ADOPTION OF 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING
STANDRADS CODE
Triennial Code Adoption Cycle
Item 10-A
September 30, 2025
Item 10-A
September 30, 2025
2 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE
• The 2025 California Building Standards Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24) has been published on July 1, 2025, with an effective date of January 1, 2026
• Building standard is a regulation governing the design and construction of a building
• Title 24 provisions are the minimum standards, thus local amendments must be equivalent or more restrictive, but not less restrictive. Health and Safety Code (HSC), Sections, 17958.5, 17958.7(a), and 18941.5(b) Item 10-A
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3 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE
State laws authorize local governments to enact ordinances making building standards amendments to the California Building Standards Code (Cal. Code of Regs., Title 24) that are reasonably necessary based on one or more of the following local conditions:
• Climatic
• Topographical
• Geological
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Item 10-A
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4 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE • The 2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24) includes the following: • Title 24, Part 1: 2025 California Administrative Code • Title 24, Part 2: 2025 California Building Code • Title 24, Part 2.5: 2025 California Residential Code • Title 24, Part 3: 2025 California Electrical Code • Title 24, Part 4: 2025 California Mechanical Code • Title 24, Part 5: 2025 California Plumbing Code • Title 24, Part 6: 2025 California Energy Code • Title 24, Part 7: 2025 Wildland-Urban Interface Code • Title 24, Part 8: 2025 California Historical Building Code • Title 24, Part 9: 2025 California Fire Code • Title 24, Part 10: 2025 California Existing Building Code • Title 24, Part 11: 2025 California Green Building Standards Code Item 10-A
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5 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE
• A local government may adopt Title 24 by reference in their jurisdiction’s ordinances.
• Even if a local government does not adopt Title 24 by ordinance, Title 24 becomes the applicable code for all building
occupancies by default. (HSC Sections 17950,17958 and
18938(b), and in CBC, Chapter 1, Division 1, Section 1.1.3) • Amendments to Title 24 are neither effective nor operative until filed with California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) Item 10-A
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6 Santa Monica Municipal Code Sections Adopting Parts of 2025 CA Standards Code by Reference
Chapter 8.08 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Chapter 8.12 BUILDING CODE
Chapter 8.18 EXISTING BUILDING CODE
Chapter 8.20 HISTORICAL BUILDING CODE
Chapter 8.22 RESIDENTIAL CODE
Chapter 8.24 ELECTRICAL CODE
Chapter 8.28 MECHANICAL CODE
Chapter 8.32 PLUMBING CODE
Chapter 8.36 ENERGY CODE
Chapter 8.39 Wildland-Urban Interface Code
Chapter 8.40 FIRE CODE
Chapter 8.106 GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS CODE
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7 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE
• On June 30, 2025, AB 130 was signed into law which amended various code provisions regulating local amendments to the California Building Standards Code • Under AB 130, and commencing from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, a city shall not make changes that are applicable to residential units unless one of the following conditions is met:
1) The changes or modifications are substantially equivalent to changes or modifications that were previously filed by the governing body of the city or county and were in effect as of September 30, 2025. 2) The California Building Standards Commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. 3) The changes or modifications relate to home hardening. 4) The building standards relate to home hardening and are proposed for a fire protection district pursuant to Section 13869.7.
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Model Codes State Agency
Amendments
Publication of
California Building
Standards Code
July 1, 2025
City of Santa Monica
Local Amendments &
AB 130
BFLS Commission
September 10, 2025
Staff Recommendation to
the Council
September 30, 2025
Adoption of
Ordinance
Adoption of
Resolution
File Amendments with
CA Building Standards
Commission
Prior to December 31,
2025
2025 California Building
Standards Code with the
City Amendments
becomes effective on
January 1, 2026
Local Jurisdictions shall Adopt CA Building Standards Codes 180 Days After Publication
• H&SC 17958 (State Housing Law) • H&SC 18941.5 (Building Standards Law) • H&SC 13869 (Fire Protection Districts) 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE ADOPTION PROCESS
Item 10-A
September 30, 2025
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9 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE – LOCAL AMENDMENTS •Consistent with Council direction given at its
September 9, 2025, meeting, the City’s building and
fire code definitions for high-rise buildings will
become consistent with the Statewide high-rise
definition as set forth in Health & Safety Code
13210(b), as well as proposed new local
amendments related to home hardening and fire
safety.
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10 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE – LOCAL AMENDMENTS • Adopting new Wildland-Urban Interface Code by reference • Buildings and structures located in the following areas shall maintain the required hazardous vegetation and fuel management: • All unincorporated lands designated as a State Responsibility Area (SRA). • Land designated as a High and/or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by a city or local agency. • Land designated in a city or local agency ordinance as a wildland-urban interface (WUI) area.
SMMC Section 8.39 Wildland-Urban Interface Code
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11 SANTA MONICA FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES
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12 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDRADS CODE
Staff Recommendations:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Introduce for first reading the attached ordinance to adopt the 2025 California Building Standards Code and local amendments;
3. Adopt the attached resolution making findings of local climatic, geological and topographical conditions, as required; and
4. Instruct staff to file the adopted resolution and ordinance with the California Building Standards Commission following the second reading of the ordinance, but at least 30 days before the effective date of the Codes.
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13 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDRADS CODE
QUESTIONS?
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