Skip to content

Chapter 3 — BUILDING PLANNING

Section R317 — GARAGES AND CARPORTS

2025 California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-29 · California

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

R317.1 Floor surface. Garage floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible material.

The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

R317.2 Carports.

Carports shall be open on not less than two sides. Carport floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible material. Carports not open on two or more sides shall be considered to be a garage and shall comply with the provisions of this section for garages.

The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

Exception: Asphalt surfaces shall be permitted at ground level in carports.

R317.3 Flood hazard areas.

Garages and carports located in flood hazard areas as established by Table R301.2 shall be constructed in accordance with Section R306.

R317.4 Automatic garage door openers.

Automatic garage door openers, if provided, shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 325 and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions. See Health and Safety Code Sections 19890, 19891 and 19892 for additional provisions for residential garage door openers.

R317.5 Fire sprinklers location on property .

Private garages shall be protected by fire sprinklers where the garage wall has been designed based on Table R302.1(2), Note a. Sprinklers in garages shall be connected to an automatic sprinkler system that complies with Section R309 . Garage sprinklers shall be residential sprinklers or quick-response sprinklers, designed to provide a density of 0.05 gpm/ft [2] . Garage doors shall not be considered obstructions with respect to sprinkler placement.

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

BUILDING PLANNING

R3017.5.1 Fire sprinklers, attached garages and carports with habitable space above. Attached garages and carports with habit- able space above shall be protected by fire sprinklers in accordance with this section and Section R313. Protection shall be provided in accordance with one of the following: 1. Residential sprinklers installed in accordance with their listing. 2. Extended coverage sprinklers discharging water not less than their listed flow rate for Light Hazard in accordance with NFPA 13. 3. Quick-response spray sprinklers at light hazard spacing in accordance with NFPA 13 designed to discharge at 0.05 gpm/ft [2]

density (minimum).

The system demand shall be permitted to be limited to the number of sprinklers in the compartment but shall not exceed two sprin- klers for hydraulic calculation purposes. Garage doors shall not be considered obstructions and shall be permitted to be ignored for placement and calculation of sprinklers.

Exception: An automatic residential fire sprinkler system shall not be required when additions or alterations are made to existing carports and/or garages that do not have an automatic residential fire sprinkler system installed in accordance with this section.

R317.6 Electric vehicle (EV) charging systems.

Newly constructed one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses with attached private garages shall comply with EV charging requirements in accordance with the California Green Building Standards Code.

R317.7 Automotive Lifts.

Where provided, automotive lifts shall be listed and labeled in accordance with ANSI/ALI ALCTV.

R317.7.1 Installation. Automotive lifts shall be installed in accordance with ANSI/ALI ALCTV, the listing and the lift manufacturer’s installation instructions. Automotive lifts shall not be installed within the habitable space of a dwelling unit.

R317.8 Extension garage door springs.

Every extension garage door spring sold or offered for sale, whether new or sold as a replace- ment, or installed in any garage or carport which is accessory to a dwelling covered by this code, shall conform to the requirements for garage door springs located in Section 1210 of the California Building Code.

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
▸ Contents — 2025 California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5)
2025 California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5)
  1. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. ▸ Chapter 3 — BUILDING PLANNING
    Overview
    1. Section R300 — SITE DRAINAGE
    2. Section R301 — DESIGN CRITERIA
    3. Section R302 — FIRE-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
    4. Section R303 — FOAM PLASTIC
    5. Section R304 — PROTECTION OF WOOD AND WOOD-BASED PRODUCTS AGAI…
    6. Section R305 — PROTECTION AGAINST SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES
    7. Section R306 — FLOOD-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
    8. Section R307 — STORM SHELTERS
    9. Section R308 — SITE ADDRESS
    10. Section R309 — AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS
    11. Section R310 — SMOKE ALARMS
    12. Section R311 — CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS
    13. Section R312 — MINIMUM ROOM AREAS
    14. Section R313 — CEILING HEIGHT
    15. Section R314 — MEZZANINES
    16. Section R315 — SLEEPING LOFTS
    17. Section R316 — HABITABLE ATTICS
    18. Section R317 — GARAGES AND CARPORTS
    19. Section R318 — MEANS OF EGRESS
    20. Section R319 — EMERGENCY ESCAPE AND RESCUE OPENINGS
    21. Section R320 — HANDRAILS
    22. Section R321 — GUARDS AND WINDOW FALL PROTECTION
    23. Section R322 — ACCESSIBILITY
    24. Section R323 — ELEVATORS AND PLATFORM LIFTS
    25. Section R324 — GLAZING
    26. Section R325 — LIGHT, VENTILATION AND HEATING
    27. Section R326 — SANITATION
    28. Section R327 — TOILET, BATH AND SHOWER SPACES
    29. Section R328 — AGING-IN-PLACE DESIGN AND FALL PREVENTION
    30. Section R329 — SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
    31. Section R330 — ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS
    32. Section R331 — STATIONARY ENGINE GENERATORS
    33. Section R332 — STATIONARY FUEL CELL POWER SYSTEMS
    34. Section R333 — RESERVED
    35. Section R334 — CONSTRUCTION WASTE REDUCTION, DISPOSAL AND RECY…
    36. Section R335 — SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR LICENSED 24-HOUR CARE FA…
    37. Section R336 — LARGE FAMILY DAY-CARE HOMES
    38. Section R337 — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR…
    39. Section R338 — ELECTRIC VEHICLE
    40. Section 339 — RESERVED
    41. Section R340 — POLLUTANT CONTROL
  4. Chapter 4 — FOUNDATIONS
  5. Chapter 5 — FLOORS
  6. Chapter 6 — WALL CONSTRUCTION
  7. Chapter 7 — WALL COVERING
  8. Chapter 8 — ROOF-CEILING CONSTRUCTION
  9. Chapter 9 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES
  10. Chapter 10 — CHIMNEYS AND FIREPLACES
  11. Chapter 44 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  12. Appendix AA — BOARD OF APPEALS
  13. Appendix AB — PERMIT FEES
  14. Appendix AC — RESERVED
  15. Appendix BA — RESERVED
  16. Appendix BB — TINY HOUSES
  17. Appendix BC — RESERVED
  18. Appendix BD — RESERVED
  19. Appendix BE — RADON CONTROL METHODS
  20. Appendix BF — PATIO COVERS
  21. Appendix BG — SOUND TRANSMISSION
  22. Appendix BH — AUTOMATIC VEHICULAR GATES
  23. Appendix BI — LIGHT STRAW-CLAY CONSTRUCTION
  24. Appendix BJ — STRAWBALE CONSTRUCTION
  25. Appendix BK — COB CONSTRUCTION (MONOLITHIC ADOBE)
  26. Appendix BL — HEMP-LIME (HEMPCRETE) CONSTRUCTION
  27. Appendix BM — 3D-PRINTED BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
  28. Appendix BN — EXTENDED PLATE WALL CONSTRUCTION
  29. Appendix BO — EXISTING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
  30. Appendix CA — RESERVED
  31. Appendix CB — RESERVED
  32. Appendix CC — RESERVED
  33. Appendix CD — RESERVED
  34. Appendix CE — RESERVED
  35. Appendix CF — RESERVED
  36. Appendix CG — NONSEWERED SANITATION SYSTEMS
  37. Appendix CH — PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL
  38. Appendix CI — SWIMMING POOL SAFETY ACT
  39. Appendix CJ — EMERGENCY HOUSING
  40. Appendix CK — AREAS PROTECTED BY THE FACILITIES OF THE CENTRAL…

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.