Accessibility Requirements - Building Plan Check

PURPOSE:
The purpose of the Accessibility Requirements section of the Building Plan Check process is to ensure that barrier-free design is incorporated into all buildings, facilities, site work and other developments to which the code applies and to ensure that they are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.

APPLIES TO:
Those Building Permit Applicants who have any type of building project, other than a privately owned single-family dwelling, are required to submit building plans which graphically represent all of the accessible code requirements into the design.

BUILDING CODE:
The accessibility code sections for the state of California are found in Chapters 11A, 11B and 11C of the 2001 California Building Code(CBC). Please note that Chapter 11 of the Uniform Building Code is not applicable in California.

Note: The Division of the State Architect has published a document titled,"California Access Compliance Reference Manual" which is available to download in PDF format, online at www.dsa.ca.gov (Go to the "Universal Design" heading). This manual is an excellent resource of current (2003) access requirements.

Chapter 11A - Housing Accessibility; applicable to all Covered Multifamily Dwellings, per CBC 101.17.9.1 (HCD 1A/C) - Department of Housing and Community Development, Access Compliance. Including but not limited to the following:

Chapter 11B - Accessibility to Public Buildings, Public Accommodations, Commercial Buildings and Publicly Funded Housing; applicable to all other buildings per CBC 101.17.11 (DSA/AC) - Access Compliance, Division of the State Architect. Including but not limited to the following occupancies:

Chapter 11C - Standards for Card Readers at Gasoline Fuel Dispensing Facilities; applicable through the Access Compliance, Division of the State Architect(DSA/AC).

BUILDING PLAN SUBMITTAL:

PROCEDURE:

1. Determine the occupancy of the building (A, B, E, F, H, I, M, R or S) using Table 3-A of the CBC. Place the building occupancy on the Title sheet of the plans. The Building Official ultimately determines the occupancy of any building. Applicants should initially consult with this department to determine occupancy for their project.

2. Refer to the related occupancy code requirements found in Sections 1104B through 1113B. These sections will inform the designer of specific accessibility criteria for the building's occupancy.

3. Apply any and all code items from 11A or 11B to the building design. For 11B there is a brochure available at the Building Permit Counter called the Facility Accessibility Checklist. This brochure may be useful to designers when preparing building plans because it lists all of the accessibility sections of the 2001 CBC. Every applicable code section regarding accessibility is required to be fully addressed on the plans.

4. If the public/commercial building is new construction, begin with Chapter 11B-Division I-New Buildings and apply the code from each section to the building design. Provide manufacturer's specification sheets for all of the door hardware, plumbing fixtures and trim, signage, flooring, and any other items which have been designed to meet the accessibility code requirements for this project. These specification sheets are to be submitted with the building plans so that they can be included in the plan check process. Firmly attach 8.5X11 copies to the plans, or copy on standard size sheets.

5. Refer to Division II-Site Accessibility and apply all sections to the project design. Provide a complete site plan for the project showing existing conditions and proposed improvements. Include all topographical contours as they relate to the improved areas. Show all existing driveways, pedestrian ways, adjacent streets, public transportation stops, and parking spaces. The proposed accessible exterior routes of travel must be completely detailed and specified including spot elevations and slope percentages. These grades must be fully engineered so that code limitations on slope are not exceeded. Accessible Parking and Path of Travel Verication forms are required for this type of work. Copies of the required forms are available at the Building Permit Counter. One form is the agreement with the owner; the other form is the actual verification, which must be completed by an independent inspector prior to approval by the County Building Inspector. Two signed copies of the agreement form are required for plan check approval.

6. Turn to the code requirements found in Division III-Accessibility for Entrances, Exits and Paths of Travel and apply these codes to the building design. Include any manufacturer's specification sheets for specialized hardware with the plan submittal (see above).

7. If the work being performed is an alteration or an addition to an existing building, refer to Chapter 11B-Division IV-Accessibility for Existing Buildings. If the work is extensive enough, then the designer is required to implement the codes found in previous divisions into the building design. All new construction in existing structures must meet all current accessibility codes. All existing accessibility components of the building must be shown as Existing (E), noted with actual specifications that show how they meet the current code, and noted accordingly with any New (N) modifications that are required to bring the existing condition up to the current code requirements. If, because of unreasonable hardship (1134B.2.1) the applicant decides to request an exception from the Building Official, then the form Documentation of Unreasonable Hardship, which can be obtained from the Building Counter, must be filled out and submitted for review. This form must be accompanied by required documentation of construction costs so that it can be compared to the current valuation threshold.

TYPICAL PROBLEMS:

Many plan submittals seem to generate similar plan check comments and are returned to the designer to be corrected. The following items should be considered during the production phase of the applicant's construction documents:

COMMENTS:

Many times, the designer will specify the absolute limit of tolerance on dimensions, clearances, slopes, and cross slopes. Unfortunately, this leaves no margin for error during the construction phase of the project. It is highly recommended that the designer specify dimensions that are well within the tolerances of the code. For example, ramps should be designed with the least amount of slope possible for a particular range of travel.

It is not the intent of the Building Official to impose or enforce a certain design or style. Instead, the purpose of the design guidelines in the code manual is to serve as the source for accessibility criteria to be used during the selection of the site, the scope of the project, the design programming, and the preliminary design phase.

INFORMATION:

CONTACT: