REVIEW CRITERIA
To determine whether your project requires review by OCFA please click on the button below and complete the Plan Criteria Form.
If submittal of a plan to OCFA is required, click on the link below for additional information regarding the type of project you're interested in:
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES (SFR) AND DUPLEXES
Generally, Planning & Development reviews projects consisting of detached one and two unit dwellings to determine whether the projects comply with minimum fire department access and water requirements and to determine whether structures are required to be protected with automatic fire sprinkler systems.
In some areas, specific hazards may exist, such as the potential for combustible gas to migrate from the soil into structures, proximity to oil wells, or potential impact from vegetation fires, and Planning & Development will need to evaluate the project to see if additional mitigation features are necessary.
When review of a SFR project is required by the Plan Submittal Criteria Form or such projects are referred to Planning & Development by the local building or planning department, one or more of the following plan types will be required.
* Fire Sprinkler Requirements for Residential Projects
By California law, all new residential buildings, including single family homes and duplexes, are required to be protected by fire sprinklers. Some jurisdictions also require existing residential buildings to be retrofit with fire sprinklers if undergoing an addition, remodel, or other modification. To see if a sprinkler retrofit is required, please consult the following summary of residential sprinkler ordinances or the full fire code ordinance for your area:
In some areas, specific hazards may exist, such as the potential for combustible gas to migrate from the soil into structures, proximity to oil wells, or potential impact from vegetation fires, and Planning & Development will need to evaluate the project to see if additional mitigation features are necessary.
MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS
Planning & Development reviews projects consisting of three or more attached dwellings such as apartment buildings and hotels to determine whether the projects comply with minimum fire department access and water requirements and building construction standards related to firefighter safety and occupant evacuation as well as to determine whether structures are required to be protected with automatic fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems.
When review of a MFR project is required by the Plan Submittal Criteria Form or such projects are referred to Planning & Development by the local building or planning department, one or more of the following plan types will be required.
* Fire Sprinkler Requirements for Residential Projects
By California law, all new residential buildings, including multifamily residential buildings, are required to be protected by fire sprinklers. Some jurisdictions also require existing residential buildings to be retrofit with fire sprinklers if undergoing an addition, remodel, or other modification. To see if a sprinkler retrofit is required, please consult the following summary of residential sprinkler ordinances or the full fire code ordinance for your area:
In some areas, specific hazards may exist, such as the potential for combustible gas to migrate from the soil into structures, proximity to oil wells, or potential impact from vegetation fires, and Planning & Development will need to evaluate the project to see if additional mitigation features are necessary.
COMMERCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, INSTITUTIONAL, AND INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS AND RESIDENTIAL TRACT DEVELOPMENTS
Planning & Development reviews a variety of buildings, uses, and processes to determine whether they comply with minimum fire department access and water requirements and building construction standards related to firefighter safety and occupant evacuation as well as to determine whether structures or portions of structures are required to be protected with automatic fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems. In addition, Planning & Development reviews plans for the hazards and processes specifically regulated by the California Fire Code.
In some areas, additional hazards may exist, such as the potential for combustible gas to migrate from the soil into structures, proximity to oil wells, or potential impact from vegetation fires, and Planning & Development will need to evaluate the project to see if additional mitigation features are necessary.
When review of a commercial project is required by the Plan Submittal Criteria Form or such projects are referred to Planning & Development by the local building or planning department, one or more of the following plan types will be required.
Depending on the specific use of the building or type of activities taking place within, the following plans or requirements may also apply:
In some areas, specific hazards may exist, such as the potential for combustible gas to migrate from the soil into structures, proximity to oil wells, or potential impact from vegetation fires, and Planning&Development will need to evaluate the project to see if additional mitigation features are necessary.