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Chapter 8 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 2

2025 California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-29 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

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About this chapter: Like Chapter 7, the purpose of this chapter is to provide detailed requirements and provisions to identify the required improvements in the existing building elements, building spaces and building structural system when a building is being altered. This chapter is distinguished from Chapters 7 and 9 by involving space reconfiguration that could be up to and including 50 percent of the area of the building. In contrast, Level 1 alterations (Chapter 7) do not involve space reconfiguration, and Level 3 alterations (Chapter 9) involve extensive space reconfiguration that exceeds 50 percent of the building area. Depending on the nature of alteration work, its location within the building, and whether it encompasses one or more tenants, improvements and upgrades could be required for the open floor penetrations, sprinkler system or the installation of additional means of egress such as stairs or fire escapes.

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▸ Contents — 2025 California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10)
2025 California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10)
  1. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS
  4. Chapter 3A — PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS
  5. Chapter 4 — REPAIRS
  6. Chapter 4A — REPAIRS
  7. Chapter 5 — PRESCRIPTIVE COMPLIANCE METHOD
  8. Chapter 5A — PRESCRIPTIVE COMPLIANCE METHOD
  9. Chapter 6 — CLASSIFICATION OF WORK
  10. Chapter 7 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 1
  11. ▸ Chapter 8 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 2
    Overview
    1. Section 801 — GENERAL
    2. Section 802 — BUILDING ELEMENTS AND MATERIALS
    3. Section 803 — FIRE PROTECTION
    4. Section 804 — MEANS OF EGRESS
    5. Section 805 — STRUCTURAL
    6. Section 806 — ELECTRICAL
    7. Section 807 — MECHANICAL
    8. Section 808 — RESERVED
    9. Section 809 — ENERGY CONSERVATION
  12. Chapter 9 — ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 3
  13. Chapter 10 — CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY
  14. Chapter 11 — ADDITIONS
  15. Chapter 12 — HISTORIC BUILDINGS
  16. Chapter 13 — PERFORMANCE COMPLIANCE METHODS
  17. Chapter 14 — RELOCATED OR MOVED BUILDINGS
  18. Chapter 15 — CONSTRUCTION SAFEGUARDS
  19. Chapter 16 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  20. Appendix A — GUIDELINES FOR THE SEISMIC RETROFIT OF EXISTING B…
  21. Appendix B — SUPPLEMENTARY ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR EXIS…
  22. Appendix C — GUIDELINES FOR THE WIND RETROFIT OF EXISTING BUIL…
  23. Appendix D — BOARD OF APPEALS
  24. Appendix E — TEMPORARY EMERGENCY USES
  25. Appendix A — GUIDELINES ON FIRE RATINGS OF ARCHAIC MATERIALS A…

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