California Building Code (CBC)

The California Building Code (CBC) is Part 2 of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24, California Code of Regulations). It is the primary code governing the design and construction of most commercial, institutional, mixed-use and multifamily residential buildings in California. The CBC is based on the International Building Code (IBC) with California-specific amendments adopted by state agencies.

The 2025 California Building Code is the current edition, effective January 1, 2026, replacing the 2022 CBC. Because the code is adopted on a three-year cycle and local jurisdictions may add amendments, the exact requirements for your project depend on the edition your city or county has adopted and any local changes — which is exactly what GoCodebook reconciles for you.

The CBC sets minimum standards for life safety and structural integrity. Core areas include occupancy classification (Groups A, B, E, F, H, I, M, R, S and U), types of construction (Type I through Type V), allowable building height and area, fire-resistance-rated construction, means of egress, interior finishes, accessibility, and structural design loads.

Accessibility is addressed in Chapter 11A (covered multifamily housing) and Chapter 11B (public accommodations and commercial facilities). California accessibility requirements are enforced statewide and in some cases are stricter than the federal ADA.

Use the CBC for commercial buildings, multifamily apartments and condominiums, and most non-residential occupancies. Use the California Residential Code (CRC, Part 2.5) for detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses up to three stories. ADU and small-lot projects can fall under either depending on configuration — a common source of confusion that drives plan-check corrections.

A single project usually triggers several Title 24 parts at once: the CBC plus the Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire and CALGreen codes.

The Building Standards Commission publishes Title 24, and the CBC incorporates amendments from agencies such as HCD, DSA and OSHPD/HCAI. Cities and counties then adopt the code and may add local amendments for climate, geology or fire-hazard reasons. That means the controlling text for a setback, fire rating or egress question can differ between two neighboring jurisdictions.

GoCodebook identifies the adopted edition and local amendments for your address and returns the governing provision with a citation, so you can verify the original language quickly. See where coverage is deepest.

California's adopted codes — including the California Building Code (CBC) — are published under Title 24 and hosted on code libraries such as UpCodes (up.codes) and ICC Digital Codes from the International Code Council (ICC). Those let you read the text section by section.

GoCodebook goes further: instead of searching a code library, you ask a question and get the controlling provision for the edition and local amendments your jurisdiction adopted, with a citation to verify. See how GoCodebook compares to UpCodes and ICC.