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Building Code Reference

Got a CRC R602.7 correction?

Header sizing openings

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 R602.7 is the California Residential Code section that sets header size requirements over openings in bearing walls. A header carries the load from above a window, door, or other opening across to the trimmer studs on either side. The required size depends on the clear span of the opening, the load condition (roof load only, or roof plus one or more floors), the building width and the ground snow load. Correct header sizing is required on plans for any framing permit — ADU, single-family residential, or multi-unit — whenever a bearing wall has an opening.

How to fix it

  1. Identify every opening in bearing walls

    Go through each floor plan and cross-section. Mark every window, door, and cased opening in a wall that carries load from above. If you're not sure whether a wall is bearing, check the framing plan or structural notes — parallel interior walls below a floor or roof are often non-bearing, but exterior walls almost always are. Non-bearing walls are exempt from R602.7 header requirements, so getting this right saves you from over-specifying.

  2. Determine the load condition for each header

    Table R602.7(1) has separate sections for each load condition: roof and ceiling only, meaning no floor bears on this wall from above; roof, ceiling and one center-bearing floor; roof, ceiling and one clear-span floor; and the same two cases with two floors. Identify which condition applies to each opening. Add a clear note on the framing plan — something like 'Header: roof load only' or 'Header: roof + one floor' — so the checker doesn't have to guess.

  3. Look up required header size in Table R602.7(1)

    With span and load condition in hand, use CRC Table R602.7(1) for exterior bearing walls or R602.7(2) for interior ones. In the section for your load condition, read across to your ground snow load (use 30 psf where it is lower) and building width, measured perpendicular to the ridge, and pick the smallest header whose maximum span meets your clear opening. The table specifies header size as doubled dimensional lumber (e.g., 2-2x8) or as an equivalent engineered product. Building widths between columns may be interpolated.

  4. Specify header member, ply count, and species/grade on the plans

    Add a header callout at each opening showing: member size (e.g., 2-2x10 or 3.5x9.25 LVL), ply count, species and grade if using dimensional lumber (e.g., Hem-Fir No. 2), and the load condition the header is designed for. If you're using an engineered product, include the manufacturer name, model, and an 'installed per manufacturer specs' note. Also call out the number of jack (trimmer) studs at each end, which the table's NJ column sets for each header and span.

  5. Add a header schedule to the framing plan

    For projects with more than a few openings, a header schedule table on the framing sheet is cleaner than repeating callouts everywhere. List each opening by mark number, its clear span, load condition, and specified header. This makes it easy for the plan-checker to verify every opening at once and reduces back-and-forth. Reference the schedule from each opening mark on the plan.

  6. Handle engineered lumber substitutions with documentation

    If you want to use LVL, LSL, PSL, or another engineered product instead of the doubled dimensional lumber listed in Table R602.7(1), you need to show it's an equivalent or better substitution. The easiest path is attaching the manufacturer's span table showing the product meets or exceeds the required load capacity for your span and condition. Alternatively, a licensed engineer's letter works. Without documentation, a substitution is a correction waiting to happen.

  7. Verify bearing wall continuity through the framing

    Plan-checkers sometimes cite R602.7 when the load path from a header down to the foundation isn't clear. Make sure trimmer studs are shown at each side of the opening, that king studs are shown alongside them, and that the load path continues to the floor framing and foundation below. If headers stack across multiple floors, show how the load transfers at each level. A cross-section detail through the opening often resolves this issue faster than trying to explain it in notes.

  8. Resubmit with a response letter addressing each flagged item

    When you resubmit, include a correction response sheet that references each flagged comment by number and describes exactly what changed on which sheet and what revision delta. For a header correction, that's usually one or two lines: 'Comment 3: Header at Line B/Grid 4 revised from 2-2x6 to 2-2x12 per Table R602.7(1), roof, ceiling and one center-bearing floor, 24-ft building width, 6-ft span. See Sheet S2.1 Rev A.' This shows the checker exactly where to look and what changed, cutting review time.

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Why you got flagged

Plan-checkers flag CRC R602.7 corrections most often when the framing plans don't call out header sizes at all. The structural sheets show windows and doors as openings, but there's no callout specifying the header member, the ply count, or the bearing length at each end. That alone is enough to trigger a correction — the checker can't verify code compliance without the information on the plans.

The second most common flag is an undersized header. A contractor specifies a doubled 2x6 over a 6-foot garage door opening in a two-story bearing wall, but Table R602.7(1) for that span under roof-plus-floor loading calls for a heavier member. A 2-2x12, a three-ply member or an engineered LVL might be required, depending on building width. The correction letter will cite the table row and ask you to either revise the header spec or provide an engineer's calculation justifying the lighter member.

Load condition mix-ups account for a third pattern. Bearing walls under a roof-only condition can use lighter headers than walls carrying a floor above. If your plans don't clearly identify which condition applies — or if the plan-checker reads the section differently based on the framing layout — they'll flag the header as potentially non-compliant. The fix is usually adding a clear note on the framing plan identifying the load condition for each header.

Engineered lumber substitutions also generate corrections. When a contractor swaps a solid LVL for the doubled-lumber header shown on approved plans, or uses a different species/grade than what's listed in the header schedule, the plan-checker needs documentation that the substitution meets the same load capacity. No documentation means a correction.

The official code

CRC R602.7 — Headers for Bearing Wall Openings (California Building Standards Commission)

Read the source →

Common questions

Does CRC R602.7 apply to non-bearing walls?
No. R602.7 only applies to bearing walls. Non-bearing wall openings don't require structural headers under R602.7.4; a single flat 2x4 may serve as the header for openings up to 8 feet wide where the nailing surface above is no more than 24 inches up. The key is correctly identifying which walls are bearing, which is where some framing plans get tripped up. Interior walls that run parallel to the floor joists above are typically non-bearing; walls perpendicular to the joists or under a ridge, beam, or floor above usually are bearing.
What header size does CRC R602.7 require for a 4-foot window opening?
It depends on the load condition. For roof-only loading (single-story or top-floor wall), a 4-foot span typically requires a 2-2x6 header in Hem-Fir No. 2 or equivalent. Under roof-plus-one-floor loading, the same 4-foot span typically steps up to a 2-2x8. Always verify against the current edition of Table R602.7(1) for your exact conditions — species, grade, and load condition all affect the table result. If in doubt, spec the next size up; over-sizing headers doesn't fail plan check.
Can I use LVL instead of doubled 2x lumber for headers?
Yes, with documentation. Engineered lumber like LVL, LSL, or PSL can substitute for the dimensional lumber members in Table R602.7(1), but you need to show the product meets the same load capacity. Attach the manufacturer's span table to your submittal showing the product handles your span and load condition. A 3.5x9.25 LVL is a common drop-in equivalent for a 2-2x10 header in a standard 2x4 wall — it fills the full wall thickness without a filler strip, which contractors like.
What's the minimum bearing length for a header under CRC R602.7?
The CRC requires headers to be supported at each end by jack (trimmer) studs or approved framing anchors. The NJ column in Tables R602.7(1) and R602.7(2) sets how many jack studs each end needs, from one up to four depending on header size, span and load; where it shows one, an approved framing anchor may be used instead. Calling out the bearing length explicitly on the framing plan prevents this question from coming back as a correction comment.
My correction letter says the header is undersized — how do I respond?
First, identify the specific opening the checker is flagging (it should reference a grid line or callout number). Pull the span and load condition for that opening, then look up the required header in Table R602.7. If your spec is undersized, revise it to match the table and resubmit. If you believe the original spec was correct, you have two options: show the checker which table row supports your spec (with a clear note on the plan), or provide a licensed engineer's letter calculating header capacity. An engineer's letter is often faster than arguing table interpretation.
Do garage door headers need to comply with CRC R602.7?
Yes, if the garage wall is a bearing wall — and in most residential construction, the front wall of an attached garage is bearing under the floor or roof framing above. Garage door openings are often 8 to 16 feet wide, which puts them in the larger span rows of Table R602.7. Those spans frequently require 2-2x12 headers or engineered lumber members. Plan-checkers pay close attention to garage headers specifically because wide openings under heavy loads are a common source of under-sizing.
Does R602.7 apply to ADUs added to an existing house?
Yes, and it's a common correction on ADU permits. When you open up a bearing wall to create a pass-through between the existing house and the new ADU, or when the ADU addition requires removing or modifying a bearing wall, every new or modified opening needs to comply with R602.7. Existing headers that were originally built to older code editions may also get flagged if the structural sheets show them without callouts. Include existing header sizes and conditions on your plans, even for work you're not touching, if the plans show that framing.

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