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Building Code Reference

Got a CBC 716.2 correction?

Fire door assemblies

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 716.2 is the California Building Code section governing fire door assemblies in fire-rated wall and floor/ceiling assemblies. It requires that any opening in a fire-resistance-rated assembly be protected by a labeled fire door assembly rated to match the wall, equipped with self-closing hardware and a positive-latching mechanism. The rating stamped on the door label must equal or exceed the rating required for the opening, and the door frame, hardware, and glazing must all be part of a tested and listed assembly. Most commercial and multi-unit residential permits get flagged on 716.2 when doors in fire corridors, stairwells, or occupancy separation walls are specified without a label or with the wrong fire-resistance rating.

How to fix it

  1. Cross-reference the wall assembly rating against the openings table

    Before touching the door schedule, pull CBC Table 716.1(2) (Opening Fire Protection Assemblies, Ratings and Markings). Find the row matching your fire-resistance-rated wall type. The table tells you the minimum fire door assembly rating required for that opening. A 1-hour fire barrier typically requires a 45-minute or 60-minute door depending on the occupancy and wall type. A 2-hour fire wall requires a 90-minute door. The table has separate rows for fire walls, fire barriers, fire partitions, smoke barriers, and corridor walls, so look up your specific wall classification rather than assuming. Write the required rating at the top of your door schedule column before specifying individual doors so the relationship is explicit when the plan-checker reviews it.

  2. Add a fire-rating label column to every door in the schedule

    For each door opening in a fire-rated assembly, add a Label column to the door schedule. List the label type (UL 10C positive-pressure rated, UL 10B neutral-pressure, or WHI equivalent) and the fire rating (20-minute, 45-minute, 60-minute, 90-minute, or 3-hour). The label designation tells the inspector and plan-checker that the door is part of a tested and listed assembly. Do not write 'rated door per code' without specifying the label. A general note is not a schedule entry, and plan-checkers will not give you credit for it.

  3. Specify the frame as part of the same listed assembly

    The door frame, not just the door leaf, must be part of the listed assembly. A labeled door leaf installed in an unlabeled frame fails the requirement. The frame type (hollow metal, knock-down, welded, or aluminum for certain glazed assemblies) must be listed with the same testing organization as the door leaf. Add a Frame Type/Label column to the door schedule and note the listed frame series or manufacturer model number. If your hardware specification references a particular frame series, that series needs to appear in both documents.

  4. Specify a UL-listed self-closing device in the hardware set

    CBC 716.2.6.1 requires fire doors to be self-closing and positive-latching. Specify a UL-listed surface-mounted or concealed door closer in the hardware set. List the closer model number or specification series (e.g., LCN 4040XP, Norton 1600 series, Sargent 351 series) in the hardware schedule. If the door is a pair, add a door coordinator. If the design calls for a hold-open function, specify a listed electromagnetic hold-open device (e.g., Sargent 1430 series) tied into the fire alarm system, and call out that the device is fail-safe: it closes on alarm signal or power loss. A prop, wedge, or furniture hold is never permitted on a fire door.

  5. Confirm positive-latching hardware throughout the schedule

    Self-closing alone is not enough. The door must also positively latch when it closes. A latchbolt or deadlatch that engages the strike plate automatically when the door swings shut meets the requirement. Privacy latches, push-pull hardware, and friction catches do not. Specify a latchbolt set with a strike in the hardware set and note the model. If the door is also an exit door, confirm that the panic device or exit device you are specifying carries a fire-rated listing for the door rating you need, because not all exit devices come with fire ratings.

  6. Specify listed fire-rated glazing for any vision lites or sidelites

    Tempered, laminated, and wired glass are not interchangeable with listed fire-rated glazing. If your door has a vision lite or the assembly includes a sidelite, specify the glazing product by manufacturer and listing number (e.g., Pilkington Pyrostop, SaftiFirst GPX, or a listed equivalent). Note the maximum lite size per the door label listing, because fire doors have lite-size limits tied to the label rating. The glazing framing must also be listed for fire resistance. Add a Glazing column to the door schedule with the product name, listing, and lite dimensions.

  7. Add a keyed note on the floor plan at every fire door location

    Once the door schedule is complete, add a keyed note on the floor plan at each fire door location pointing to the schedule. Something like: 'Fire door assembly per door schedule, CBC 716.2. Contractor to verify label rating prior to installation.' This gives the plan-checker a direct path from the plan sheet to the schedule and avoids a second correction because the connection between the plan and the schedule was not clear.

  8. Check for local amendments before resubmitting

    Some California jurisdictions have local amendments to CBC Chapter 7 that go beyond the base code. Orange County cities may require a fire-rated door in locations where the base CBC does not, particularly in occupancy separations between Group R and Group S in mixed-use buildings. If your corrections letter cited an ordinance number alongside 716.2, call the building department before resubmitting to confirm what they want to see. If the correction is a pure 716.2 issue, the revised door schedule and hardware specification should clear it.

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Why you got flagged

Here is why plan-checkers flag CBC 716.2 most often.

The most common trigger is a door schedule that omits the fire-rating label entirely. A contractor will list a door as a solid-core wood door or a hollow metal door without noting the UL or Warnock Hersey label and the required rating. Plan-checkers pull the occupancy separation table, see that the wall assembly needs a 90-minute door, and find no label specified. That is an automatic correction.

A close second is a rating mismatch. The wall is specified as a 2-hour fire-resistance-rated assembly, but the door schedule calls out a 45-minute label. The rule in 716.2 ties the required door rating to the wall rating, and the openings table in CBC Table 716.1(2) lays out exactly which wall rating maps to which door rating. Reviewers check the schedule against that table on every submittal.

Hardware is the third common flag. Self-closing devices and positive-latching hardware are required by 716.2.6 for every fire door. Drawings that call out a door coordinator or a hold-open magnet without specifying a UL-listed closer, or that show a privacy latch instead of a positive-latch deadbolt, get flagged. Held-open fire doors are only allowed with listed electromagnetic hold-open devices connected to the fire alarm system.

Finally, glazing in fire doors trips up a lot of plans. Any lite kit or sidelite in or adjacent to a fire door assembly must be a listed fire-rated glazing product. Ordinary tempered glass is not an acceptable substitute. If the lite size or glazing product is not called out in the door schedule alongside the label, the plan-checker will flag it as incomplete.

The official code

California Building Standards Code, Title 24 Part 2 (CBC) — Building Standards Commission

Read the source →

Common questions

What fire rating does my door need if the wall is 1-hour rated?
It depends on the wall type and the occupancy. CBC Table 716.1(2) controls the answer. For a 1-hour fire barrier, a 45-minute or 60-minute door is typically required depending on the occupancy. For a 1-hour corridor wall in an R-2 occupancy, a 20-minute door may be sufficient at a resident room door. For a 1-hour occupancy separation, check the specific wall classification row in the table. Pull the table, match your wall type to the row, and use the rating shown. Guessing based only on the wall hour-rating without looking at the wall type gets a lot of plans flagged.
Can I use a solid-core wood door as a fire door under CBC 716.2?
Only if it carries a valid label from a third-party testing organization like UL or Warnock Hersey. A solid-core wood door is a common construction material, but the words 'solid-core' are not a fire rating. The door has to be part of a tested and listed assembly and carry a physical label showing the fire rating and the listing organization. An unlabeled solid-core door does not satisfy CBC 716.2, regardless of how heavy or thick it is. Labeled solid-core wood fire doors are widely available in 20-minute, 45-minute, 60-minute, and 90-minute ratings from most commercial door manufacturers.
Does CBC 716.2 apply to ADUs?
It depends on the ADU design and classification. Single-family detached ADUs constructed under the California Residential Code are generally subject to CRC fire separation requirements rather than the CBC. But if the ADU is attached to a commercial or mixed-use building, or if the project is classified as Group R-2 (three or more dwelling units), then the CBC applies and 716.2 governs the fire door requirements at any rated wall opening. If your correction letter cites CBC 716.2 on what you believe is a CRC project, call the building department to confirm the applicable code path before revising your drawings.
Can a fire door be held open legally in California?
Yes, but only with a listed electromagnetic hold-open device that releases automatically on a fire alarm signal or loss of power. CBC 716.2.6.6 allows listed hold-open devices when they are connected to the fire alarm system. A door wedge, a stop, or a piece of furniture is never permitted on a fire door. Some jurisdictions also require the hold-open device to release via a smoke detector signal at the door opening, not just from the main alarm panel. If you are specifying a hold-open, add the fail-safe device, the connection to the fire alarm system, and smoke detector coverage to your drawings, or the plan-checker will flag it.
What is positive latching and how do I show it on plans?
Positive latching means the door latches into the strike automatically when it closes, without manual action. A latchbolt or deadlatch that engages the strike plate when the door swings shut meets the requirement. Privacy locks, push-pull hardware, and magnetic catches do not. Show it on your drawings by specifying the hardware set in the door schedule: list the lockset or latchset model number, confirm it includes a latchbolt, and confirm the strike is a UL-listed fire-rated strike. If the door also needs exit hardware, verify the panic or exit device carries a fire-rated listing for the required door rating, because not all exit devices are available in fire-rated versions.
Do the door frame and closer also need to be rated?
Yes to the frame, and the closer needs to be UL-listed for use on fire doors. The frame must be part of the same listed assembly as the door leaf. You cannot install a labeled fire door leaf in an unlabeled frame and expect it to pass. For hollow metal frames, specify the series and confirm the manufacturer lists it with the door model you are using. For closers, specify a UL-listed door closer. Most commercial-grade closers from major manufacturers carry UL listings, but verify before specifying a lower-cost line. Both the frame listing and the closer listing need to appear in the door schedule or hardware specifications.

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