Every 3 years the California Building Standards Code (CBC) is updated to ensure the health and safety for California residents. It was updated with all the local amendments in 2016 and became effective on the 1st of January 2017. Chapter 7A of the 2016 CBC lays out all the requirements for California. Local and town regulations can have additional requirements for the area.

The 2016 California Building Code and/or California Residential Code is adopted by Planning and Development Services in every County or as each municipal has amended it. The Standard is the fire-resistive construction requirements for Wildland-Urban Interface areas. Other details will vary, for example for a Patio Cover or Carport in the County of San Diego it is required to be constructed from Douglas-fir – Larch #2 or better.

2016 HIGH FIRE REQUIREMENTS CBC Chapter 7A – CRC

1. Under the floor protection

The underside of a floor projection, cantilevered or overhanging appendage shall maintain the ignition-resistant integrity of exterior walls or shall be enclosed to grade in accordance with 704A.3, except heavy timber or where the underside of all exposed floors, exposed structural columns, beams and supporting walls are protected as required with ignition-resistant material construction.

2. Decking

Any decking that is within 10 feet of the principal structure, all construction of balconies, porches, risers, stair treads, deck landings and surfaces shall comply with one of the following:

a) ignition resistant

b) heavy timber

c) fire retardant treated wood

d) non-combustible material

NOTE: the use of coatings, paints, stains, or other treatments of surfaces can not be used to satisfy these requirements.

3. Under the floor protection

Refer to 1.

4. Under the floor protection

Refer to 1.

5. Accessory Structures

When detached from the main building the structure can be constructed of any material allowed by the code. Heavy Timber meets the California Ignition Resistant Standards. Heavy Timber is the smallest minimum nominal dimension of 4 inches. There are situations when special permission is needed that is not fire related. For example, where a neighborhood requires that all accessory structures be built from the same material as the home is. For this reason, The California Ignition Resistant Standard says “that is allowed by code.”

Understanding Building Construction Types
To identify buildings most likely to fail under a rapid-fire condition, firefighters and particularly ladder-crews, classify buildings into five categories of Types I – Type V.

Type I is a fire-resistive building built from non-combustible materials such as steel structure and concrete. Type I is also easy to identify usually by the height alone. These are mostly high-rises that are more than 75 feet in height. Some agencies define it for buildings between 35 and 55 feet tall.

Type II is typically newer construction, commercial structures and remodels. The roofs structured from metal covered with non-combustible materials such as lightweight concrete or foam, and the walls being reinforced masonry or tilt slab.

Type III can be new or old construction, a brick-and-joist structure, typically a concrete block structure with the framework, floor trusses, and roof built with wood and other combustible material.

Type IV is a Heavy Timber construction wherein the exterior walls are formed of noncombustible materials while the interior elements of the building are solid or laminated wood that is not in concealed spaces. Type IV holds up well under fire conditions.

Type V is the most common type of construction found in modern homes, the walls and roof are combustible materials, such as Oriented Strand Board. They are lightweight with wood framed and truss system. The roofs are made using asphalt or ceramic tile.