Redding Municipal Code Ch. 16.03 Residential Code

A. That certain document, a copy being on file and open for inspection in the City of Redding permit center, marked and designated as "California Residential Code (CRC), 2022 Edition," published by the International Code Council, is adopted as the residential building code of the city and is included in and made a part of this code as though set forth at length herein.

1. California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 2.5, California Residential Code, Appendix AZ, Emergency Housing is adopted as though set forth at length herein excluding therefrom any requirement that an emergency sleeping cabin shall not be less than seventy (70) square feet of interior floor area for one occupant and fifty (50) square feet for each occupant in excess of one (1), and, in lieu of said requirement, establishing that an emergency sleeping cabin shall not be less than sixty-four (64) square feet of interior floor area for one occupant and one hundred (100) square feet for two occupants.

B. Add the sentence "SDS shall be taken as greater than 0.50" to the end of California Residential Code Section R301.2.2.1.1.

C. Section R313.2.1.1 - Other Occupancies.

Section R313.2.1.1 is added to read as follows:

Group S occupancies constructed on private residential zoned parcels shall be designed to NFPA 13D as approved by the fire code official.

D. Section R313.2.2 - Additions.

Section R313.2.2 is added to read as follows:

Additions to any existing California Residential Building Code regulated buildings that increase the existing square footage by 50% or more shall meet the requirements for a newly constructed building. All additions to any existing California Residential Building Code regulated building with an existing automatic sprinkler system regardless of size shall be required to extend the sprinkler system into the addition per Section R313.2.

E. Section R313.2.3 - Remodels, alterations, or repairs.

Section R313.2.3 is added to read as follows:

For remodels, alterations, or repairs to an existing California residential Building Code regulated building involving demolition, removal, alteration, or repair of more than 50% of the structure, the building shall meet the requirements for a newly constructed building. For purposes of this section, "50%" threshold shall be applied if the project involves any of the following:

1. The removal, demolition, or repair of more than 50% of the exterior weight bearing walls; or

2. The removal, demolition or repair of more than 50% of the roof structure (including the framing, sheathing, and roof covering of a building but not limited to rafters, trusses, beams, purlins); or

3. Where the removal, demolition or repair is deemed by the fire code official to be more than 50% of the structure.

F. Amend CRC Section R404.1.4.1 to read:

Masonry foundation walls. In buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category D0, D1, or D2, as established in Table R301.2(1), masonry foundation walls shall comply with this section. In addition to the requirements of Table R404.1.1(1), plain masonry foundation walls shall comply with the following:

1. Wall heights shall not exceed 4 feet (1219 mm).

2. Unbalanced backfill height shall not exceed 3 feet (914 mm).

3. Minimum nominal thickness for plain masonry foundation walls shall be 8 inches (203 mm).

4. Masonry stem walls shall have a minimum vertical reinforcement of one No. 3 (No. 10) bar located a maximum of 4 feet (1219 mm) on center in grouted cells.

5. Vertical reinforcement shall be tied to the horizontal reinforcement in the footings.

Foundation walls in buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category D0, D1 or D2, as established in Table R301.2(1), supporting more than 3 feet (914 mm) of unbalanced backfill or exceeding 4 feet (1219 mm) in heights shall be constructed in accordance with the provisions of ACI 530/ASCE 5/TMS 402 or NCMA TR68-A. Masonry foundation walls shall have two No. 4 (No. 13) horizontal bars located in the upper 12 inches (305 mm) of the wall.

G. Amend CRC Section R404.1.4.2 to read:

R404.1.4.2 Concrete foundation walls. In buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category D0, D1 or D2, as established in Table R301.2(1), concrete foundation walls that support light-frame walls shall comply with this section, and concrete foundation walls that support above-grade concrete walls shall comply with ACI 318, ACI 332 or PCA 100 (see Section R404.1.3). In addition to the horizontal reinforcement required by Table R404.1.2(1), plain concrete walls supporting light-frame walls shall comply with the following:

1. Wall height shall not exceed 4 feet (1219 mm).

2. Unbalanced backfill height shall not exceed 3 feet (914 mm).

3. Minimum thickness for plain concrete foundation walls shall be 6 inches (152 mm).

Foundation walls supporting more than 2 feet (1219 mm) of unbalanced backfill or exceeding 3 feet (2438 mm) in height shall be provided with horizontal reinforcement in accordance with Table R404.1.2(1), and not less than No. 4 (No. 13) vertical bars at a spacing not exceeding 48 inches (1219 mm).

H. Amend the first sentence of CRC Section R506.2.3 to read:

Vapor retarder. A 15-mil polyethylene or approved equivalent vapor retarder with joints lapped not less than 6 inches (152 mm) shall be placed between the concrete floor slab and the base course or the prepared subgrade where no base course exists.

(Ord. No. 2473, § 4, 12-7-2010; Ord. No. 2501, § 4, 11-19-2013; Ord. No. 2558, § 3, 11-15-2016;Ord. No. 2616, § 3, 11-19-2019; Ord. No. 2638, § 3, 6-15-2021; Ord. No. 2655, § 3, 12-6-2022)

A. Definitions. The following words and phrases as used in this section are defined as follows:

"Electronic submittal" means the utilization of one or more of the following:

1. E-mail, or

2. The internet.

"Small residential rooftop solar energy system" means all of the following:

1. A solar energy system that is no larger than ten kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating or thirty kilowatts thermal.

2. A solar energy system that conforms to all applicable state fire, structural, electrical, and other building codes as adopted or amended by the city and Civil Code Section 714(c)(3), as such section or subdivision may be amended, renumbered, or redesignated from time to time.

3. A solar energy system that is installed on a single or duplex family dwelling.

4. A solar panel or module array that does not exceed the maximum legal building height.

"Solar energy system" has the same meaning as set forth in Civil Code Section 801.5(a)(1)-(2), as such section or subdivision may be amended, renumbered, or re-designated from time to time.

B. Checklist. The building official is hereby authorized and directed to develop and adopt a checklist of all requirements with which small rooftop solar energy systems shall comply to be eligible for expedited review. The checklist shall be published on the city's internet website. Permit applicants may submit the permit application and associated documentation to the city's permit center by personal, mailed, or electronic submittal together with any required permit processing and inspection fees. In the case of electronic submittal, the electronic signature of the applicant on all forms, applications and other documentation may be used in lieu of a wet signature.

C. Pre-Application Verification. Prior to submitting an application, the applicant shall:

1. Verify to the applicant's reasonable satisfaction through the use of standard engineering evaluation techniques that the support structure for the small residential solar energy system is stable and adequate to transfer all wind, seismic, and dead and live loads associated with the system to the building foundation; and

2. At the applicant's cost, verify to the applicant's reasonable satisfaction using standard electrical inspection techniques that the existing electrical system including existing line, load, ground and bonding wiring as well as main panel and subpanel sizes are adequately sized, based on the existing electrical system's current use, to carry all new photovoltaic electrical loads.

D. Expedited Review. For a small residential rooftop solar energy system eligible for expedited review, only one inspection shall be required, which shall be done in a timely manner and may include a consolidated inspection by the building official and fire chief. If a small residential rooftop solar energy system fails inspection, a subsequent inspection is authorized; however, the subsequent inspection need not conform to the requirements of this subsection.

E. Application. An application that satisfies the information requirements in the checklist, as determined by the building official, shall be deemed complete. Upon receipt of an incomplete application, the building official shall issue a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance.

F. Permit Issuance. Upon confirmation by the building official of the application and supporting documentation being complete and meeting the requirements of the checklist, the building official shall administratively approve the application and issue all required permits. Such approval does not authorize an applicant to connect the small residential rooftop energy system to the Redding Electric Utility (REU) electricity grid. The applicant is responsible for obtaining such approval or permission from REU.

G. Permit Denial. A permit may be denied pursuant to Government Code Section 65850.5(b)-(c) if a finding is made, based on substantial evidence in the record, that the proposed solar energy system could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety.

(Ord. No. 2531, § 1, 7-21-2015)