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Chapter 3 — BUILDING PLANNING

Section R336 — LARGE FAMILY DAY-CARE HOMES

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.

R336.1 Large family day-care homes.

R336.2 Health and Safety Code Section 1597.46.

For purposes of clarification, Health and Safety Code Section 1597.46 is repeated.

1597.46.

(a) A large family day-care home shall abide by all standards, in addition to the requirements of the State Uniform Building Stan- dards Code, that are specifically designed to promote fire and life safety in large family day-care homes. The State Fire Marshal shall adopt separate building standards specifically relating to the subject of fire and life safety in family daycare homes, which shall be published in Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. These standards shall apply uniformly throughout the state and shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (1) The requirement that a large family day-care home contain a fire extinguisher or smoke detector device, or both, that meets child care standards established by the State Fire Marshal. (2) Specification as to the number of required exits from the home. (3) Specification as to the floor or floors on which child care may be provided and the number of required exits on each floor.

(b) A large family day-care home for children shall have one or more carbon monoxide detectors in the facility that meet the stan- dards established in Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 13260) of Part 2 of Division 12. The department shall account for the presence of these detectors during inspections. (c) Enforcement of this section shall be in accordance with Sections 13145 and 13146. A city, county, city and county, or district shall not adopt or enforce a building ordinance or local rule or regulation relating to the subject of fire and life safety in large family day-care homes that is inconsistent with those standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal, except to the extent the building ordinance or local rule or regulation applies to all residences with the same zoning designation in which child care is provided.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 244, Sec. 12. (SB 234) Effective January 1, 2020.)

R336.3 Smoke alarms.

Large family day-care homes shall be equipped with State Fire Marshal approved and listed single station resi- dential type smoke alarms. The number and placement of smoke alarms shall be determined by the enforcement authority.

R336.4 Fire extinguishers.

Large and small family day-care homes shall be equipped with a portable fire extinguisher having a mini- mum 2A10BC rating.

3-82 2025 CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE

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

BUILDING PLANNING

R336.5 Fire alarm devices.

Every large family day-care home shall be provided with at least one manual device at a location approved by the authority having jurisdiction. Such device shall actuate a fire alarm signal, which shall be audible throughout the facility at a mini- mum level of 15 db above ambient noise level. These devices need not be interconnected to any other fire alarm device, have a control panel or be electrically supervised or provided with emergency power. Such device or devices shall be attached to the structure and may be of any type acceptable to the enforcing agent, provided that such devices are distinctive in tone and are audible throughout the structure.

R336.6 Compliance.

Every large family day-care home shall comply with the provisions for Group R-3 occupancies and, if appropriate, Section R336.1. For the purposes of Section R336.1, the first story shall be designated as the floor used for residential occupancy nearest to the street level which provides primary access to the building.

R336.7 Special hazards.

Every unenclosed gas-fired water heater or furnace which is within the area used for child care in a large family day-care home shall be protected in such a way as to prevent children from making contact with those appliances.

Exception: This does not apply to kitchen stoves or ovens.

R336.8 Exiting.

Every story or basement of a large family day-care home shall be provided with two exits which are remotely located from each other. Every required exit shall be of a size to permit the installation of a door not less than 32 inches (813mm) in clear width and not less than 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm) in height. A manually operated horizontal sliding door may be used as one of the two required exits.

Where basements are used for day-care purposes, one of the two required exits shall provide access directly to the exterior without entering the first story. The second exit from the basement may either pass through the story above or exit directly to the exterior.

Rooms used for day-care purposes shall not be located above the first story.

Exception: Buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system throughout and which have at least one of the required exits providing access directly to the exterior. NFPA 13R may be used in large family day-care homes. The sprinkler omissions of NFPA 13R shall not apply unless approved by the enforcing agency.

Exit doors, including manually operated horizontal sliding doors, shall be openable from the inside without use of a key or any special knowledge or effort.

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▸ 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…

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