Title 16 - Buildings and Construction

16.310 Residential Code

16.310.R319.1

Section R319.1 of the 2024 International Residential Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

R319.1 Emergency escape and rescue opening required. Basements, habitable attics, the room to which a sleeping loft is open, and every sleeping room shall have not less than one operable emergency escape and rescue opening. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, an emergency escape and rescue opening shall be required in each sleeping room. Emergency escape and rescue openings shall open directly into a public way, or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

Exceptions:

1.

Basements used only to house mechanical equipment not exceeding a total floor area of 200 square feet (18.58 m2).
2.

Storm shelters constructed in accordance with ICC 500.
3.

Where the dwelling unit or townhouse unit is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section P2904, sleeping rooms in basements shall not be required to have emergency escape and rescue openings provided that the basement has one of the following:

3.1. One means of egress complying with Section R318 and one emergency escape and rescue opening.

3.2. Two means of egress complying with Section R318.

4.

A yard shall not be required to open directly into a public way where the yard opens to an unobstructed path from the yard to the public way. Such path shall have a width of not less than 36 inches (914 mm).
5.

Dwellings for which the building permit for the initial construction of that dwelling was issued prior to January 1, 2001, are exempt from the above requirement for subsequent basement remodels; provided, however, that exemption shall only apply if the basement has not been expanded subsequent to January 1, 2001, or that basement does not at any time contain any sleeping areas. Conversion of any habitable area to a sleeping area at any time will trigger the emergency escape and rescue requirements set forth above. All currently existing openings that provide for emergency escape and rescue, regardless of whether or not they comply with the above escape and rescue requirements, cannot be removed or altered without bringing the basement into full compliance with the minimum requirements of this Section, regardless of when building permits for the dwelling were issued.

(History: Ord. No. BC-3513, §28, 2026; Ord. No. BC-3286 §56, 2020; Ord. No. BC-2936 §39, 2012; Ord. No. BC-2635 §59, 2007; Ord. No. BC-2459 §41,2004; Ord. No. BC-2341 §1, 2002)

Effective on: 1/1/1901