Home›Knowledge›IBC 1015.1 — Exit and Exit Access Doorways Required

📋 CodecodesMeans of Egress

IBC 1015.1 — Exit and Exit Access Doorways Required

Updated Mar 24, 2026

Two exits or exit access doorways required from any space where occupant load exceeds the table values. Spaces with occupant load exceeding 500 require a minimum of 3 exits. Spaces exceeding 1,000 require 4 exits.

Two exits or exit access doorways from any space shall be provided where the occupant load exceeds the values in Table 1006.2.1 (typically 49 for most occupancies). Three exits or exit access doorways shall be provided from any space with an occupant load of 501 to 1,000. Four exits or exit access doorways shall be provided from any space with an occupant load greater than 1,000. This is the foundational egress requirement that drives floor plan design for virtually every commercial building.

TAGS

egress exits doors occupant-load ibc-chapter-10

DETAILS

chapter

10 - Means of Egress

severity

life_safety

code year

2024

code system

IBC

building types

["commercial_office","retail","restaurant","school","hospital"]

section number

1015.1

RELATED KNOWLEDGE

IBC 903.2.1 — Group A Occupancies (Sprinkler Requirements)

Automatic sprinkler system required throughout buildings with Group A occupancy where fire area exceeds 5,000 square feet, or overall building area exceeds 12,000 square feet, or occupant load of the fire area exceeds 300.

IBC 903.2.7 — Group M Occupancies (Retail Sprinkler Requirements)

Automatic sprinkler system required in Group M (mercantile) occupancies where fire area exceeds 12,000 square feet or building is more than three stories above grade.

IBC 903.2.11.3 — Buildings 55 Feet or More in Height

Automatic sprinkler system required throughout buildings with a floor level having an occupant load of 30 or more that is located 55 feet or more above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.

IBC 1017.2 — Exit Access Travel Distance

Maximum travel distance from any point in a building to an exit shall not exceed 200 feet unsprinklered or 250 feet sprinklered for most occupancies. Specific occupancies have modified limits.

IBC Table 601 — Fire-Resistance Rating Requirements

Specifies minimum fire-resistance ratings for structural elements based on construction type (Type I through V). Type IA requires 3-hour rated structural frame, 2-hour floors, and 1.5-hour roof.

IBC 1607.1 — Live Loads Required (Table 1607.1)

Minimum uniformly distributed live loads for floors: offices 50 psf, retail first floor 100 psf, residential 40 psf, corridors above first floor 80 psf, light storage 125 psf, heavy storage 250 psf.

← Back to Knowledge Garden