey.

(Ord. No. 5442, § 4, 12-9-2025)

Notwithstanding any provisions of the 2025 California Building Code to the contrary, the local amendments in this Chapter shall apply.

(Ord. No. 5442, § 4, 12-9-2025)

Section 502.1 of the California Building Code shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

502.1 Address identification. Each new and existing building, including detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs), except accessory structures, shall be provided with separate approved address identification. When multiple occupancies exist within a single building, each individual occupancy shall be separately identified by its own address. The address identification shall be legible and placed in a position that is visible from the street or road fronting the property. Address identification characters shall contrast with their background. Address numbers shall be Arabic numbers or alphabetical letters. Numbers shall not be spelled out. Each character shall be a minimum of 4 inches (102 mm) high with a minimum stroke width of ½- inch (12.7 mm). Where required by the fire code official, address identification shall be provided in additional approved locations to facilitate emergency response. Where access is by means of a private road and the building address cannot be viewed from the public way, a monument, pole or other approved sign or means shall be used to identify the structure. Address identification shall be maintained.

(Ord. No. 5442, § 4, 12-9-2025)

Fire protection and life safety systems, including but not limited to sprinkler requirements shall also conform to the local amendments of the Fire Code in Chapter 18.09 of the Monterey County Code.

(Ord. No. 5442, § 4, 12-9-2025)

Roofing requirements shall also conform to the local amendments of the Fire Code in Chapter 18.09 of the Monterey County Code.

A. Section 1505.1 of the California Building Codes shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

1505.1 General. Roof assemblies shall be divided into the classes defined in this section. Class A and B roof assemblies and roof coverings required to be listed by this section shall be tested in accordance with ASTM El08 or UL 790. In addition, fire-retardant-treated wood roof coverings shall be tested in accordance with ASTM D2898. Roof coverings installed on new buildings shall be a minimum Class "B". Roofing requirements for existing buildings when fifty percent (50%) or more of the roof area is reroofed within a one-year period after the issuance of a building permit shall be a minimum Class "B" roof assembly.

1505.1.1 Roof coverings within very high fire hazard severity zones. The entire roof covering of every existing structure where more than 50 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.

Exception: The requirements shall not apply in any jurisdiction that adopts the model ordinance approved by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51189 of the Government Code or an ordinance that substantially conforms to the model ordinance and transmits a copy to the State Fire Marshal.

1505.1.2 Roof coverings within state responsibility areas. The entire roof covering of every existing structure where more than 50 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 B.

Exception: Areas designated as moderate fire hazard severity zones.

1505.1.4 Roofing requirements in a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area. Roofing requirements for structures located in a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area shall also comply with Section 705A.

(Ord. No. 5442, § 4, 12-9-2025)

Solar photovoltaic system requirements shall also conform to the local amendments of the Fire Code in Chapter 18.09 of the Monterey County Code.

(Ord. No. 5442, § 4, 12-9-2025)

A. Section 1705.3 of the 2025 California Building Code, Exception Number 1 is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

1705.3 Concrete construction.

Exception 1:

1. Isolated spread concrete footings of buildings three stories or less above grade plane that are fully supported on earth or rock where the structural design of the footing is based on a specified compressive strength, f'c, no greater than two thousand five hundred 2,500 pounds per square inch (psi) (17.2 Mpa).

B. Section 1905.1.7 ACI 318, Section 14.1.4 of the California Building Code shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

14.1.4 - Plain concrete in structures assigned to Seismic Design Category C, D, E or F.

14.1.4.1 - Structures assigned to Seismic Design Category C, D, E or F shall not have elements of structural plain concrete, except as follows:

(a) Concrete used for fill with a minimum cement content of two (2) sacks of Portland cement or cementitious material per cubic yard.

(b) Isolated footings of plain concrete supporting pedestals or columns are permitted, provided the projection of the footing beyond the face of the supported member does not exceed the footing thickness.

(c) Plain concrete footings supporting walls are permitted provided the footings have at least two continuous longitudinal reinforcing bars. Bars shall not be smaller than No. 4 and shall have a total area of not less than 0.002 times the gross cross-sectional area of the footing. A minimum of one bar shall be provided at the top and bottom of the footing. Continuity of reinforcement shall be provided at corners and intersections.

Exceptions:

1. Detached one- and two-family dwellings three stories or less in height and constructed with stud-bearing walls, are permitted to have plain concrete footings with at least two continuous longitudinal reinforcing bars not smaller than No. 4 are permitted to have a total area of less than 0.002 times the gross cross-sectional area of the footing.

(Ord. No. 5442, § 4, 12-9-2025)