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Building Code Reference

Got a CRC R318.2 correction?

Egress door minimum size

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

CRC R318.2 requires every dwelling unit to have at least one egress door measuring a minimum 32 inches of clear width and 78 inches in height. The door must be side-hinged and operable from the inside without a key, special tool, or special knowledge. Most single-family and ADU permits hit this correction when door dimensions are missing from the plans or the required egress door isn't labeled on the floor plan.

How to fix it

  1. Identify and label the egress door on the floor plan

    Pick the door that will serve as the required egress door for the unit and add a clear label on the floor plan sheet, such as 'REQUIRED EGRESS DOOR PER CRC R318.2.' This tells the plan-checker exactly which door you're counting. Every unit needs at least one. For ADUs, the ADU itself needs its own compliant egress door separate from the main house. The egress door must exit directly to the exterior, so a door into an attached garage doesn't count. Pick a door that leads straight outside.

  2. Call out 32-inch minimum clear width in the door schedule

    In your door schedule, list the egress door with a note specifying minimum 32 inches clear width. A 3-0 (36-inch) door is the safe call and gives you plenty of clear margin. A 2-10 (34-inch) door in a standard frame typically yields just over 32 inches clear, but it's tight and depends on frame tolerances. A 2-8 (32-inch) door will not pass because the frame and stop eat into the clear dimension. Write '32" CLEAR MIN' explicitly in the door schedule so there's no ambiguity. If the plan checker has to calculate it, you might not like the answer.

  3. Note the door height as 78 inches minimum

    The egress door must be at least 78 inches tall. Standard 6-8 (80-inch) doors meet this easily. If your design uses a non-standard door height, for example in a remodel where the existing rough opening is short, confirm the clear height in the door schedule. Note the height on both the floor plan door symbol and the door schedule. If there's any question about tight rough openings, add a detail showing the rough opening dimensions and how they translate to clear height after installation.

  4. Confirm the door is side-hinged, not sliding or folding

    Sliding doors, bi-fold doors, roll-up doors, and pocket doors do not satisfy the egress door requirement. The door must be side-hinged, meaning it swings on a vertical hinge axis. If your design shows a sliding glass door as the primary exit, you need a separate side-hinged door elsewhere in the unit to serve as the egress door. Note 'SIDE-HINGED' in the door schedule next to the egress door entry. It seems obvious, but plan-checkers want to see it in writing.

  5. Specify single-cylinder hardware — no double-cylinder deadbolts on the egress door

    The hardware schedule must not specify a double-cylinder deadbolt on the egress door. Double-cylinder locks require a key from both sides. Single-cylinder deadbolts are fine: they lock with a key from outside, but release with a thumb-turn from inside. Add a note to the egress door entry in your hardware schedule: 'SINGLE-CYLINDER DEADBOLT ONLY. NO KEY REQUIRED FROM INTERIOR PER CRC R318.2.' This is a fast correction to catch in review before submittal. It's a slow correction to fix after a rejection letter.

  6. Cross-reference the egress door on exterior elevations

    Some plan-checkers want to see the egress door called out on the exterior elevation sheet as well, not just the floor plan. Add a leader note on the elevation pointing to the door: 'EGRESS DOOR, 32" CLEAR MIN WIDTH, 78" MIN HEIGHT, PER CRC R318.2.' This cross-reference between sheets reduces the chance of a second round of corrections. It takes two minutes to add and can save sixty days waiting on a resubmittal.

  7. Check ADUs and new units for a dedicated egress door

    If your permit includes an ADU or a room addition that creates a new dwelling unit, that unit needs its own R318.2-compliant egress door. A shared door through the main house does not count, even if the main house has a compliant egress door. The egress door must exit directly to the exterior, giving occupants a path out without passing through another unit. This is one of the most common R318.2 corrections on ADU permits. Reviewers check this specifically when they see an attached ADU sharing a wall with the main house.

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Why you got flagged

Plan-checkers flag R318.2 most often because door dimensions simply aren't on the submitted plans. A floor plan that shows a door swing without a width callout gives the reviewer no way to verify compliance. Even if the door you're planning to use meets the 32-inch clear-width requirement, the plan check fails because the inspector can't confirm it from the drawing.

The second common trigger is confusion between door size and clear width. A 32-inch-wide door in a standard frame gives you about 29-1/2 to 30 inches of clear opening. That's under the minimum. To get 32 inches of clear, you typically need a 34-inch door unit. If the plans call out a 32-inch door without specifying 'clear,' the plan-checker will flag it.

Another scenario: the door is shown and dimensioned correctly, but it's not labeled as the required egress door. The plan-checker needs to confirm there's at least one compliant egress door per unit. If your floor plan has three exterior doors and none are tagged as the egress door, the reviewer may flag the whole unit even if one of them meets the spec.

Finally, double-cylinder deadbolts catch contractors off guard. A double-cylinder lock requires a key from both sides, which violates the 'operable from inside without a key' requirement in R318.2. If the hardware schedule calls out a double-cylinder deadbolt on the egress door, expect a correction on the next round.

The official code

California Residential Code — Part 2.5 of Title 24, Building Standards Commission

Read the source →

Common questions

Does a 32-inch door meet CRC R318.2?
No, not in most cases. A 32-inch nominal door in a standard frame gives you approximately 29-1/2 to 30 inches of clear opening once you account for the door thickness and stop. CRC R318.2 requires 32 inches of clear width, meaning the unobstructed passage when the door is open at 90 degrees. To reliably achieve 32 inches clear, specify a 34-inch or 36-inch door unit. Call out '32" CLEAR MIN' explicitly in the door schedule. If the plan-checker has to do the math from nominal size, you risk a correction even if the installed door passes.
Can a sliding glass door count as the egress door?
No. CRC R318.2 requires the egress door to be side-hinged. Sliding doors, pocket doors, and bi-fold doors do not qualify. If the only direct exterior exit from a unit is a sliding glass door, you need to add a separate side-hinged door elsewhere in the unit, or identify an existing side-hinged door and label it as the required egress door. On smaller homes and cottages where sliding glass is the main rear exit, this forces a redesign of at least one opening.
Does my ADU need its own egress door, or can it share with the main house?
Your ADU needs its own egress door. Each dwelling unit must have at least one compliant egress door that exits directly to the exterior. The ADU can't rely on a door that requires passing through the main house to reach the outside. This applies whether the ADU is detached, attached, or a converted garage. The egress door for the ADU must be accessible solely from within the ADU and must lead directly to outside.
Is a double-cylinder deadbolt allowed on the egress door?
No. A double-cylinder deadbolt requires a key from both sides. R318.2 requires the egress door to be operable from the inside without a key, special tool, or special knowledge. Use a single-cylinder deadbolt with a thumb-turn on the interior side. If your hardware schedule lists double-cylinder locks throughout the house, revise just the egress door entry before resubmitting. The rest of the doors in the dwelling are not subject to this restriction.
What's the minimum height for an egress door under CRC R318.2?
78 inches. Most standard pre-hung exterior door units come in at 80 inches (6 feet 8 inches), which passes with room to spare. The only time this becomes an issue is in remodels with an existing low header, or when a contractor frames a new rough opening short. Confirm the rough opening height gives you 78 inches of clear height after the door is installed. In older construction, headers sometimes land lower than expected. Measure before framing and call it out in the plans.
Does the egress door have to swing outward?
No. CRC R318.2 does not specify swing direction. The door must be side-hinged, but inswing and outswing both comply as long as the door meets the width, height, and hardware requirements. Outswing doors are common on exterior applications in many OC cities because they resist wind load better and don't eat into interior floor space. Either direction passes R318.2.
Does the garage door to the house count as the required egress door?
No. The door between the garage and the living space is regulated under CRC R302.5 for fire rating, not R318.2. An egress door must exit directly to the exterior. A door from living space into an attached garage, then through the garage to the outside, is not a direct exterior exit and does not satisfy R318.2. You need a side-hinged door that goes from the dwelling directly outside. Most plans have a front door that meets this, but flag it explicitly so the plan-checker doesn't have to guess.

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