Building Safety in Davis, CA (2026)
8 verified building safety rules for Davis, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Davis adds a local sprinkler trigger to the state Fire Code: any building other than a Group R (residential) occupancy needs automatic sprinklers once it hits 5,000 square feet, 25 feet in height, or three stories, and changing a building's use forces the whole structure into compliance.
Davis Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 13.01.040 (Fire Code § 903.2.12.1)
903.2.12.1 Sprinkler requirements based on area. Automatic fire sprinkler systems are required in every building, except for Group R occupancies, in which the total floor area of all floors is 5,000 square feet or more, or any building 25 feet or more in height from grade plane or any building which is three or more stories regardless of height. Notwithstanding other provisions of this Code, th...
Door Locking Hardware
New and altered dwellings in Davis must meet the door hardware standards in the Minimum Security Building Standards article: solid-core doors on exterior and garage-entry doors, deadbolts with minimum throw and strike-plate specifications, and an outright ban on double-cylinder deadbolts.
Davis Minimum Security Door Lock Standards
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 8.14.050(a)(2), (a)(4)
(2) Double cylinder deadbolts shall not be used. ... (4) Any swinging doors leading from a garage into a residence shall be of solid core construction with a minimum thickness of one and three-quarters inch or a twenty minute fire-rated door. The doors shall be equipped with a single cylinder deadbolt having a minimum projection of one inch and an embedment of at least three-fourths inch into t...
Green Building Code
Davis layers a local Energy Efficiency Reach Code and CALGreen amendments on top of the state's mandatory Green Building Standards Code: new single-family homes must pre-wire for Level 2 EV charging, mixed-fuel homes must hit tighter performance margins, and new nonresidential buildings must add rooftop solar.
Davis Green Building and EV Code
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code §§ 8.01.090, 8.01.100
The 2025 Edition of the California Green Building Standards Code, as adopted by the California Building Standards Commission in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, ... with the amendments set forth in Section 8.01.090. ... Single Family Residential developments are required to pre-install 8 Gauge wiring to support Level 2 electric vehicle...
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Before a tenant moves into a Davis rental home or apartment, the owner must install a carbon monoxide device in any unit with a fossil-fuel heater, fireplace, or attached garage. Skipping it, after a thirty-day correction notice, is an infraction carrying up to a two-hundred-dollar fine per offense.
Davis Rental Carbon Monoxide Detector Rule
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 18.11.050(c)(1)
Prior to the commencement of a tenancy of a single-family rental unit, an owner must install a carbon monoxide device in each existing dwelling unit having a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage. If an owner is found in violation of this section, the owner shall receive a thirty-day notice to correct. If the owner fails to correct within the time period, a v...
Building Permits
Davis adopts the current California Building Code and related Title 24 codes by reference under Article 8.01 of the Municipal Code, rather than writing its own construction standards. That adoption is what triggers the permit requirement, and the chief building official enforces it with a local 365-day permit-validity extension and misdemeanor penalties for skipping the process.
Davis Building Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code §§ 8.01.010, 8.01.150, 8.01.160
The 2025 Edition of the California Building Code, as adopted and amended by the California Building Standards Commission in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, ... with the amendments set forth in Section 8.01.040. ... It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, remove or demolish,...
Electrical Permits
Davis adopts the 2025 California Electrical Code with two local amendments: new single-family homes need a dedicated receptacle for a future hot water recirculation pump, and new or heavily remodeled buildings in the downtown core must run their electrical and communication service underground instead of overhead.
Davis Electrical Code Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 8.01.010(a)(3), § 8.01.060(b)
The 2025 Edition of the California Electrical Code, as adopted and amended by the California Building Standards Commission in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, ... with the amendments set forth in Section 8.01.060. ... All electrical and communication service laterals to any new building or structure, or for any building or structure be...
Plumbing Permits
Davis adopts the 2025 California Plumbing Code with a signature local amendment: every new single-family home or duplex needs a 3/4-inch "T" fitting after the main shut-off valve so a future landscape irrigation system can tap in, unless the development already runs on well water.
Davis Plumbing Code Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 8.01.010(a)(6), § 8.01.080
The 2025 Edition of the California Plumbing Code, as adopted and amended by the California Building Standards Commission in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, ... with the amendments set forth in Section 8.01.080. ... In the construction of all new single-family dwellings and single family attached dwellings, including duplexes, a "T" ty...
Building Inspections
Before selling certain residential units in Davis, owners must apply for a resale inspection under Municipal Code Article 8.10. The city inspects for health and safety code compliance, issues a report of any violations, and the buyer gets ninety days to fix what wasn't corrected before closing.
Davis Point-of-Sale Building Inspection
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 8.10.020, § 8.10.030, § 8.10.040
Not later than fifteen working days prior to close of escrow transfer of title or change in ownership or end of any inspection period stipulated by the agreement of sale of any unit, the owner, or authorized representative, shall file with the administrator a written application for a report on a form to be prescribed by the administrator and accompanied by the current application fee. ... Afte...
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