Riverside Municipal Code Ch. 16.06 Residential Code

This chapter shall be known as the "Residential Code" and may be cited as such. Whenever in this Code or any ordinance of the City the phrases "International Residential Code" or "California Residential Code" appears, such phrases shall be deemed and construed to refer to or apply to this chapter in conjunction with Chapter 16.04.

(Ord. 7357 §13, 2016; Ord. 7103 §2, 2010)

The California Residential Code, 2025 Edition, Part 2.5 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, including appendices and any related errata, and any amendments thereto by the State of California in the 2025 Edition of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, promulgated by the International Code Council, which regulates the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use, and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal and demolition of every detached one- and two-family dwelling, townhouse not more than three stories above grade plane in height with a separate means of egress and structures accessory thereto, is adopted and by this reference is made a part of this Code with the force and effect as though set out herein in full, with the exception of those parts expressly excepted and deleted or as amended by this chapter. One copy of the California Residential Code with the amendments thereto by the State of California, which has been certified as a true copy, is on file and open to public inspection in the office of the Building Official.

(Ord. 7748, § 14, 2025; Ord. 7612 § 21, 2022; Ord. 7492 § 9, 2019; Ord. 7357 §14, 2016; Ord. 7237 §1, 2013; Ord. 7103 §2, 2010)

The chapters, sections, paragraphs, and parts of the California Residential Code which are excepted, deleted, and not adopted are:

1. Chapter 1, Division II Sections R105.3.2, R105.5, R108, R110.3, R111, R112;

2. Appendix AA, AB, AC;

3. Appendix BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, BI, BJ, BK, BL, BN, BO;

4. Appendix CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CG, CH, CJ, CK;

5. Appendix NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, NF, NG, NH, NI.

(Ord. 7748, § 15, 2025; Ord. 7612 § 22, 2022; Ord. 7510 § 4, 2020; Ord. 7492 § 10, 2019; Ord. 7357 §15, 2016; Ord. 7237 §2, 2013; Ord. 7103 §2, 2010)

Every person in possession of land within the City, either as owner, purchaser under contract, lessee, tenant or licensee, upon which is situated a swimming pool, spa or similar facility, which whether above or below grade exceeds in depth the limitations hereinafter set forth, shall meet the following requirements:

A. CRC appendix AX, Section 100, Subsection 115922 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

Except as provided in Section 115925, when a building permit is issued for the construction of a new swimming pool and/or spa or the remodeling of an existing swimming pool and/or spa at a private single-family home, the respective swimming pool and/or spa shall be equipped with item No. 1 of Subsection 115922 (A) and at least one addition item of the following seven drowning prevention features:

(1) An enclosure that meets the requirements of Section 115923 and isolates the swimming pool or spa from the private single-family home. Any walls of the residential structure or accessory structures used to complete the isolation enclosure must have its door openings equipped with protection as required in Section 115922(a)(4) or Section 115922(a)(5). Any such door protection device provided for this purpose may not serve to meet the requirement of the second drowning prevention feature.

(2) Removable mesh fencing that meets American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Specifications F2286 standards in conjunction with a gate that is self-closing and self-latching and can accommodate a key lockable device.

(3) An approved safety pool cover, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 115921.

(4) Exit alarms on the private single-family home's doors that provide direct access to the swimming pool or spa. The exit alarm may cause either an alarm noise or a verbal warning, such as a repeating notification that "the door to the pool is open."

(5) A self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor on the private single family home's doors providing direct access to the swimming pool or spa.

(6) An alarm that, when placed in a swimming pool or spa, will sound upon detection of accidental or unauthorized entrance into the water. The alarm shall meet and be independently certified to the ASTM Standard F2208 "Standard Safety Specification for Residential Pool Alarms," which includes surface motion, pressure, sonar, laser and infrared type alarms. A swimming protection alarm feature designed for individual use, including an alarm attached to a child that sounds when the child exceeds a certain distance or becomes submerged in water, is not a qualifying drowning prevention safety feature.

(7) Other means of protection, if the degree of protection afforded is equal to or greater than that afforded by any of the features set forth above and has been independently verified by an approved testing laboratory as meeting standards for those features established by the ASTM or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

B. Before the issuance of a final approval for the completion of permitted construction or remodeling work, the local building code official shall inspect the drowning safety prevention features required by this section and, if no violations are found, shall give final approval. [Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 670, Sec. 4. (SB 442) Effective January 1, 2018.]

C. Modification of Existing Barriers and Construction of Additional Dwellings Compliance Required.

Any alterations affecting an existing swimming pool or spa barrier structure, access points, materials, or configuration shall require that the entire barrier be brought into compliance with the current standards set forth in Subsection A. This requirement does not apply to routine maintenance, like-for-like repairs, or necessary in-kind replacement of existing components that do not change the barrier's design, layout, or method of operation.

Modifications triggering this requirement include, but are not limited to, changes to gates, fencing, walls forming part of the barrier or any alteration that affects the barrier's ability to isolate or secure the swimming pool or spa.

This requirement applies regardless of whether the pool or spa itself is being remodeled.

Whenever one or more additional swelling units are constructed, added, or converted within the confines of, or with access to, an existing swimming pool or spa, the entire barrier shall be reviewed and upgraded as necessary to meet current code standards set forth in Subsection A.

Issuance of a building permit for any such modification or construction shall be contingent upon compliance with these requirements, and final approval shall not be granted until the Building Official verifies that the swimming pool or spa barrier fully complies with this section.

(Ord. 7748, § 16, 2025; Ord. 7612 § 23, 2022)

Section R106.6 of the Residential Code is hereby added to read as follows:

Section R106.6 Plan Check Self-Certification Program. The Plan Check Self-Certification Program of Section 16.04.430 of this Code shall apply to permits under this Chapter 16.06.

(Ord. 7742, § 2, 2025)