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Building Code Reference

Got a CBC 11B-404.2.3 correction?

Accessible door clear width

For builders in California, Greater Seattle, the Las Vegas area, the Denver area and Kansas City · CrossBeam Permits

What this code requires, how to fix it, and how cities and counties review it

What this code requires

CBC 11B-404.2.3 is the California Building Code section that sets the minimum clear width for accessible doors. The door opening must provide 32 inches of clear width when open 90 degrees, and its companion section, 11B-404.2.4, requires clear floor space on the approach side so a wheelchair user can operate the latch without being in the door swing. These sections apply to any project that includes an accessible route, which covers most commercial, public-use, and public housing buildings as well as tenant improvements and additions.

How to fix it

  1. Verify the actual clear width in the door schedule

    A 36-inch nominal door typically yields about 33.5 to 34 inches clear — enough to pass. A 32-inch nominal door rarely makes 32 inches clear after accounting for the door edge and stop, and a 30-inch door won’t come close. Update your door schedule to include a ‘clear width @ 90 deg open’ column and confirm every door on an accessible route meets 32 inches minimum. If a door barely passes, note the measured clear width on the schedule so the plan-checker doesn’t have to calculate it.

  2. Add a door-approach maneuvering clearance diagram

    Section 11B-404.2.4 has a table of maneuvering clearances (Table 11B-404.2.4.1) that vary by approach direction (front, hinge side, latch side) and operation type (push vs. pull). The most common case is front-approach pull, which needs 18 inches of clear floor space on the latch side and 60 inches of depth from the face of the door. Put a dimensioned diagram on your accessibility details sheet (often A0.2 or AD1) showing the actual approach clearances for each door on the accessible route. This one diagram eliminates most door-approach corrections.

  3. Check for obstructions in the maneuvering clearance zone

    Maneuvering clearances must be free of any obstruction. Check the plan at the latch-side approach for millwork, lockers, columns, electrical panels, or anything else that reduces the clear floor space. This is especially common in restrooms where a paper towel dispenser, sanitary napkin dispenser, or cabinet is installed near the door. If an obstruction is there, either move it or redesign the door approach. Annotate the plan to note ‘no obstructions within maneuvering clearance zone.’

  4. Address threshold height at the accessible door

    11B-404.2.5 (companion to 404.2.3) limits thresholds to 1/2 inch maximum, and changes in level between 1/4 and 1/2 inch must be beveled no steeper than 1:2. If your accessible door has a raised threshold, saddle, or transition between floor finishes that creates a raised edge, detail the transition on the plans. A common miss is a tile-to-carpet transition at a restroom door with a threshold strip — plan-checkers will flag both the threshold height and the clear-width at the same time.

  5. Note door hardware type on the accessible route

    11B-404.2.7 requires door hardware to comply with 11B-309.4: operable with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and mounted 34 to 44 inches above the floor. That rules out twist knobs. If your plan shows ‘hardware by owner’ or just calls out a lock set without specifying the type, the plan-checker may flag it under 11B-404. Call out lever hardware specifically in the door schedule or hardware spec. Panic hardware on exit doors is generally compliant, but confirm it operates without tight grasping.

  6. Document path-of-travel cost if this is a tenant improvement

    On tenant improvements, renovations, and additions, California requires an accessible path of travel to the altered area; when the adjusted construction cost is at or under the valuation threshold, that path-of-travel work is capped at 20% of the adjusted construction cost. If the correction involves widening an existing door opening (rather than just updating plans), you may need to provide a path-of-travel cost analysis showing how much of the 20% budget is being spent on accessibility. This is a frequent add-on correction: the plan-checker cites 11B-404.2.3 for the door and then separately requests the path-of-travel disproportionate cost analysis. Get ahead of it by including the analysis in the original submittal.

  7. Resubmit with a marked correction cloud on each affected detail

    When you resubmit, draw a revision cloud around every sheet change and add a revision note referencing the correction letter item number. Plan-checkers review hundreds of sheets — without a cloud, they may not find the fix and the project gets a third-round correction for something you already addressed. Use revision triangle deltas with the submission number (Rev 2 or Rev 3) so the review history is clear.

Take the CBC 11B-404.2.3 fix steps with you

All 7 steps in one email, so you have them on site instead of on this page.

Why you got flagged

Here’s why plan-checkers flag 11B-404.2.3: the 32-inch clear width and the maneuvering clearance are two separate requirements, and it’s common to address one and miss the other entirely.

The most frequent correction involves the door leaf width itself. A 36-inch door does not automatically provide 32 inches of clear width. Stop-to-face of leaf, the door edge, and hardware projections all eat into the opening. The plan-checker measures the clear dimension with the door open 90 degrees, and plans that just note "36-inch door" without showing the resulting clear width get flagged. Put the clear-width callout on the door schedule or the accessibility detail.

The second common trigger is maneuvering clearance on the latch side. For a front-approach pull side, Table 11B-404.2.4.1 requires 18 inches of clear floor space on the latch side (24 inches for some door types). Plans that show a door opening into a corridor often forget that adjacent walls, built-in millwork, or lockers can eat into this clearance. The plan-checker will dimension it and if there’s 12 inches of latch-side clear instead of 18, the project gets a correction.

A third scenario crops up on renovation projects where an existing door is being replaced but the rough opening stays the same. A 34-inch rough opening can’t hit 32 inches of clear width after accounting for the frame and stops. The contractor has to either widen the opening or document that the path of travel obligation is triggered and document what portion of cost that represents. Plans that skip this analysis catch a 11B-404.2.3 flag almost every time.

The official code

California Building Code Title 24, Part 2, Chapter 11B — Accessible Doors and Gates (DSA/BSC landing page)

Read the source →

Common questions

Does a 36-inch door automatically pass CBC 11B-404.2.3?
Usually yes, but you have to document it. A 36-inch door leaf typically provides about 33.5 to 34 inches of clear width after accounting for the door stop and the edge of the door itself. That passes the 32-inch minimum. The problem is that plans often just note ‘36 door’ without showing the resulting clear dimension — and the plan-checker flags it because they won’t assume the math. Add a clear-width callout in your door schedule or accessibility detail and you won’t get the correction.
What is the maneuvering clearance for a front-approach pull-side door under 11B-404.2.3?
For a standard front-approach, pull-side door you need 60 inches of depth from the face of the door and 18 inches of clear floor space on the latch side. This is the most common configuration in corridor and restroom door approaches. If the latch-side clearance is less than 18 inches because of a wall, column, or fixture, that’s a flag. Different approach directions have different clearances — a hinge-approach pull side needs 36 inches on the latch side, for example. Detail all of this in a dimensioned diagram on your accessibility plans.
Do accessible door requirements apply to ADU projects?
It depends on the ADU type and the jurisdiction. A detached ADU on a single-family lot is generally not covered by either chapter: Chapter 11A covers multifamily dwellings such as apartment buildings with 3 or more units, and Chapter 11B covers public accommodations, commercial facilities and public housing. However, if the ADU is attached to a commercial space, or if the project involves a multifamily building with an ADU addition, 11B requirements can apply to the shared accessible route. Check with your building department to confirm which chapter governs your specific ADU project.
What happens if I can’t get 32 inches clear because of an existing rough opening?
You have a few options. First, check if a slightly wider door leaf in the same opening gets you to 32 inches clear — sometimes switching from a 32-inch to a 34-inch door in the same frame does it. If the rough opening truly can’t yield 32 inches of clear width, you need to document why. A door inside the altered area must comply unless the enforcing agency finds it technically infeasible (11B-202.3), and then it must comply to the maximum extent feasible. The 20% disproportionate-cost cap applies only to path-of-travel elements serving the altered area, and you prove it with a written cost analysis. On a new building, there’s no exception — the opening has to be sized correctly from the start.
Does 11B-404.2.3 apply to interior doors or just exterior accessible entrances?
It applies to all doors on the accessible route inside the building, not just the entrance. That includes restroom doors, doors from corridors into office spaces, break room doors, storage room doors if they serve accessible areas, and doors within hotel guest rooms designated as accessible. The exterior accessible entrance is the most visible point of compliance, but plan-checkers go through every door on the path and will flag interior doors that don’t meet the 32-inch clear width or proper maneuvering clearances.
Can I use an automatic door opener to comply with the maneuvering clearance requirements?
Only in limited cases. Under 11B-404.3.2, power-assisted doors and automatic doors without standby power that serve an accessible means of egress still need the full maneuvering clearances; the requirement drops away only where the automatic door stays open when power is off. The operator itself has to comply with 11B-404.3 (automatic door timing and force requirements). This is a common solution when a retrofit location can’t achieve the required latch-side clearance without major construction. Show the automatic operator on the plans, call out the activation sensor type, and note the compliance basis.

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