Significant Code Changes:: 2007 California Building Code (CBC), California Electric Code (CEC), California Mechanical Code (CMC), California Plumbing Code (CPC) Changes – Effective January 1st, 2008. Changes which will affect builders and homeowners:
- Major changes in structural design requirements, fire wall design, and area and size limitations.
- Under floor cripple wall studs of greater than 14” are now considered an additional story.
- Santa Cruz County appears to be in seismic design “Category D and E”. This will limit non-engineered conventional construction homes to 1 story when cripple wall stud heights are greater than 14”.
- Several new limitations have been placed upon the “conventional light frame construction” provisions currently allowed in the Chapter 23 of the California Building Code. Braced wall panel lengths have significantly increased, and will result in long walls without windows, which will be unattractive. This limitation precludes the use of conventional light frame construction and will require design of the entire structure by an architect or engineer licensed to practice in the State of California.
- To prevent ignition from exposure to wildfire, all new structures, with a few exceptions, located in a mapped State Responsibility Area, and Local Responsibility areas adopted by the Board, will be required to have ignition resistant exteriors. Materials that are non-combustible such as stucco and cement based siding will be accepted and eave overhangs will have to be boxed in and vegetation clearances maintained.
- The fire separation distance from the property line for single family dwellings and duplexes will be increased from three feet to five feet. This means construction closer than five feet will require fire resistive wall construction. This should not impact our community significantly because zoning rules has required a minimum of five feet distance to property lines for a long time.
- Soils investigations will be required for all projects with some exceptions for small additions.
- Trusses shall not span more than 40 feet between vertical supports (previously no limitation).
- Guardrails at landings, decks, or floors are no longer allowed to be 36” high, and must be “42 minimum. This includes single family homes.
- Townhouse construction will change. Adjacent townhouse units shall each have a fire-resistance-rated wall assembly separating the units. This means two separate walls. There is an exception for one two-hour wall instead of two one-hour walls.
- The minimum tread width of residential stairs will be 10”. This will make the total length of stairways longer.
- Standard anchor bolt washers have again been increased in size from the current 2”x 2” x 3/16” to 3”x 3” x 3/16”.
- The adoption of the California Fire Code is also effective January 1, 2008. Local amendments include criteria for adding fire sprinklers in existing homes when room additions greater than 500 sq/ft increase the size of your home by more than 50%.
Note: There are many changes in the new codes, and it is everyone’s responsibility to learn them. The items noted above are some of the more significant changes- but this is based on our initial analysis of the new codes compared to those in effect today. Our assessment may change as we continue to learn the complexities of the new code requirements.
For training opportunities on the new codes please go to the website for the California Building Officials http://www.calbo.org/.
Jennifer Hutchinson
Chief Building Official
County of Santa Cruz Planning Department |
