Planning and Estimating · 4 min read
Scope of Work and Code Compliance
A scope of work states what the contractor will build, with what materials, to what standard, and what is excluded. The estimate, permit, schedule, and inspections are measured against it. In California the work must also satisfy Title 24 and local zoning.
Defining the Scope of Work
A complete scope gives the project description, tasks and deliverables by phase, materials and equipment by specification, acceptance standards, milestones, and exclusions. Ambiguity leads to change orders, cost overruns, and disputes. Scope creep, extra work added without adjusting price or time, is controlled by pricing each change and signing a written change order before the work starts.
The California Building Standards Code (Title 24)
Codes are legally adopted minimum standards protecting health, safety, and welfare. California publishes its own amended codes as Title 24 on a three-year cycle. The CRC covers one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses up to three stories; the CBC covers everything else. Cities and counties enforce Title 24 and may add local amendments based on climatic, geological, or topographical conditions.
| Part | Code |
|---|---|
| 2 | California Building Code (CBC) |
| 2.5 | California Residential Code (CRC) |
| 3 | California Electrical Code (CEC) |
| 4 | California Mechanical Code (CMC) |
| 5 | California Plumbing Code (CPC) |
| 6 | California Energy Code |
| 9 | California Fire Code |
| 10 | California Existing Building Code |
| 11 | California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) |
Permits and Exempt Work
A permit is required before a structure is built, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, or demolished, unless the work is exempt. Plans are checked against zoning, building and fire codes, accessibility, and energy standards and returned as the approved set. A permit expires if work does not start within 12 months of issuance or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days.
| Work | Limit |
|---|---|
| One-story detached accessory structure | 120 sq ft or less |
| Fence | Not over 7 ft high |
| Retaining wall | Not over 4 ft from bottom of footing to top of wall, no surcharge |
| Water tank on grade | 5,000 gal or less |
| Detached deck | 200 sq ft or less, 30 in. or less above grade, not serving the required exit door |
| Prefabricated pool | Less than 24 in. deep |
Zoning and Setbacks
Zoning ordinances are local law, separate from Title 24. Each district has permitted uses and limits on height, lot coverage, density, and parking. Setbacks are minimum distances from property lines; easements reduce the buildable area further. A variance, granted after a public hearing, relieves a hardship. Zoning is confirmed before bidding.
CRC Planning Dimensions
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Hallway width | 36 in. |
| Ceiling height | 7 ft in habitable rooms and hallways; 6 ft 8 in. in bathrooms and laundry rooms |
| Habitable room | 70 sq ft; 7 ft in any horizontal dimension (kitchens excepted) |
| Light and ventilation | Glazing 8 percent of floor area; openable area 4 percent |
| Emergency escape opening | 5.7 sq ft net clear (5.0 sq ft at grade floor); 24 in. clear height; 20 in. clear width; sill 44 in. maximum |
| Egress door | 32 in. clear width |
| Smoke alarms | Each sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, every story |
| Carbon monoxide alarms | Outside each sleeping area and on every level, where there is a fuel-burning appliance or attached garage |
- Safety glazing is required in doors, and within a 24 in. arc of a door where the glass is less than 60 in. above the floor.
- In tub and shower enclosures where the glass is less than 60 in. above the standing surface.
- In a pane over 9 sq ft with its bottom edge under 18 in., its top edge over 36 in., and a walking surface within 36 in.
Accessibility, Energy, and CALGreen
Federal ADA and Fair Housing Act requirements still apply, but California enforces accessibility through the CBC. Chapter 11A covers multifamily housing, requiring accessible entrances and routes, usable kitchens and bathrooms, reachable switches and outlets, and grab bar reinforcement. Chapter 11B covers public buildings, public accommodations, and commercial facilities.
- Ramp slope 1:12 maximum; cross slope 1:48 maximum
- Ramp width 48 in. minimum; rise 30 in. maximum per run
- Door clear opening 32 in. minimum
- Handrails 34 in. to 38 in. high
The California Energy Code sets requirements for 16 climate zones. Mandatory measures always apply. Beyond them a project complies prescriptively, by installing the listed insulation, fenestration, and equipment values, or by the performance approach, in which approved software shows the building uses no more energy than the standard design.
| Form | Name | Completed by |
|---|---|---|
| CF1R | Certificate of Compliance | Designer, at permit application |
| CF2R | Certificate of Installation | Installing contractor |
| CF3R | Certificate of Verification | ECC-Rater (formerly HERS Rater), after field verification |
- Recycle or salvage at least 65 percent of construction and demolition waste
- Water closets 1.28 gal per flush maximum
- Showerheads 1.8 gpm maximum at 80 psi
- Lavatory faucets 1.2 gpm maximum at 60 psi; kitchen faucets 1.8 gpm
- Framing moisture content 19 percent maximum before enclosure
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