Residential Kitchen Remodel Requirements

601 N. Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701

www.ocpublicworks.com

P.O. Box 4048, Santa Ana, CA 92702-4048

Revised 01/2023

P: 714.667.8888

myOCeservices.ocgov.com

Residential Kitchen Remodel

Requirements

INTRODUCTION

Kitchen additions, alterations or renovations require Building permits. The following information can be used as a guideline for the

minimum requirements for a kitchen renovation project. Additions, alterations, or renovations require compliance with the following:

• 2022 California Residential Code (CRC)

• 2022 California Plumbing Code (CPC)

• 2022 California Mechanical Code (CMC)

• 2022 California Electric Code (CEC)

• 2022 California Energy Code (CEnC)

• 2022 California Green Building Standards Code (CalGreen)

A kitchen renovation includes, but is not limited to, the removal and/or relocation of base cabinets, countertops, sinks, dishwasher,

garbage disposal, installed appliances, changes to the lighting, removal and replacement of any wallboard, modifications to the

structural elements of the dwelling and changes to the electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems. Removal and replacement of the

base cabinets and countertop will require compliance with the electrical outlet location requirements of the code.

The following details the minimum requirements for the kitchen electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems:

ELECTRICAL

• All kitchen countertop outlets shall be GFCI protected. [CEC 210.8(A)(6)]

• Receptacles shall be listed as tamper resistant.

• 12” or wider countertops require an outlet. [CEC 210.52(C)(1)]

• Outlets are required within 24” of any location along the countertop. [CEC 210.52(C)(2)]

• Kitchen outlets positioned a maximum 20” above countertop. [CEC 210.52(C)(3)]

• Appliance garage outlets are not counted as a required countertop outlet. [CEC 210.52(C)(5)]

• Appliances and sinks break up the countertop run, requirement each side to comply individually.

• [CEC 210.52 (C)(4)]

• The electrical outlet requirements include islands, peninsulas, kitchen desktops, wet bars, and serving bars. A large window across

the back of a sink or lack of a backsplash does not exempt the countertop from the outlet requirements. These outlets may be in a drop

front cabinet face, under cabinet plug strip, pop up or tombstone- type receptacle. [CEC 210.52(C)(2), (3)]

• Two small appliance outlet circuits, 20 amps each, are required for kitchens. Circuits shall be balanced and have no other outlets.

(CEC 210.52(B)(1), (2)]

• Individual dedicated circuits are required for all major appliances. The rating of an individual branch circuit shall not be less than the

marked rating of the appliance or the marked rating of an appliance having combined loads as provided in 422.62. [210.11 (C) &

422.10 (A)]

• Garbage disposal cord and plug connected 18” to 36” long. [CEC 422.16(B)(1)]

• Dishwasher cord 36” to 78” long. Romex installed with a plug is not an approved flexible cord. [CEC 422.16(B)(2)]

• Minimum 15-amp circuit for the dishwasher and a 15 amp circuit for the disposal [CEC 210.23(A)]

• If using a split outlet (two circuits on the same yoke) for dishwasher/disposal, provide a listed handle tie at the two circuit breakers at

the panel. [CEC 210.7]

• Residential Kitchen Lighting is required to meet the energy efficiency standards. [CEnC 150(K)(1)]

• IC (direct contact) and AT (air tight) rated cans are required for recessed lighting if installed in an insulated ceiling. [CEnC

150(K)(C)]

• Fluorescent recessed lighting, when used to comply with the lighting requirements, must be of a pin base type design. Incandescent

screw type base is not approved.

• AFCI Protection is required to kitchen by any of the means described in 210.12(A)(1) – through (6). [CEC 210.12 (A)].

• GFI protection for Laundry Area. [CEC 210.8 (A)(10)]

• GFI protection for Dishwasher. [CEC 210.8(D)].

• All recessed downlight luminaries shall be in accordance with Reference Joint Appendix JA8 and be marked as meeting JA8.

601 N. Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701

www.ocpublicworks.com

P.O. Box 4048, Santa Ana, CA 92702-4048

Revised 01/2023

P: 714.667.8888

myOCeservices.ocgov.com

Residential Kitchen Remodel

Requirements

MECHANICAL

• A ducted residential exhaust hood is required. A metal, smooth interior surface duct required on vent hood or down draft exhaust

vent. Aluminum flex duct not approved. Provide back draft damper [504.3]

• Minimum 30” vertical clearance to combustibles from cook top surface.

• Kitchen local exhaust ventilation requires a minimum rate of 100cfm meeting the requirements of ASHRA 62.2.

This includes a maximum sound rating of 3 sones @ 100cfm.

• Kitchen local exhaust ventilation shall terminate a minimum 3ft from an opening [CMC 502.2.1]

PLUMBING

• A gas test is required on piping modifications (10 psi for 15 minutes). A maximum 15 psi gauge is required for the gas test. A lower

gas pressure test may be performed when using a recording test gauge per Section 1213.3 of the CPC.

• Gas lines that run under a slab shall run through an approved, vented, gas tight conduit. Gas line shall be encased in an approved

conduit designed to withstand the imposed loads and installed in accordance with Sect. 1210.1.6.1 or 1210.1.6.2. Or encasement

system that is listed for installation beneath building.

• An accessible shutoff valve shall be installed outside each appliance and ahead of the union connected thereto and in addition to any

valve on the appliance [CPC 1210.09]

• Provide maximum 6-ft- long listed gas flexible connector and shut off to freestanding range.

• A listed air gap is required for the dishwasher drain. [CPC 807.3]

• The maximum flow rate standards for the sink faucets are 1.8 GPM at 60psi. Kitchen faucets may temporarily increase the flow

above the maximum rate, but not to exceed 2.2 GPM at 60psi, and must default to a maximum flow rate of 1.8 GPM. [CPC 420.21]

PLUMBING FIXTURE REPLACEMENT:

Effective January 1, 2014, Senate Bill (SB) 407 and California Civil Code Section 1101.1-1101.8 requires all noncompliant plumbing

fixtures to be replaced with water-conserving plumbing fixtures when building is undergoing alterations or improvements if the

residential property was built and available for use on or before January 1, 1994. Please refer to “Plumbing Fixture Replacement

(SB407) Requirements and Policy” to determine if the project requires compliance.

SMOKE ALARMS & CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS:

• Kitchen renovations will require the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for the dwelling to meet the current code prior to the final

inspection as follows: [CRC R314 & R315]

• Smoke alarms are required in all sleeping rooms, outside each sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms, on each floor

level including basements and habitable attics, but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.

• Carbon Monoxide alarms are required in dwelling units and sleeping units when fuel-burning appliances are installed, and/or

dwelling units have attached garages. Either condition requires alarms.

• When more than one alarm of either type is required to be installed within an individual dwelling unit, the alarm devices shall be

interconnected in such a manner that activation of one alarm will activate all the other alarms.

• In existing conditions, alarms may be battery operated when the repairs or alterations do not result in the removal of the wall and

ceiling finishes or there is no access by means of an attic, basement or crawlspace.

• Multipurpose alarms that combine both a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm shall comply with all applicable standards of

both CRC Sections R314 and R315 and be listed by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

• Smoke alarms shall be listed in accordance with UL217. Combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms shall be listed in

accordance with UL217 and UL2034.

• Smoke alarms or smoke detectors shall be installed a minimum of 20 feet horizontal distance from a permanently installed cooking

appliance. [R314.3.1]