Multifamily Common Area Lighting Title 24 Requirements
Common area lighting in a multifamily building is capped by Section 170.2(e) function-area allowances, such as 0.40 watts per square foot for corridors and 0.60 for stairwells, and governed by Section 160.5(b) controls. Corridor and stairwell lighting must drop by half when empty, and the controls are acceptance tested before an occupancy permit.
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How the allowance is built
Every common use area uses the Area Category Method of Section 170.2(e)3C: watts per square foot from Table 170.2-M times the area of each primary function. Corridors get 0.40, stairwells 0.60, laundry areas 0.45, restrooms 0.65 and parking garage zones and ramps 0.10. The manual treats main lobbies, corridors, restrooms and support rooms as separate function areas, and allowance cannot move between conditioned and unconditioned space. Art lighting aimed at a corridor wall may use the extra decorative allowance, but troffers that light the whole corridor count as general lighting.
The controls that go with it
- Corridors and stairwells: occupant sensing cuts power by at least half when empty and returns to full from any egress path. Up to 0.1 watts per square foot may stay on for egress.
- Garages and parking areas: sensors drop each zone to 20 to 50 percent, with no more than 500 watts per zone.
- Dimming: continuous multilevel control applies to spaces of 100 square feet or more with a connected load above 0.5 watts per square foot, which a corridor held to 0.40 stays under.
When you only change fixtures
Altering 10 percent or more of the luminaires in an enclosed space triggers Section 180.2(b)4Biv. Choose full compliance with Table 180.2-E controls, 80 percent of the allowance, or a one-for-one swap in a space of 5,000 square feet or less that cuts wattage by 40 percent. Swapping up to 50 luminaires per floor per year, or changing only lamps, drivers or controls, is excepted.
Sign-off
Shut-off, daylight, demand response and outdoor controls need acceptance tests by a certified lighting controls technician before the occupancy permit; the forms are LMCC-LTI-01-E, LMCI-LTI-E and NRCA-LTI-02-A. Units follow Section 160.5(a) instead, on multifamily lighting. Related pages: common area HVAC, acceptance testing before final, parking garage lighting and the multi-family service.
Common Title 24 Questions
- Do apartments need Title 24?
- Does a duplex need Title 24?
- Do triplexes and fourplexes need Title 24?
- Which Title 24 forms does a multi-family project use?
- What is an LMCC certificate?
- How much does a multi-family Title 24 report cost?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The Multifamily Compliance Manual says spaces used by building managers and maintenance staff qualify as common use areas, so they follow Section 160.5(b), not the dwelling-unit lighting rules.
Not if only lamps, drivers or controls change. Exception 5 to Section 180.2(b)4Biv excludes alterations limited to those items.
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View all Multi-Family guides → · Permits and Compliance · Title 24 guide