Rancho Santa Margarita Municipal Code Ch. 10.04 Amendments to California Residential Code

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 19-06, § 4, adopted Nov. 13, 2019, amended Ch. 10.04 in its entirety to read as set out herein. The former Ch. 10.04, §§ 10.04.010 and 10.04.020 pertained to similar subject matter and derived from Ord. No. 16-06, § 5, adopted Oct. 26, 2016.

(a) Section R105.2 Work Exempt From Permits is amended by revising "Building" exemption 2 to read as follows:

2. Fences not over 6 feet (2134 mm) high.

(Ord. No. 19-06, § 4, 11-13-2019; Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, 11-9-2022; Ord. No. 25-05, § 4, 10-8-2025)

(a) Table R301.2(1) is amended to read as follows:

TABLE R301.2(1) CLIMATIC AND GEOGRAPHIC DESIGN CRITERIA

For SI: 1 pound per square foot = 0.0479 kPa, 1 mile per hour = 0.447 m/s.

a. Weathering may require a higher strength concrete or grade of masonry than necessary to satisfy the structural requirements of this code. The weathering column shall be filled in with the weathering index (i.e., "negligible," "moderate" or "severe") for concrete as determined from the Weathering Probability Map [Figure R301.2(3)]. The grade of masonry units shall be determined from ASTM C 34, C 55, C 62, C 73, C 90, C 129, C 145, C 216 or C 652.

b. The frost line depth may require deeper footings than indicated in Figure R403.1(1). The jurisdiction shall fill in the frost line depth column with the minimum depth of footing below finish grade.

c. The jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table to indicate the need for protection depending on whether there has been a history of local subterranean termite damage.

d. The jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with the wind speed from the basic wind speed map [Figure R30l.2(4)]. Wind exposure category shall be determined on a site-specific basis in accordance with Section R301.2.1.4.

e. The outdoor design dry-bulb temperature shall be selected from the columns of 971/2-percent values for winter from Appendix D of the California Plumbing Code. Deviations from the Appendix D temperatures shall be permitted to reflect local climates or local weather experience as determined by the building official.

f. The jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with the seismic design category determined from Section R301.2.2.1.

g. The jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with (a) the date of the jurisdiction's entry into the National Flood Insurance Program (date of adoption of the first code or ordinance for management of flood hazard areas), (b) the date(s) of the Flood Insurance Study and (c) the panel numbers and dates of all currently effective FIRMs and FBFMs or other flood hazard map adopted by the authority having jurisdiction, as amended.

h. In accordance with Sections R905.2.7.1, R905.4.3.1, R905.5.3.1, R905.6.3.1, R905.7.3.1 and R905.8.3.1, where there has been a history of local damage from the effects of ice damming, the jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with "YES." Otherwise, the jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with "NO."

i. The jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with the 100-year return period air freezing index (BF-days) from Figure R403.3(2) or from the l00-year (99%) value on the National Climatic Data Center data table "Air Freezing Index-USA Method (Base 32°)" at www.ncdc.noaa.gov/fpsf.htrnl.

j. The jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with the mean annual temperature from the National Climatic Data Center data table "Air Freezing Index-USA Method (Base 32°F)" at www.ncdc.noaa.gov/fpsf.html.

k. In accordance with Section R301.2.1.5, where there is local historical data documenting structural damage to buildings due to topographic wind speed-up effects, the jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with "YES." Otherwise, the jurisdiction shall indicate "NO" in this part of the table.

l. In accordance with Figure R301.2(4)A, where there is local historical data documenting unusual wind conditions, the jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with "YES" and identify any specific requirements. Otherwise, the jurisdiction shall indicate "NO" in this part of the table.

m. In accordance with Section R301.2.1.2.1, the jurisdiction shall indicate the wind-borne debris wind zone(s). Otherwise, the jurisdiction shall indicate "NO" in this part of the table.

(Ord. No. 19-06, § 4, 11-13-2019; Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, 11-9-2022; Ord. No. 25-05, § 4, 10-8-2025)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, adopted November 9, 2022, repealed the previous § 10.04.020 in it's entirety, which pertained to "Section R105.5 Permits amended" and derived from Ord. No. 19-06, § 4, adopted November 13, 2019, and subsequently renumbered and amended the former § 10.04.030 as § 10.04.020 as set out herein. The historical notation has been retained with the amended provisions for reference purposes.

(a) Section R309.2 is amended as follows:

1. Existing R-3 Buildings: An automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall be installed in one- and two-family dwellings throughout when one of the following conditions exists:

a. When the floor area of alterations or additions within any two-year period exceeds 50 percent of gross floor area of the existing structure and the building gross floor area exceeds 5,500 square feet; or:

b. When an existing Group R Occupancy is being substantially renovated, and where the scope of the renovation is such that the Building Code Official determines that the complexity of installing a sprinkler system would be similar as in a new building.

c. When the existing building is already provided with automatic sprinklers.

(Ord. No. 19-06, § 4, 11-13-2019; Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, 11-9-2022; Ord. No. 25-05, § 4, 10-8-2025)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, adopted November 9, 2022, renumbered and amended the former § 10.04.040 as § 10.04.030 as set out herein. The historical notation has been retained with the amended provisions for reference purposes.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 25-05, § 4, adopted October 8, 2025, amended the title of § 10.04.030 to read as herein set out. The former § 10.04.030 title pertained to amendment to Section R313.2.

(a) Section R902.1 is amended to read as follows:

R902.1 Roofing covering materials. Roofs shall be covered with materials as set forth in Sections R904 and R905. A minimum Class A roofing shall be installed in areas designated by this section. Class A roofing required by this section to be listed shall be tested in accordance with UL 790 or ASTM E 108.

Exceptions:

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

2. Class A roof assemblies also include ferrous or copper shingles or sheets, metal sheets and shingles, clay or concrete roof tile, or slate installed on noncombustible decks.

3. Class A roof assemblies include minimum 16 ounces per square foot copper sheets installed over combustible decks.

4. Class A roof assemblies include slate installed over underlayment over combustible decks.

(b) Section R902.1.1 is amended to read as follows:

R902.1.1 Roofing requirements within Fire Hazard Severity Zones or in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) area. Roofing requirements for structures located within Fire Hazard Severity Zones or in a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) area shall also comply with Part 7, California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.

(c) Section R902.1.2 is amended to read as follows:

R902.1.2 Roof coverings in all other areas other than Fire Hazard Severity Zones or a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) area. 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 fire classification.

(d) Section R902.2 is amended to modify the beginning paragraph as follows:

R902.2 Fire-retardant-treated shingles and shakes. Fire-retardant-treated wood shakes and shingles are wood shakes and shingles complying with UBC Standard 15-3 or 15-4 which are impregnated by the full-cell vacuum-pressure process with fire-retardant chemicals, and which have been qualified by UBC Standard 15-2 for use on Class A or B roofs.

(Ord. No. 19-06, § 4, 11-13-2019; Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, 11-9-2022; Ord. No. 25-05, § 4, 10-8-2025)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, adopted November 9, 2022, renumbered and amended the former § 10.04.050 as § 10.04.040 as set out herein. The historical notation has been retained with the amended provisions for reference purposes.

(a) Appendices are not adopted unless listed below:

Appendix BF

Appendix BH

Appendix AA

(Ord. No. 25-05, § 4, 10-8-2025)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, adopted November 9, 2022, renumbered the former § 10.04.050 as § 10.04.040. Subsequently, Ord. No. 25-05, § 4, adopted October 8, 2025, enacted a new § 10.04.050 as set out herein.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 22-01, § 4, adopted November 9, 2022, repealed § 10.04.060, which pertained to "Amendment to Appendix V Swimming Pool Safety Act" and derived from Ord. No. 19-06, § 4, adopted November 13, 2019.