What is Title 24?

Title 24 is the California Building Standards Code.   According to the California Building Standards Commission's website it is a compilation of three different types of building criteria from three different sources which include the following:

• Building standards that have been adopted by state agencies without change from building standards contained in national model codes;
• Building standards that have been adopted and adapted from the national model code standards to meet California conditions; and
• Building standards, authorized by the California legislature, that constitute extensive additions not covered by the model codes that have been adopted to address particular California concerns

Title 24 applies basically to all occupancies in California except for modifications adopted by state agencies and local governing bodies.  Thus all builders, contractors and architects need to be familiar with Title 24 to ensure that any kind of work or addition to a building is done in accordance with California's Building Code.