Bathroom Remodel: When Title 24 Is Triggered
Tile, a vanity, a toilet or a tub swap triggers nothing on its own. Title 24 comes in through the exhaust fan, new light fittings and their controls, a changed window, new ducts, or a change to hot water delivery. Building a bathroom where none existed is judged by where it goes.
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The fan has no permit-history test
A replaced kitchen hood depends on what an earlier permit required. A bathroom fan does not: Section 150.2(b)1Mii says an altered bathroom exhaust system meets Section 150.0(o)1G, which means 50 cfm on demand or 20 cfm continuous, and any new fan carries airflow and sound ratings. A window in the room is no exception. Specifics are on the bathroom fan page.
A new fixture is the altered component
Swapping an incandescent bath bar makes the new luminaire subject to Section 150.0(k)1 and the controls rules (Example 9-49). A JA8 lamp in a screw-base fixture is fine unless the fixture is a recessed ceiling downlight.
The window over the tub
Glass replaced in the same sash and frame is a repair if it performs at least as well. A new unit in the same opening meets Section 150.2(b)1B, and a bigger opening that adds more than 16 square feet of glass meets the area limits too. See the windows page.
Hot water that takes too long to arrive
A far-off bathroom prompts recirculation. In an alteration the only type allowed is demand recirculation with manual on and off control. A timer or temperature-controlled loop has to be shown through performance modeling, and a gas or propane tankless heater near the bathroom is the other allowed fix. A replaced water heater is covered on the water heater page, and loops on hot water recirculation.
A brand-new bathroom
Carved out of existing conditioned space, it is an alteration with the rules above. Carved out of a garage or porch, the space is newly conditioned and falls under addition rules, where local exhaust applies in every bathroom: see primary bedroom addition. The kitchen equivalent is kitchen triggers, and the service page is bathroom remodel.
Common Title 24 Questions
- When is Title 24 required for a home?
- Does a remodel need Title 24?
- Does a room addition need Title 24?
- What plans are needed for a residential Title 24 report?
- How much does a residential Title 24 report cost?
- How long does a residential Title 24 report take?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Section 150.0(o)1G lists no exception for a window, so every bathroom needs local mechanical exhaust where the rule applies.
Only through the performance approach. Prescriptively, an alteration may add only a demand recirculation system with manual on and off control.
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