Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
Section 1106A — SITE AND BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS
2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-29 · California
Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.
1106A.1 General. ¶
Covered multifamily dwellings with elevators shall be designed and constructed to provide at least one accessible entrance on an accessible route, regardless of terrain or unusual characteristics of the site. Covered multifamily dwellings without eleva- tors shall be designed and constructed to provide at least one accessible entrance on an accessible route unless terrain or unusual characteristics of the site prevent an accessible route based on the conditions listed below: 1. Accessible entrance. Regardless of site considerations described in Section 1150A, an accessible entrance on an accessible route is required when there is an elevator connecting the parking area with the dwelling units on a ground floor. (In this case, those dwelling units on the ground floor served by an elevator and at least one of each type of public- and common-use areas, would be subject to these requirements.) 2. Elevator building. When a building elevator or elevators are provided as a means of access to dwelling units other than dwell- ing units on a ground floor (see Section 1104A.2), the building is an elevator building. All dwelling units become covered multifamily dwellings in that building. The elevator in that building must provide accessibility to all dwelling units in the build- ing, regardless of the slope of the natural terrain. For multistory dwelling units in buildings with one or more elevators, see Section 1102A.3.2.
Note: Where a building elevator is provided only as means of creating an accessible route to covered multifamily dwelling units on a ground floor, the building is not considered to be an elevator building, only dwelling units located on the ground floor shall be required to comply with this chapter. 3. Elevated walkway. When an elevated walkway is planned between a building entrance and a vehicular or pedestrian arrival point and the planned walkway has a slope no greater than 10 percent (1 unit vertical in 10 units horizontal), the floor being served by the elevated walkway becomes a ground floor and accessibility to all dwellings on that ground floor is required.
Note: Since the planned walkway meets the 10 percent slope criterion, it is required to provide an accessible route to the entrance and the slope of the walkway must be reduced to 1 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (8.33 percent slope) maximum.
1106A.2 Site impracticality. ¶
For tests to determine site impracticality due to terrain considerations in nonelevator buildings, see Section 1150A.
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Ask AI about this code▸ Contents — 2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
- Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
- Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
- Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
- Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
- Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
- Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
- Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR W…
- Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
- Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
- Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
- Chapter 11 — RESERVED
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▸ Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
Overview- Section 1101A — APPLICATION
- Section 1102A — BUILDING ACCESSIBILITY
- Section 1103A — DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
- Section 1104A — COVERED MULTIFAMILY DWELLINGS
- Section 1105A — GARAGES, CARPORTS AND PARKING FACILITIES
- Section 1106A — SITE AND BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS
- Section 1107A — DEFINITIONS
- Section 1108A — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSIBLE PARKING AN…
- Section 1109A — PARKING FACILITIES
- Section 1110A — EXTERIOR ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1111A — CHANGES IN LEVEL ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1112A — CURB RAMPS ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1113A — WALKS AND SIDEWALKS ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1114A — EXTERIOR RAMPS AND LANDINGS ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1115A — EXTERIOR STAIRWAYS
- Section 1116A — HAZARDS ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1117A — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCES,…
- Section 1118A — EGRESS AND AREAS OF REFUGE
- Section 1119A — INTERIOR ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1120A — RESERVED
- Section 1121A — CHANGES IN LEVEL ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1122A — INTERIOR RAMPS AND LANDINGS ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1123A — INTERIOR STAIRWAYS
- Section 1124A — ELEVATORS AND PLATFORM (WHEELCHAIR) LIFTS
- Section 1125A — HAZARDS ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1126A — DOORS, GATES AND WINDOWS
- Section 1127A — COMMON USE FACILITIES
- Section 1128A — COVERED DWELLING UNITS
- Section 1129A — RESERVED
- Section 1130A — ACCESSIBLE ROUTE WITHIN COVERED MULTIFAMILY DW…
- Section 1131A — CHANGES IN LEVEL ON ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
- Section 1132A — DOORS
- Section 1133A — KITCHENS
- Section 1134A — BATHING AND TOILET FACILITIES
- Section 1135A — LAUNDRY ROOMS
- Section 1136A — ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE, SWITCH AND CONTROL HEIG…
- Section 1137A — OTHER FEATURES AND FACILITIES
- Section 1138A — SPACE ALLOWANCES AND REACH RANGES
- Section 1139A — ACCESSIBLE DRINKING FOUNTAINS
- Section 1140A — ACCESSIBLE TELEPHONES
- Section 1141A — ACCESSIBLE SWIMMING POOLS
- Section 1142A — ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE, SWITCH AND CONTROL HEIG…
- Section 1143A — SIGNAGE
- Section 1144A — RESERVED
- Section 1145A — RESERVED
- Section 1146A — RESERVED
- Section 1147A — RESERVED
- Section 1148A — RESERVED
- Section 1149A — RESERVED
- Section 1150A — SITE IMPRACTICALITY TESTS
- Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
- Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
- Chapter 13 — ENERGY EFFICIENCY
- Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
- Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
- Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
- Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
- Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
- Chapter 17A — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
- Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
- Chapter 18A — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
- Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
- Chapter 19A — CONCRETE
- Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
- Chapter 21 — MASONRY
- Chapter 21A — MASONRY
- Chapter 22 — STEEL
- Chapter 22A — STEEL
- Chapter 23 — WOOD
- Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
- Chapter 25 — GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
- Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
- Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
- Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
- Chapter 29 — PLUMBING SYSTEMS
- Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
- Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 31A — SYSTEMS FOR WINDOW CLEANING OR EXTERIOR BUILDING…
- Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
- Chapter 31C — RADIATION
- Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
- Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
- Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
- Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
- Chapter 34 — RESERVED
- Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
- Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
- Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
- Appendix C — GROUP U—AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
- Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
- Appendix E — RESERVED
- Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
- Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
- Appendix H — SIGNS
- Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
- Appendix J — GRADING
- Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES PROTECTED B…
- Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING INSTRUMENTATION
- Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED FLOOD HAZARDS
- Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
- Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED APPLICATION
- Appendix P — SLEEPING LOFTS
- Appendix Q — EMERGENCY HOUSING