CRC · California Residential Code
Foundation and retaining wall requirements
Chapter 4 of the CRC (with soils/foundations guidance in CBC § 1807/1807A) sets the prescriptive requirements and thresholds that trigger engineered foundation and retaining‑wall design.
Last reviewed: July 6, 2026
Overview
This part of the California Residential Code (CRC) covers the design and construction of footings, foundation walls (concrete, masonry, wood and precast), foundation drainage, dampproofing/waterproofing, and retaining walls for one- and two‑family dwellings. See the chapter index at § R401 and the chapter headings § R403–§ R406 for the core topics and application scope of Chapter 4.
Concrete and masonry foundation-wall dimensions and reinforcement are prescriptive where applicable, and larger or special conditions require engineered design (for example, walls subject to hydrostatic pressure or supporting more than 48 inches of unbalanced backfill) — see § R404 (Foundation and Retaining Walls) and the concrete reinforcement requirements in § R404.1.3.2.
Retaining-wall design is governed by lateral soil loads and geotechnical guidance; retaining walls that are not laterally supported and that retain more than specified heights require design to resist overturning, sliding and uplift, with mandatory safety factors and seismic considerations found in the soils-and-foundations provisions (see CBC § 1807 / 1807A for lateral‑load, geotechnical and safety‑factor rules that augment the CRC).
In this section
- How are concrete and masonry foundation walls selected and sized (thickness, reinforcement)?
- What are the design requirements for freestanding and retaining walls?
- What are the rules for wood foundation walls and sill plate anchorage?
- When must foundation or basement walls be designed by a registered design professional?
Code references
Grounded in the retrieved California Residential Code — click a citation to read the verbatim passage:
CRC § 1.1 High relevance — show source text
1807 A .1.1 Design lateral soil loads. Foundation walls shall be designed for the lateral soil loads determined by a geotechnical investigation, in accordance with Section 1803A.
1807 A .1.2 Unbalanced backfill height. Unbalanced backfill height is the difference in height between the exterior finish ground level and the lower of the top of the concrete footing that supports the foundation wall or the interior finish ground level. Where an interior concrete slab on grade is provided and is in contact with the interior surface of the foundation wall, the unbalanced backfill height shall be permitted to be measured from the exterior finish ground level to the top of the interior concrete slab.
1807 A .1.3 Rubble stone foundation walls. Not permitted by DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC or OSHPD.
1807 A .1.4 Permanent wood foundation systems. Not permitted by DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC or OSHPD.
1807 A .1.5 Concrete and masonry foundation walls. Concrete and masonry foundation walls shall be designed in accordance with Chapter 19 A or 21 A, as applicable.
1807 A .2 Retaining walls. Retaining walls shall be designed in accordance with Sections 1807 A .2.1 through 1807 A .2.4.
1807 A .2.1 General. Retaining walls shall be designed to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift .
1807 A .2.2 Design lateral soil loads. Retaining walls shall be designed for the lateral soil loads determined by a geotechnical investigation in accordance with Section 1803A and shall not be less than eighty percent of the lateral soil loads determined in accor- dance with Section 1610A. For use with the load combinations, lateral soil loads due to gravity loads surcharge shall be considered gravity loads and seismic earth pressure increases due to earthquake shall be considered as seismic loads . For structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F, the design of retaining walls supporting more than 6 feet (1829 mm) of backfill height shall incorporate the additional seismic lateral earth pressure in accordance with the geotechnical investigation where required in Section 1803 A .2.
1807 A .2.3 Safety factor. Retaining walls shall be designed to resist the lateral action of soil to produce sliding and overturning with a minimum safety factor of 1.5 in each case. The load combinations of Section 1605 A shall not apply to this requirement. Instead, design shall be based on 0.7 times nominal earthquake loads, 1.0 times other nominal loads, and investigation with one or more of the variable loads set to zero. The safety factor against lateral sliding shall be taken as the available soil resistance at the base of the retaining wall foundation divided by the net lateral force applied to the retaining wall.
Exception: Where earthquake loads are included, the minimum safety factor for retaining wall sliding and overturning shall be 1.1.
1807 A .2.4 Segmental retaining walls. Dry-cast concrete units used in the construction of segmental retaining walls shall comply with ASTM C1372.
CRC § 3-82 High relevance — show source text
R336 Large Family Day-Care Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
R337 Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior
Wildfire Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-83
R338 Electric Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-83
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CONTENTS
R339 Reserved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-84
R340 Pollutant Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-84
CHAPTER 4 FOUNDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
R401 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
R402 Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
R403 Footings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
R404 Foundation and Retaining Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
R405 Foundation Drainage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
R406 Foundation Waterproofing and Dampproofing . . . 4-43
R407 Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44
R408 Under-Floor Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44
CHAPTER 5 FLOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
R501 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
R502 Wood Floor Framing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
R503 Floor Sheathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
R504 Pressure Preservative-Treated Wood
CRC § 1807.1.6.3.2 High relevance — show source text
1807.1.6.3.2 Seismic requirements. Based on the seismic design category assigned to the structure in accordance with Section 1613, masonry foundation walls designed using Tables 1807.2.5.
- Seismic Design Categories A and B. No additional seismic requirements.
- Seismic Design Category C. A design using Tables 1807.1.6.3(1) through 1807.1.6.3(4) is subject to the seismic requirements of Section 7.4.3 of TMS 402.
- Seismic Design Category D. A design using Tables 1807.1.6.3(2) through 1807.1.6.3(4) is subject to the seismic requirements of Section 7.4.4 of TMS 402.
- Seismic Design Categories E and F. A design using Tables 1807.1.6.3(2) through 1807.1.6.3(4) is subject to the seismic requirements of Section 7.4.5 of TMS 402.
1807.2 Retaining walls. Retaining walls shall be designed in accordance with Sections 1807.2.1 through 1807.2.4.
1807.2.1 General. Retaining walls shall be designed to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift.
1807.2.2 Design lateral soil loads. Retaining walls shall be designed for the lateral soil loads set forth in Section 1610. [OSHPD 1R, 2 & 5] Retaining wall lateral soil loads determined by a geotechnical investigation report in accordance with Section 1803.5.12 and shall not be less than 80 percent of the lateral soil loads determined in accordance with Section 1610. For use with the load combina-
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SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
tions, lateral soil loads due to gravity load surcharge shall be considered gravity loads and seismic earth pressure increases due to earthquake shall be considered as seismic loads. For structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F, the design of retaining walls supporting more than 6 feet (1829 mm) of backfill height shall incorporate the additional seismic lateral earth pressure in accordance with the geotechnical investigation where required in Section 1803.2.
1807.2.3 Safety factor. Retaining walls shall be designed to resist the lateral action of soil to produce sliding and overturning with a minimum safety factor of 1.5 in each case. The load combinations of Section 1605 shall not apply to this requirement. Instead, design shall be based on 0.7 times nominal earthquake loads, 1.0 times other nominal loads, and investigation with one or more of the variable loads set to zero. The safety factor against lateral sliding shall be taken as the available soil resistance at the base of the retaining wall foundation divided by the net lateral force applied to the retaining wall.
Exception: Where earthquake loads are included, the minimum safety factor for retaining wall sliding and overturning shall be 1.1.
1807.2.4 Segmental retaining walls. Dry-cast concrete units used in the construction of segmental retaining walls shall comply with ASTM C1372.
CRC § 1.1. High relevance — show source text
DOC PS 1 Plywood grades marked:
1.1. Structural I C-D (Exposure 1).
1.2. C-D (Exposure 1).
2. DOC PS 2 Plywood grades marked:
2.1. Structural I Sheathing (Exposure 1).
2.2. Sheathing (Exposure 1).
3. Where a major portion of the wall is exposed above ground and a better appearance is desired, the following plywood grades marked exterior are suitable:
3.1. Structural I A-C, Structural I B-C or Structural I C-C (Plugged) in accordance with DOC PS 1.
3.2. A-C Group 1, B-C Group 1, C-C (Plugged) Group 1 or MDO Group 1 in accordance with DOC PS 1.
3.3. Single Floor in accordance with DOC PS 1 or DOC PS 2.
b. Minimum thickness15/32 inch, except crawl space sheathing shall have not less than3/8 inch for face grain across studs 16 inches on center and maximum 2-foot depth of
unequal fill.
c. For this fill height, thickness and grade combination, panels that are continuous over less than three spans (across less than three stud spacings) require blocking 16 inches
above the bottom plate. Offset adjacent blocks and fasten through studs with two 16d corrosion-resistant nails at each end.|2025 CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE 4-41
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FOUNDATIONS
R404.2.4 Backfilling. Wood foundation walls shall not be backfilled until the basement floor and first floor have been constructed or the walls have been braced. For crawl space construction, backfill or bracing shall be installed on the interior of the walls prior to placing backfill on the exterior.
R404.2.5 Drainage and dampproofing. Wood foundation basements shall be drained and dampproofed in accordance with Sections R405 and R406, respectively.
R404.2.6 Fastening. Wood structural panel foundation wall sheathing shall be attached to framing in accordance with Table R602.3(1) and Section R402.1.1.
R404.3 Wood sill plates. Wood sill plates shall be not less than 2-inch by 4-inch (51 mm by 102 mm) nominal lumber. Sill plate anchorage shall be in accordance with Sections R403.1.6 and R602.11.
R404.4 Retaining walls. Retaining walls that are not laterally supported at the top and that retain in excess of 48 inches (1219 mm) of unbalanced fill, or retaining walls exceeding 24 inches (610 mm) in height that resist lateral loads in addition to soil, shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift. Retaining walls shall be designed for a safety factor of 1.5 against lateral sliding and overturning. This section shall not apply to foundation walls supporting buildings.
R404.5 Precast concrete foundation walls.
CRC § 1.5.3 High relevance — show source text
R404.1.5.3 Pier and curtain wall foundations. Use of pier and curtain wall foundations shall be permitted to support lightframe construction not more than two stories in height, provided that the following requirements are met:
- All load-bearing walls shall be placed on continuous concrete footings placed integrally with the exterior wall footings.
- The minimum actual thickness of a load-bearing masonry wall shall be not less than 4 inches (102 mm) nominal or 3 [3] / 8 inches (92 mm) actual thickness, and shall be bonded integrally with piers spaced in accordance with Section R606.6.4.
- Piers shall be constructed in accordance with Sections R606.7 and R606.7.1, and shall be bonded into the load-bearing masonry wall in accordance with Section R606.13.1 or R606.13.1.1.
- The maximum height of a 4-inch (102 mm) load-bearing masonry foundation wall supporting wood-frame walls and floors shall be not more than 4 feet (1219 mm).
- Anchorage shall be in accordance with Section R403.1.6, Figure R404.1.5.3, or as specified by engineered design accepted by the building official.
- The unbalanced fill for 4-inch (102 mm) foundation walls shall not exceed 24 inches (610 mm) for solid masonry or 12 inches (305 mm) for hollow masonry.
- In Seismic Design Categories D 0, D 1 and D 2, prescriptive reinforcement shall be provided in the horizontal and vertical direction. Provide minimum horizontal joint reinforcement of two No. 9 gage wires spaced not less than 6 inches (152
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FOUNDATIONS
mm) or one [1] / 4 -inch-diameter (6.4 mm) wire at 10 inches (254 mm) on center vertically. Provide minimum vertical reinforcement of one No. 4 bar at 48 inches (1220 mm) on center horizontally grouted in place.
FIGURE R404.1.5.3—FOUNDATION WALL CLAY MASONRY CURTAIN WALL WITH CONCRETE MASONRY PIERS
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 degree = 0.0175 rad.
R404.1.6 Height above finished grade. Concrete and masonry foundation walls shall extend above the finished grade adjacent to the foundation at all points not less than 4 inches (102 mm) where masonry veneer is used and not less than 6 inches (152 mm) elsewhere.
R404.1.7 Backfill placement. Backfill shall not be placed against the wall until the wall has sufficient strength and has been anchored to the floor above, or has been sufficiently braced to prevent damage by the backfill.
Exception: Bracing is not required for walls supporting less than 4 feet (1219 mm) of unbalanced backfill.
CRC § 1.6.1 High relevance — show source text
R403.1.6.1 Foundation anchorage in Seismic Design Categories C, D 0 , D 1 and D 2 . In addition to the requirements of Section R403.1.6, the following requirements shall apply to wood light-frame structures in Seismic Design Categories D 0, D 1 and D 2 and wood light-frame townhouses in Seismic Design Category C.
- Plate washers conforming to Section R602.11.1 shall be provided for all anchor bolts over the full length of required braced wall lines except where approved anchor straps are used. Properly sized cut washers shall be permitted for anchor bolts in wall lines not containing braced wall panels.
- Interior braced wall plates shall have anchor bolts spaced at not more than 6 feet (1829 mm) on center and located within 12 inches (305 mm) of the ends of each plate section where supported on a continuous foundation.
- Interior bearing wall sole plates shall have anchor bolts spaced at not more than 6 feet (1829 mm) on center and located within 12 inches (305 mm) of the ends of each plate section where supported on a continuous foundation.
- The maximum anchor bolt spacing shall be 4 feet (1219 mm) for buildings over two stories in height.
- Stepped cripple walls shall conform to Section R602.11.2.
- Where continuous wood foundations in accordance with Section R404.2 are used, the force transfer shall have a capacity equal to or greater than the connections required by Section R602.11.1 or the braced wall panel shall be connected to the wood foundations in accordance with the braced wall panel-to-floor fastening requirements of Table R602.3(1).
R403.1.7 Footings on or adjacent to slopes. The placement of buildings and structures on or adjacent to slopes steeper than 1 unit vertical in 3 units horizontal (33.3-percent slope) shall conform to Sections R403.1.7.1 through R403.1.7.4.
R403.1.7.1 Building clearances from ascending slopes. In general, buildings below slopes shall be set a sufficient distance from the slope to provide protection from slope drainage, erosion and shallow failures. Except as provided in Section R403.1.7.4 and Figure R403.1.7.1, the following criteria will be assumed to provide this protection. Where the existing slope is steeper than 1 unit vertical in 1 unit horizontal (100-percent slope), the toe of the slope shall be assumed to be at the intersection of a horizontal plane drawn from the top of the foundation and a plane drawn tangent to the slope at an angle of 45 degrees (0.79 rad) to the horizontal. Where a retaining wall is constructed at the toe of the slope, the height of the slope shall be measured from the top of the wall to the top of the slope.
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FOUNDATIONS
For SI: 1 foot = 304.8 mm.
FIGURE R403.1.7.1—FOUNDATION CLEARANCE FROM SLOPES
FACE OF
AT LEAST THE SMALLER OF H/2 AND 15 FEET
CRC § 4-6 High relevance — show source text
R403 Footings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
R404 Foundation and Retaining Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
R405 Foundation Drainage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
R406 Foundation Waterproofing and Dampproofing . . . 4-43
R407 Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44
R408 Under-Floor Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44
CHAPTER 5 FLOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
R501 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
R502 Wood Floor Framing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
R503 Floor Sheathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
R504 Pressure Preservative-Treated Wood
Floors (On Ground) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
R505 Cold-Formed Steel Floor Framing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
R506 Concrete Floors (On Ground) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
R507 Exterior Decks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
CHAPTER 6 WALL CONSTRUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
R601 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
R602 Wood Wall Framing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
R603 Cold-Formed Steel Wall Framing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-53
R604 Wood Structural Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-93
R605 Particleboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-93
R606 General Masonry Construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-93
CRC § 7.1.1 High relevance — show source text
See Note e to Table R608.7.1.1(1) for application of adjustment factors in this table.
b. Yield strength in pounds per square inch of vertical wall reinforcement at ends of solid wall segments.
c. Values are based on concrete with a specified compressive strength,f’c, of 2,500 psi. Where concrete with_f’c_ of not less than 3,000 psi is used, values in shaded cells are
permitted to be decreased by multiplying by 0.91.
d. Horizontal and vertical shear reinforcement shall be provided in accordance with Section R608.7.2.2.
e. Each end of each solid wall segment shall have rectangular flanges. In the through-the-wall dimension, the flange shall be not less than 51/2 inches for 6-inch-nominal waffle-
and screen-grid walls, and not less than 71/2 inches for 8-inch-nominal waffle-grid walls. In the in-plane dimension, flanges shall be long enough to accommodate the vertical
reinforcement required by the layout detail selected from Figure R608.7.1.1(2) and provide the cover required by Section R608.5.4.1. If necessary to achieve the required
dimensions, form material shall be removed or use of flat wall forms is permitted.|6-134 2025 CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE
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WALL CONSTRUCTION
R608.7.2 Solid wall segments. Solid wall segments that contribute to the required length of solid wall shall comply with this section. Reinforcement shall be provided in accordance with Section R608.7.2.2 and Table R608.7.1.1(6). Solid wall segments shall extend the full story-height without openings, other than openings for the utilities and other building services passing through the wall. In flat walls and waffle-grid walls, such openings shall have an area of less than 30 square inches (19 355 mm [2] ) without any dimension exceeding 6 [1] / 4 inches (159 mm), and shall not be located within 6 inches (152 mm) of the side edges of the solid wall segment. In screen-grid walls, such openings shall be located in the portion of the solid wall segment between horizontal and vertical cores of concrete and opening size and location are not restricted provided there is not any concrete removed.
R608.7.2.1 Minimum length of solid wall segment and maximum spacing. Only solid wall segments equal to or greater than 24 inches (610 mm) in length shall be included in the total length of solid wall required by Section R608.7.1. In addition, not more than two solid wall segments equal to or greater than 24 inches (610 mm) in length and less than 48 inches (1219 mm) in length shall be included in the required total length of solid wall. The maximum clear opening width shall be 18 feet (5486 mm). See Figure R608.7.1.1(1).
R608.7.2.2 Reinforcement in solid wall segments.
CRC § 304.8 High relevance — show source text
4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 mph = 0.447 m/s.|For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 mph = 0.447 m/s.|For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 mph = 0.447 m/s.|For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 mph = 0.447 m/s.|For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 mph = 0.447 m/s.|
SECTION R404—FOUNDATION AND RETAINING WALLS
R404.1 Concrete and masonry foundation walls. Concrete foundation walls shall be selected and constructed in accordance with the provisions of Section R404.1.3. Masonry foundation walls shall be selected and constructed in accordance with the provisions of Section R404.1.2.
R404.1.1 Design required. Concrete or masonry foundation walls shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice where either of the following conditions exists:
- Walls are subject to hydrostatic pressure from ground water.
- Walls supporting more than 48 inches (1219 mm) of unbalanced backfill that do not have permanent lateral support at the top or bottom.
R404.1.2 Design of masonry foundation walls. Masonry foundation walls shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the provisions of this section or in accordance with the provisions of TMS 402. Where TMS 402 or the provisions of this section are used to design masonry foundation walls, project drawings, typical details and specifications are not required to bear the seal of the architect or engineer responsible for design, unless otherwise required by the state law of the jurisdiction having authority.
R404.1.2.1 Masonry foundation walls. Concrete masonry and clay masonry foundation walls shall be constructed as set forth in Table R404.1.2.1(1), R404.1.2.1(2), R404.1.2.1(3) or R404.1.2.1(4) and shall comply with applicable provisions of Section R606. In buildings assigned to Seismic Design Categories D 0, D 1 and D 2, concrete masonry and clay masonry foundation walls shall also comply with Section R404.1.4.1. Rubble stone masonry foundation walls shall be constructed in accordance with Sections R404.1.8 and R606.4.2. Rubble stone masonry walls shall not be used in Seismic Design Categories D 0, D 1 and D 2, or in townhouses in Seismic Design Category C.
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FOUNDATIONS
TABLE R404.1.2.1(1)—PLAIN MASONRY FOUNDATION WALLSf Col2 Col3 Col4 Col5 ** MAXIMUM**
UNSUPPORTED
WALL HEIGHT
(feet)** MAXIMUM**
UNBALANCED
BACKFILL HEIGHTc
(feet)** PLAIN MASONRYa MINIMUM NOMINAL WALL THICKNESS (inches)** ** PLAIN CRC § 2.4 High relevance — show source text
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FOUNDATIONS
R404.2.4 Backfilling. Wood foundation walls shall not be backfilled until the basement floor and first floor have been constructed or the walls have been braced. For crawl space construction, backfill or bracing shall be installed on the interior of the walls prior to placing backfill on the exterior.
R404.2.5 Drainage and dampproofing. Wood foundation basements shall be drained and dampproofed in accordance with Sections R405 and R406, respectively.
R404.2.6 Fastening. Wood structural panel foundation wall sheathing shall be attached to framing in accordance with Table R602.3(1) and Section R402.1.1.
R404.3 Wood sill plates. Wood sill plates shall be not less than 2-inch by 4-inch (51 mm by 102 mm) nominal lumber. Sill plate anchorage shall be in accordance with Sections R403.1.6 and R602.11.
R404.4 Retaining walls. Retaining walls that are not laterally supported at the top and that retain in excess of 48 inches (1219 mm) of unbalanced fill, or retaining walls exceeding 24 inches (610 mm) in height that resist lateral loads in addition to soil, shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift. Retaining walls shall be designed for a safety factor of 1.5 against lateral sliding and overturning. This section shall not apply to foundation walls supporting buildings.
R404.5 Precast concrete foundation walls.
R404.5.1 Design. Precast concrete foundation walls shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice. The design and manufacture of precast concrete foundation wall panels shall comply with the materials requirements of Section R402.3 or ACI 318. The panel design drawings shall be prepared by a registered design professional where required by the statutes of the jurisdiction in which the project is to be constructed in accordance with Section R106.1.
R404.5.2 Precast concrete foundation design drawings. Precast concrete foundation wall design drawings shall be submitted to the building official and approved prior to installation. Drawings shall include, at a minimum, the following information:
Design loading as applicable.
Footing design and material.
Concentrated loads and their points of application.
Soil bearing capacity.
Maximum allowable total uniform load.
Seismic design category.
Basic wind speed.
R404.5.3 Identification. Precast concrete foundation wall panels shall be identified by a certificate of inspection label issued by an approved third-party inspection agency.
SECTION R405 —FOUNDATION DRAINAGE
R405.1 Concrete or masonry foundations. Drains shall be provided around concrete or masonry foundations that retain earth and enclose habitable or usable spaces located below grade. Drainage tiles, gravel or crushed stone drains, perforated pipe or other approved systems or materials shall be installed at or below the top of the footing or below the bottom of the slab and shall discharge by gravity or mechanical means into an approved drainage system. Gravel or crushed stone drains shall extend not less than 1 foot (305 mm) beyond the outside edge of the footing and 6 inches (152 mm) above the top of the footing and be covered with an approved filter membrane material. The top of open joints of drain tiles shall be protected with strips of building paper.
CRC § 3.1 High relevance — show source text
1806 A .3.1 Combined resistance. The total resistance to lateral loads shall be permitted to be determined by combining the values derived from the lateral bearing pressure and the lateral sliding resistance specified in Table 1806 A .2.
1806 A .3.2 Lateral sliding resistance limit. For clay, sandy clay, silty clay, clayey silt, silt and sandy silt, the lateral sliding resistance shall not exceed one-half the dead load.
1806 A .3.3 Increase for depth. The lateral bearing pressures specified in Table 1806 A .2 shall be permitted to be increased by the tabular value for each additional foot (305 mm) of depth to a value that is not greater than 15 times the tabular value.
1806 A .3.4 Increase for poles. Isolated poles for uses such as flagpoles or signs and poles used to support buildings that are not adversely affected by a [1] / 2 -inch (12.7 mm) motion at the ground surface due to short-term lateral loads shall be permitted to be designed using lateral bearing pressures equal to two times the tabular values.
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SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
SECTION 1807 A —FOUNDATION WALLS, RETAINING WALLS AND EMBEDDED POSTS AND POLES
1807 A .1 Foundation walls. Foundation walls shall be designed and constructed in accordance with Sections 1807 A .1.1 through 1807 A .1.6. Foundation walls shall be supported by foundations designed in accordance with Section 1808 A .
1807 A .1.1 Design lateral soil loads. Foundation walls shall be designed for the lateral soil loads determined by a geotechnical investigation, in accordance with Section 1803A.
1807 A .1.2 Unbalanced backfill height. Unbalanced backfill height is the difference in height between the exterior finish ground level and the lower of the top of the concrete footing that supports the foundation wall or the interior finish ground level. Where an interior concrete slab on grade is provided and is in contact with the interior surface of the foundation wall, the unbalanced backfill height shall be permitted to be measured from the exterior finish ground level to the top of the interior concrete slab.
1807 A .1.3 Rubble stone foundation walls. Not permitted by DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC or OSHPD.
1807 A .1.4 Permanent wood foundation systems. Not permitted by DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC or OSHPD.
1807 A .1.5 Concrete and masonry foundation walls. Concrete and masonry foundation walls shall be designed in accordance with Chapter 19 A or 21 A, as applicable.
1807 A .2 Retaining walls. Retaining walls shall be designed in accordance with Sections 1807 A .2.1 through 1807 A .2.4.
CRC § 1807.1.2. High relevance — show source text
For height of unbalanced backfill, see Section 1807.1.2.
e. Where unbalanced backfill height exceeds 8 feet and design lateral soil loads from Table 1610.1 are used, the requirements for 30 and 45 psf per foot of depth are not applica-
ble. See Section 1610.|For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 pound per square foot per foot = 0.157 kPa/m.
a. For design lateral soil loads, see Section 1610.
b. Provisions for this table are based on design and construction requirements specified in Section 1807.1.6.3.
c. For alternative reinforcement, see Section 1807.1.6.3.1.
d. For height of unbalanced backfill, see Section 1807.1.2.
e. Where unbalanced backfill height exceeds 8 feet and design lateral soil loads from Table 1610.1 are used, the requirements for 30 and 45 psf per foot of depth are not applica-
ble. See Section 1610.|1807.1.6.3.1 Alternative foundation wall reinforcement. In lieu of the reinforcement provisions for masonry foundation walls in Table 1807.1.6.3(2), 1807.1.6.3(3) or 1807.1.6.3(4), alternative reinforcing bar sizes and spacings having an equivalent cross-sectional area of reinforcement per linear foot (mm) of wall shall be permitted to be used, provided that the spacing of reinforcement does not exceed 72 inches (1829 mm) and reinforcing bar sizes do not exceed No. 11.
1807.1.6.3.2 Seismic requirements. Based on the seismic design category assigned to the structure in accordance with Section 1613, masonry foundation walls designed using Tables 1807.2.5.
- Seismic Design Categories A and B. No additional seismic requirements.
- Seismic Design Category C. A design using Tables 1807.1.6.3(1) through 1807.1.6.3(4) is subject to the seismic requirements of Section 7.4.3 of TMS 402.
- Seismic Design Category D. A design using Tables 1807.1.6.3(2) through 1807.1.6.3(4) is subject to the seismic requirements of Section 7.4.4 of TMS 402.
- Seismic Design Categories E and F. A design using Tables 1807.1.6.3(2) through 1807.1.6.3(4) is subject to the seismic requirements of Section 7.4.5 of TMS 402.
1807.2 Retaining walls. Retaining walls shall be designed in accordance with Sections 1807.2.1 through 1807.2.4.
1807.2.1 General. Retaining walls shall be designed to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift.
Frequently asked questions
When does a retaining wall require an engineered design?
Retaining walls that are not laterally supported at the top and that retain more than 48 inches of unbalanced fill, or retaining walls over 24 inches that resist additional lateral loads, must be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice (see § R404.4).
What safety factor and geotechnical input apply to retaining walls?
Retaining walls must be designed for stability with a minimum safety factor of 1.5 for sliding and overturning (1.1 where earthquake loads are included per the exception), and lateral soil loads should be based on geotechnical investigation guidance (see CBC § 1807 / 1807A).
Where are drainage and waterproofing requirements for foundations?
Foundation drainage and dampproofing/waterproofing requirements are in § R405 (Foundation Drainage) and § R406 (Foundation Waterproofing and Dampproofing); drains are required around concrete or masonry foundations that retain earth and enclose habitable or usable spaces below grade.
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