BOABC Building Official Level I cheat sheet

Occupant load is the floor area divided by the occupant load factor; the resulting number is the minimum design population for exits, egress width, and plumbing fixture counts.

Means of egress has three continuous parts: exit access, the exit itself, and exit discharge; each must be continuous and unobstructed from any point in the building to the public way.

Required egress capacity equals occupant load multiplied by the code capacity factor (commonly 0.2 in per person for level components and 0.15 in per person for stairs and ramps); the width provided must equal or exceed this value.

Two remote exits are required when the occupant load exceeds the threshold for the occupancy group; the separation distance is generally not less than one-half the diagonal of the area served, measured along the path of travel.

Dead-end corridors are limited to 20 ft in most occupancies and 50 ft where the code permits an increase for sprinklered buildings with approved travel distances.

Fire-resistance-rated construction is expressed in hours; the required rating depends on construction type, occupancy group, and whether automatic sprinklers are installed.

A fire area is the aggregate floor area enclosed and bounded by fire walls, fire barriers, exterior walls, or horizontal assemblies; it drives sprinkler thresholds and allowable area.

Travel distance is measured along the natural path of travel from the most remote point to the nearest exit, including turns, but not including the path within the exit itself.

Accessibility provisions require an accessible route connecting accessible entrances, parking, and all accessible spaces, with running slope not steeper than 1:20 and cross slope not steeper than 1:48.

Plan review order: verify occupancy classification and construction type first, then allowable area and height, then egress, then fire protection systems, then accessibility and structural items.

Allowable building area = tabular allowable area x frontage increase factor x sprinkler increase factor; confirm each factor against the code tables and the site plan frontage data.

Check that the submitted drawings are sealed by the responsible design professional and that the scope of the seal covers the work shown before beginning technical review.

Inspection sequence: footing and foundation, then framing and rough-in, then insulation and firestopping, then final; each must pass before the next phase is concealed.

A correction notice must cite the specific code section, the location on the drawings, and the required corrective action so the applicant can respond without ambiguity.

Field inspection verifies installed conditions against approved plans; any deviation requires a revised plan or a documented field change approved by the building official.

Record retention: inspection records, approved plans, and certificates of occupancy are retained for the period required by the jurisdiction; the certificate of occupancy is issued only after final inspection passes.