TITLE 2 - FIRE AND FIRE-

RESISTIVE STANDARDS
Chapter 2.01 - REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRE ZONES
• (a) Fire Zones Defined. Fire zones are areas within which only certain types
of building are permitted to be constructed based on their use, occupancy,
type of construction, and resistance to fire.

• (b) Building Located in More Than One Fire Zone. If a building or structure is
located in more than one fire zone and more than one-third of its total floor
area is in a more restricted fire zone, then the entire building shall conform
to the requirements for the more restricted area.

• (c) Moved Building. Any building or structure moved within or into any fire
zone shall be made to comply with all the requirements for buildings of that
fire zone.

• (d) Temporary Buildings. Temporary buildings or structures conforming to

the requirements of this Code, used for the protection of the public around
and in conjunction with construction work may be erected in any of the fire
zones: Provided, that such work is allowed by special permit from the
Building Official and such is used only for a limited period of time.
Chapter 2.02 - FIRE-RESISTIVE REQUIREMENTS AND
STANDARDS FOR FIRE PROTECTION

• (a) Exterior bearing and nonbearing walls of Types II and III

constructions shall have one-hour fire-resistive rating; while those of
types IV and V shall have four-hour fire-resistive rating.
• (b) Interior bearing walls, permanent partitions, floors, and roofs of
Types II to IV constructions shall have one-hour fire-resistive rating;
while those of Type V shall have three-hour fire-resistive rating for walls,
one-hour fire-resistive rating for partitions, and two-hour fire-resistive
rating for vertical openings, floors, and roofs.
• (c) Structural frames of Types II and III constructions shall have one-
hour fire-resistive rating; those of Type IV shall have two-hour fire-
resistive rating; and those of Type V shall have three-hour fire-resistive
rating.
• (d) Exterior doors and windows shall have three-fourths-hour fire-
resistive rating for all types of construction.
(b) One-Hour Fire-Resistive Time Period Rating

• (1) The following walls and partitions shall have a one-hour

fire-resistive rating: Solid masonry, 10 centimeters (4 inches)
thick; hollow unit masonry, 15 centimeters (6 inches) thick;
solid concrete, 10 centimeters (4 inches) thick; stud walls
covered on each side with 1.9 centimeters (3/4 inch) lath and
plaster, 1.6 centimeters (5/8 inch) of vermiculite gypsum
board, or 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) of gypsum board; and 5
centimeters (2 inches) nominal thickness tongue and groove
wood, or two layers of 1.9 centimeters (3/4 inch) tongue and
groove wood separated by sheet metal or asbestos paper and
treated on each side with a fire-retardant coating having a
flame-spread rating of 50 or less. Square-edged boards may
be used is the layers are laid at right angles with each other.
• (2) The following floors shall have a one-hour fire-
resistive rating: masonry or concrete, 10 centimeters
(4 inches) thick; wood joists having two layers of
flooring above and a plaster or gypsum board ceiling,
1.9 centimeters (3/4 inch) in thickness - the two
layers of flooring shall be separated by sheet metal
or asbestos building paper; 6.3 centimeters (2-1/2
inches) net thickness tongue and grooved wood
floors covered with 1.9 centimeters (3/4 inch) wood
flooring laid at right angles thereto. The supporting
beams for such floors shall be not less than 15
centimeters (6 inches) in minimum dimension.
• (3) The following protections for metal structural
members shall have one-hour fire-resistive rating:
2.5 centimeters (1 inch) of concrete; 3.8 centimeters
(1-1/2 inches) of masonry; and metal lath and 2.5
centimeters (1 inch) of plaster.
• (4) The following shall also have a one-hour fire-
resistive rating; wood colums, 20 centimeters (8
inches) or more in least dimension; and wood
beams, 15 centimeters (6 inches) or more in least
dimension.
(c) Two-Hour Fire-Resistive Time Period Rating
• (1) The following partitions, walls, and floors shall have a two-hour fire-
resistive rating: solid masonry, 15 centimeters (6 inches) thick; hollow
unit masonry, 20 centimeters (8 inches) thick; and solid concrete, 127
centimeters (5 inches) thick.
• (2) The following protections for metal structural members shall have a
two-hour fire-resistive rating. 3.8 centimeters (1-1/2 inches) of concrete;
5 centimeters (2 inches) of masonry; and two layers of metal lath and
plaster with 1.9 centimeters (3/4 inch) air space between and having a
total thickness of 6.3 centimeters (2-1/2 inches).
(d) Three-Hour Fire-Resistive Time Period
Rating
• (1) The following partitions, walls, and floors shall
have a three-hour fire-resistive rating: solid
masonry, 17.8 centimeters (7 inches) thick;
hollow unit masonry, 25.4 centimeters (10 inches)
thick; and solid concrete, 15 centimeters (6
inches) thick.
• (2) The following protection for metal structural
members shall have a three-hour fire resistive
rating: centimeters (2 inches) of concrete; 7.6
centimeters (3 inches) of masonry.
(e) Four-Hour Fire-Resistive Time Period Rating
• (1) The following partitions, walls, and floors shall have a four-
hour fire resistive rating: solid masonry walls, 20 centimeters
(8 inches) thick; hollow unit masonry, 30 centimeters (12
inches) thick; and solid concrete, 17.8 centimeters (7 inches)
thick.
TITLE 3 - REQUIREMENTS
BASED ON OCCUPANCY
Chapter 3.01 - CLASSIFICATION OF ALL
BUILDINGS BY
USE OR OCCUPANCY AND GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS
FOR ALL OCCUPANCIES
SECTION 3.01.01: Occupancy Classified
• (a) Building proposed, for construction shall be identified according to its use or the character of its
occupancy and shall be classified as follows:
• (1) Group A - Residential: Dwellings. Group A Occupancies shall include dwellings.
• (2) Group B - Residential: Hotels and Apartments. - Group B Occupancies shall include boarding or
lodging houses, hotels, apartment houses, convents, and monasteries (each accomodating more
than 10 persons).
• (3) Group C - Education and Recreation. Group C Occupancies shall be any building used for school
or day care purposes more than eight hours per week, involving assemblage for instruction,
education, or recreation, and not classed in Group I or in Divisions 1 and 2 of Group H Occupancies.
• (4) Group D - Institutional. Group D Occupancies shall include: Division 1 - Mental hospitals, mental
sanitariums, jails, prisons, reformatories, and buildings where personal liberties of inmates are
similarly restrained; Division 2 - Nurseries for full-time care of children under kindergarten age,
hospitals, sanitariums, nursing homes with non-ambulatory patients, and similar buildings (each
accommodating more than five persons); Division 3 - Nursing homes for ambulatory patients,
homes for children of kindergarten age or over (each accommodating more than five persons);
Provided, That Group D Occupancies shall not include buildings used only for private residential
purposes or for a family group.
• (5) Group E - Business and Mercantile. Group E Occupancies shall include: Division 1 - Gasoline filling and service
stations; storage garage and boat storage structures where no work is done except exchange of parts and
maintenance requiring no open flame, welding, or the use of highly flammable liquids; Division 2 - Wholesale and
retail stores, office buildings, drinking and dining establishments having an occupant load test than 100, printing
plants, municipal police and fire stations, factories and workshops using materials not highly flammable or
combustible, storage and sales room for combustible goods, and paint stores without bulk handling, and Division 3
-Aircraft hangars where no repair work is done except exchange of parts and maintenance requiring no open flame,
welding, or the use of highly flammable liquids; open parking garages and heliports.
• (6) Group F - Industrial. Group F Occupancies shall include: Ice plants, power plants, pumping plants, cold storage,
and creameries; factories and workshops using incombustible and non-explosive materials; and storage and sales
rooms of incombustible and non-explosive materials.
• (7) Group G - Storage and Hazardous. Group G Occupancies shall include: Division 1 - Storage and handling of
hazardous and highly flammable or explosive materials other than flammable liquids; Division 2 - Storage and
handling of flammable liquids; dry cleaning plants using flammable liquids; paint stores with bulk handling; paint
shops and spray painting rooms, and shops; Division 3 - Wood working establishments, planning mills and box
factories, shops factories where loose, combustible fibers or dust are manufactured, processed or generated;
warehouses where highly combustible material is stored; Division 4 - Repair garages; and Division 5 - Aircraft repair
hangars.
• (8) Group H - Assembly Other Than Group I. Group H Occupancies shall include: Division 1 - Any assembly
building with a stage and an occupant load of less than 100 in the building; Division 2 - Any assembly building
without a stage and having an occupant load of 300 or more in the building; Division 3 - Any assembly building
without a stage and having an occupant load of less than 300 in the building, including such buildings used for
school purposes less than eight hours per week; and Division 4 - Stadiums, reviewing stands, amusement
park structures not included within Group I or Divisions 1, 2, and 3, Group H Occupancies.

• (9) Group I - Assembly Occupant Load 1000 or More. Group I Occupancies shall be any assembly building with
a stage and an occupant load of 1000 or more in the building.

• (10) Group J - Accessory. Group J Occupancies shall include: Division 1 - Private garages, carports, sheds, and
agricultural buildings; Division 2 - Fences over 1.80 meters (6 feet) high, tanks, and towers.
SECTION 3.01.02: Change in Use
• (a) No change shall be made in the character of occupancies or use of any building
which would place the building in a different division of the same group of occupancy or
in a different group of occupancies, unless such buildings is made to comply with the
requirements for such division or group of occupancy: Except, That the character of
occupancy of existing buildings may be changed subject to the approval of the Building
Official and the building may be occupied for purposes set forth in other Groups without
conforming to all the requirements for those Groups, provided the new or proposed use
is less hazardous, based on life and fire risk, than the existing use.
SECTION 3.01.03: Mixed Occupancy
• (a) General. When a building is used for more than one occupancy purposes, each part of the
building comprising a distinct "Occupancy" shall be separated from any other occupancy. When a
building is used for more than one occupancy purpose, it shall be subject to the most restrictive
requirements for the occupancies concerned:
Except, - (1) When a one-story building houses more than one occupancy, each portion of
the building shall conform to the requirements for the occupancy housed therein, and the area of
the building shall be such that the sum of the actual areas divided by the allowable area for each
separate occupancy shall not exceed one;
and (2) Where minor accessory uses do not occupy more than 10 per cent of the area of any floor of a
building, nor more than 10 per cent of the basis are permitted in the occupancy requirements.
The major use of the building shall determine the occupancy classification provided the uses are
separated in accordance with requirements for occupancy separation.
SECTION 3.01.04: Location on Property
• (a) General. Buildings shall adjoin or have access to a public space, yard, or street on not less than one side.
Required yards shall be permanently maintained. For the purpose of this Section, the center line of an
adjoining street or alley shall be considered an adjacent property line. Eaves over required windows shall be
not less than 75 centimeters (30 inches) from the side and rear and rear property lines.
• (b) Fire Resistance of Walls. Exterior walls shall have fire resistance and opening protection in accordance
with requirements set by the Secretary. Projections beyond the exterior wall shall not extend beyond a point
one-third the distance to the property line from an exterior wall; or a point one-third the distance from an
assumed vertical plane located where fire-resistive protection of openings is first required due to location on
property, whichever is the least restrictive. Distance shall be measured at right angles from the property line.
When openings in exterior walls are required to be protected due to distance from property line, the sum of
the area of such openings shall not exceed 50 per cent of the total area of the wall in each story.
SECTION 3.01.05: Allowable Floor Areas
• Areas of One-Story Buildings and Building Over One Story.
Allowable floor areas for one-story buildings and buildings
over one story shall not exceed the limits determined in
accordance with occupancy groups and types of construction.
SECTION 3.01.06: Allowable Area Increases
• The floor area hereinabove provided may be increased in
certain specific instances and under appropriate conditions,
based on the existence of public space, streets, or yards
extending along the adjoining two or more sides of the building
or structure.
SECTION 3.01.07: Maximum Height of Buildings and
Increases
• The maximum height and number of stories of every building shall be dependent upon
the character of the occupancy and the type of construction, and shall not exceed the
limits determined by population density, building bulk, widths of streets, and car
parking requirements. The height shall be measured from the highest adjoining
sidewalk or ground surface, provided that the height measured from the lowest
adjoining surface shall not exceed such maximum height by more than 3.00 meters (10
feet): Except, That towers, spires, and steeples, erected as a part of a building and not
used for habitation or storage, are limited as to height only by structural design if
completely of incombustible materials, or may extend not to exceed 6.00 meters (19
feet, 8 inches) above the height limits for each occupancy group if of combustible
materials.
 TITLE 4 - TYPES OF
CONSTRUCTION
Chapter 4.01 - CLASSIFICATION OF ALL BUILDINGS BY
TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION AND GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS
(a) The requirements of this Chapter are minimum for the varying degrees of
public safety and resistance to fire. Every building proposed for construction
shall be identified according to the following:
• (1) Type I. Type I Buildings shall be of wood construction. The structural
elements may be any of the materials permitted by this Code.
• (2) Type II. Type II Buildings shall be of wood construction with protective fire-
resistant materials and one-hour fire-resistive throughout: Except, That
permanent nonbearing partitions may use fire-retardant treated wood within
the framing assembly.
• (3) Type III. Type III Buildings shall be masonry and wood construction,
Structual elements may be any of the materials permitted by this Code:
Provided, That the building shall be one-hour fire-resistive throughout. Exterior
walls shall be of incombustible fire-resistive construction.
• (4) Type IV. Type IV Building shall be of steel, iron, concrete, or masonry
construction. Walls and permanent partitions shall be of incombustible fire-
resistive construction: Except, That permanent nonbearing partitions of one-
hour fire resistive construction framing assembly.
• (5) Type V. Type V Buildings shall be fire-resistive. The structural elements shall
be of steel, iron, concrete, or masonry construction. Walls and permanent
partitions shall be incombustible fire-resistive construction.
SECTION 4.01.02: Change in Type
• (a) No change shall be made in the type of construction of
any building which would place the building in a different
subtype or type of construction unless such bidding is
made to comply with the requirements for such subtype
or type of construction: Except, That the type of
construction of existing buildings may be changed subject
to the approval of the Building Official and the building
may be constructed for purposes set forth in other Types
without conforming to all the requirements for those
Types, provided the new or proposed construction is less
hazardous, based on life and fire risk, than the existing
construction.
TITLE 5 - LIGHT, VENTILATION,
AND SANITATION
Chapter 5.01 - LIGHT AND VENTILATION
SECTION 5.01.01: General
• (a) Subject to the provisions of the Civil Code on easement on light and view, and to provisions of
this Title, every building shall be so constructed, arranged, and equipped as to provide adequate
light and ventilation.
(b) All building erected shall face a street or public alley or private street which has been officially
approved.
(c) No building shall be altered nor arranged so as to reduce the size of any room or the relative
area of windows to less than that provided for buildings under this Code, or so as to create an
additional room, unless such additional room conforms to the requirements of this Code.
(d) No building shall be enlarged, so that the dimensions of any required court yard would be less
than that prescribed for any such building.
SECTION 5.01.05: Ceiling Heights
• (a) Habitable rooms, bathrooms, toilet rooms, storage rooms, and utility
rooms shall have a ceiling height of not less than 2.40 meters (8 feet),
measured from the floor to the ceiling: Provided, That for buildings of
more than one story, the minimum ceiling height of the first story shall be
2.70 meters (9 feet) and 2.40 meters (8 feet) for the second story, and
succeeding stories. Garages shall have an unobstructed headroom
clearance of not less than 2.10 meters (7 feet) above the finished floor.
SECTION 5.01.06: Minimum Size of Rooms and Their
Least Dimensions
• (a) The minimum sizes of rooms and their least horizontal dimensions
shall be as follows: 6:00 square (65 square feet) with at least nominal
dimension of 2.00 meters (6 feet 7 inches) for rooms for human
habitation; 3.00 square meters (32 square feet) with a least horizontal
dimension of 1.50 meters (5 feet) for kitchens; and 1.20 square meters (12
square feet) with a least horizontal dimension of 0.90 meter (3 feet) for
bathrooms.
SECTION 5.01.09: Mezzanine Floor
• (a) A Mezzanine floor is a partial, intermediate floor in any
story or room of a building having an area not more than one-
half of the area of the room or space in which it is constructed.

(b) A mezzanine floor shall be constructed with a clear ceiling

height of not less than 1.90 meters (6 feet, 4 inches) above and
below.
Chapter 5.02 - SANITATION
SECTION 5.02.01: General

• (a) All buildings hereafter erected for human habitation should

be provided with plumbing facilities installed in conformity
with the National Plumbing Code adopted and promulgated by
the National Master Plumbers Association of the Philippines
pursuant to Republic Act 1378, otherwise known as the
"Plumbing Law".
TITLE 6 - REGULATIONS FOR
USE OF PUBLIC
PROPERTY
Chapter 6.01 - BUILDING PROJECTION OVER
PUBLIC STREETS
SECTION 6.01.02: Projection into Alleys and
Streets
• (a) No part of any structure or its appendage shall project into any alley or street except
as provided in this Code.
• (b) No projection shall be allowed on any national roads or public highway.
• (c) Footing located at least 2.40 meters (8 feet) below grade may project not more than
30 centimeters (12 inches) beyond the property line.
• (d) Foundation may be permitted to encroach into public sidewalk areas to a width not
exceeding 50 centimeters (1 foot, 8 inches): Provided, That the top of the said
foundations or footings does not reach beyond the level of a plane 60 centimeters (2
feet) below the established grade; and Provided, further, That said projection does not
obstruct any existing utility such as power, communication, gas, water, or sewer lines,
unless the owner concerned shall pay the corresponding entities for the re-routing of
the parts affected.
SECTION 6.01.08: Corner Buildings with
Chaflans
• (a) Every corner building on a public street or alley less than 30.60 meters (12 feet) in
width shall be made with a chaflan or truncated angle at the corner. The face of the
triangle so formed shall be at right angles to the bisector of the angle of intersection of
the street lines; Provided, That, in no case, shall the length of the chaflan be less than
4.00 meters (13 feet, 4 inches). In special cases, the Building Official shall determine
the size and form of the chaflan.

• (b) If the buildings is arcaded, no chaflan is required notwithstanding the width of the
public street or alleys less than 12.00 meters (39 feet, 4 inches).