The maximum number of stories of a building shall not exceed the limits specified in Table 504.4.
TABLE 504.4a, b, n
ALLOWABLE NUMBER OF STORIES ABOVE GRADE PLANE
| OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION | TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION | ||||||||||
| SEE FOOTNOTES | TYPE I | TYPE II | TYPE III | TYPE IV | TYPE V | ||||||
| A | B | A | B | A | B | HT | A | B | |||
| A-1 | NS | UL | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| S (without area increase) | UL | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| A-2 | NS | UL | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| S (without area increase) | UL | 12 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| A-3 | NS | UL | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| S (without area increase) | UL | 12 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| A-4 | NS | UL | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| S (without area increase) | UL | 12 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| A-5 | NS | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | |
| S | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | UL | ||
| B | NS | UL | 11 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| S | UL | 12 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | ||
| E | NS | UL | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| S (without area increase) | UL | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||
| F-1 | NS | UL | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| S | UL | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | ||
| F-2 | NS | UL | 11 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| S | UL | 12 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | ||
| H-1 | NSc, d | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | NP | |
| S | |||||||||||
| H-2 | NSc, d | 20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| S | |||||||||||
| H-3 | NSc, d | 20 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| S | |||||||||||
| H-4 | NSc, d | 20 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| S (without area increase) | 20 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | ||
| S (with area increase) | 20 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | ||
| H-5 | NSc, d | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| S | |||||||||||
| I-2/I-2.1j, i | NSd, f | UL | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | NP | 1 | 1 | NP | |
| S (without area increase) | UL | 5 | 3 | ||||||||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 4 | 2 | ||||||||
| I-3 | NSd, e | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | |
| S (without area increase) | UL | 3 | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 2 | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | ||
| I-4 | NSd, g | UL | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| S (without area increase) | UL | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||
| L | NS | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | NP | |
| S | 20 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | ||
| M | NS | UL | 11 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| S | UL | 12 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | ||
| R-1h | NSd | UL | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| S13R | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |||||||
| S (without area increase) | UL | 12 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| R-2h | NSd | UL | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| S13R | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||||||
| S (without area increase) | UL | 12 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | ||
| S (with area increase) | UL | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4o | 2 | ||
| R-2.1h | NSd | UL | 6l | 3k | NP | 3k | NP | NP | 3k | NP | |
| S13R | UL | 4l | 3k | NP | 3k | NP | NP | 3k | NP | ||
| S | UL | 6l | 3k | NP | 3k | NP | NP | 3k | NP | ||
| R-3, R-3.1h | NSd | UL | 11 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
| S13D | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ||
| S13R | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||||
| S | UL | 12 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | ||
| R-4h | NSd | UL | 11l | ||||||||
| S13D | 4 | 4l | 4k | 4m | 4k | 4m | 4m | 3k | 2m | ||
| S13R | 4 | 4l | |||||||||
| S | UL | 11l | |||||||||
| S-1 | NS | UL | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| S | UL | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | ||
| S-2i | NS | UL | 11 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| S | UL | 12 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | ||
| U | NS | UL | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| S | UL | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | ||
Note: UL = Unlimited; NP = Not Permitted; NS = Buildings not equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system; S = Buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1; S13R = Buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.2; S13D = Buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.3.
- See Chapters 4 and 5 for specific exceptions to the allowable height in this chapter.
- See Section 903.2 for the minimum thresholds for protection by an automatic sprinkler system for specific occupancies.
- New Group H occupancies are required to be protected by an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.2.5.
- The NS value is only for use in evaluation of existing building height in accordance with the California Existing Building Code.
- New Group I-3 occupancies are required to be protected by an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.2.6.
- New and existing Group I-2 occupancies are required to be protected by an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.2.6 and Section 1103.5 of the California Fire Code.
- For new Group I-4 occupancies, see Exceptions 2 and 3 of Section 903.2.6.
- New Group R occupancies are required to be protected by an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.2.8.
- See Sections 407.1.1 and 408.1.2 for specific exceptions to construction type, allowable building areas and allowable heights.
- Restraint shall not be permitted in any building except in Group I-3 occupancies constructed for such use (see Section 408.1.2).
- Nonambulatory persons shall be limited to the first 2 stories.
- Nonambulatory persons shall be limited to the first 5 stories.
- Nonambulatory elderly clients are not permitted in buildings of these types of construction. See Sections 435.3.3 and 435.3.4.
- In other than Group A, E, H, I, L, and R occupancies, high-rise buildings, and other applications listed in Section 1.11 regulated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the S increases for height and stories in Tables 504.3 and 504.4 are permitted in addition to the S area increase in accordance with Table 506.2.
- For Group R-2 buildings of Type VA construction equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, S area increase is permitted in addition to the height and story increase provided the height shall not exceed 60 feet and 4 stories.