Exempt Buildings and Structures

Professional Licensing Limitations

Structural Engineers

  • Limitations: No limitations; may design any type of building
  • Applicable Statutes: 6731, 6736, 5537.1 of B & P Codes

Architects

  • Limitations: May design any type of building except: The structural portion of a hospital.
  • Applicable Statutes: 15048 of H & S Code; 5500.1, 6737 of B & P Code

Civil Engineers

  • Limitations: May design any building except: hospitals or schools.
  • Applicable Statutes: 15013 of H & S Code; 5537.5, 6731, 6735 of B & P Code

Unlicensed Persons

  • Limitations: View the Unlicensed Persons: Permitted Work section below.
  • Applicable Statutes: 5537, 5538, 6737.1 of B & P Code

Unlicensed Persons: Permitted Work

Unless the Building Official having jurisdiction deems that an undue risk to the public health, safety or welfare is involved; or affects the structural system or safety of the building; or the design deviates from the substantial compliance with the conventional framing requirements for wood framed construction found in the Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations or Tables of Limitations for wood frame construction and Chapter 23 of the 1997 Uniform Building Code, unlicensed persons may prepare plans, drawings or specifications for the following:

  • Single-family dwellings of wood frame construction not more than two stories and a basement in height
  • Multiple dwellings containing not more than four dwelling units of wood frame construction, not more than two stories and a basement in height (maximum four units per lot)
  • Garages or other structures appurtenant to single family dwellings, of wood frame construction not more than two stories and a basement in height
  • Non-structural interior alterations or additions including the installation of fixtures, cabinetwork, furniture, appliances, or equipment
  • Agricultural and ranch buildings of wood frame construction

Note: Unlicensed persons may not prepare plans for alterations that change or affect any components of the structural system or safety of the building or its occupants.

Professional Design Requirements

Plans prepared for the following works, except as specifically noted above, shall be deemed as affecting the safety of a building or its occupants and shall be stamped and signed by a registered engineer or architect:

  • New buildings, additions to existing buildings
  • Projects with interior or exterior structural alterations
  • Interior alteration with an occupancy change
  • Interior alteration with walls and partitions over 5'9" in height or ceiling work which cover a floor area greater than 3,000 square feet in B, F-1, F-2, S-1, S-2 and M occupancies
  • Storage racks over 8' in height
  • Remodeling projects with changes to 1 hour rated corridors, fire rated occupancy separations, area separation walls
  • Alteration with change to exiting requirements
  • Hazardous occupancies H1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8
  • Assembly occupancies A1, 2, 2.1, 3 and 4
  • Tanks and vessels
  • Machinery and equipment requiring design per table 23-P of UBC
  • Roof mounted mechanical equipment
  • School and day care occupancies E1, E2 and E3
  • Hospital occupancies I1.1, I1.2, I2 and I3
  • Projects with S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4, S-5, S-6 and F-2 occupancies
  • Hotel, motel and apartment occupancies R-1
  • Projects with mixed occupancies
  • Remodeling projects in a high-rise (having floors over 75' in height) building
  • Lateral force resisting systems utilizing poles embedded in the ground
  • Cripple walls exceeding 4' in height or adjacent to garage door openings
  • Any project deemed by Building Official to require professional design by a California Registered Engineer or Architect.

 

Issued June 8, 2006

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