Exits required per space
Rooms and spaces that exceed the single-exit occupant load or common path limits in IBC Table 1006.2.1 need two exit access doorways, and more above 500 occupants.
Plan check correction · Egress
Plan check correction: number of exits and exit separation
A space or story that needs two exits but shows one, or two exits placed side by side, draws a correction that can move doors, corridors, and stairs.
The comment asks you to show that each room, space, and story has the number of exits its occupant load and travel distances require, and that the exits are far enough apart. Clear it by showing the required number with its basis, and dimensioning the separation against the overall diagonal of the area served.
Read the comment
What the plans examiner is asking for
Exits required per story
The number of exits for each story based on its occupant load, under IBC Section 1006.3.3 and Table 1006.3.3.
Separation dimension
Where two exits are required, the distance between them measured against the overall diagonal of the area served: one half, or one third in sprinklered buildings, under IBC Section 1007.1.1.
Independence of routes
Evidence that the paths to the two exits do not pass through the same point or the same room.
Published correction lists
How city lists word this correction
Published lists ask for the number of exits, the exit separation dimension, or a second means of egress. Paraphrased from each department’s own published list; the lists do not rank items by how often they are issued.
| City | What the published list asks for | Code cited | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Provide two exits from any space or story whose occupant load exceeds the table limit, for example more than 49 occupants in Groups A, B, E, F, M or U. | CBC T1006.2.1 | Commercial Plan Check Correction Sheets (2026 LABC), Part II, H. Means of Egress, item 12 |
| San Francisco | At site permit, DBI checks that the proposed egress system provides enough exits and identifies major potential egress requirements. | — | Site Permit Review Criteria memo - Means of Egress |
| San Diego | Egress plans must identify exit access, exits and exit discharge, and state exits required versus provided; rated corridors, horizontal exits and stair enclosures must be labeled. | — | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 5.7.2 and 5.7.3 |
| Seattle | Egress plans should show and dimension the separation between exits, and identify building exits, horizontal exits, refuge areas, and exit passageways or enclosures. | — | Screening Standards - NEW Commercial Projects, Means of Egress/Exiting Plan |
| New York City | The NDR floor plan checklist asks for the number of exits on each floor and two means of egress, with accessibility on the first floor. | — | Plan Exam Guidelines for Next Day Review – item A.09 Egress Calculations |
| Denver | Denver added a local 'single-stair' exception letting Group R-2 buildings up to five stories above grade (four with an occupiable roof) use one exit if a lengthy list of conditions is met together: no more than four dwelling units per story, gross floor area capped per story, a citywide fire sprinkler system, one-hour-rated corridors, 2-hour-rated exit stairway/elevator shaft enclosures, minimum stair widths of 48 or 54 inches depending on floor area, dedicated emergency escape openings, and a posted 'this building contains only one stair' sign at the fire alarm panel. | DBC 1006.3.4, item 6 and subparts 6.1-6.19 | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 10: Means of Egress, Section 1006 Number of Exits and Exit Access Doorways |
| Phoenix | The general code data block must separately list the number of exits required by code and the number of exits actually provided for the building. | — | Commercial Building Permit Submittal Checklist, General Code Data section |
| Boston | Each exit shown on a place-of-assembly egress plan must be uniquely labeled, with the main exit clearly identified and documentation of its adequate capacity. | — | Place of Assembly Permit page, egress plan requirements |
| Austin | Provide two exits or exit access doorways from any space that exceeds the occupant-load thresholds in the exit-number table; where an R-2 building relies on a single exit stairway, also confirm compliance with the City's local amendment adding conditions to that table. | IBC 1006.2.1; Table 1006.3.4(1); Section 1006.3.4.2 (Austin amendment) | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section L items 137-138 |
| Chicago | The matrix asks whether the project is relying on a single-exit condition and requires the separation between an exit and its exit access to be shown and dimensioned. | 14B-10-1005.3.3; 14B-10-1007.1 | Sample Code Compliance Matrix, items B.10.04-B.10.05 |
| Chicago | Phase 3 of the Construction Codes Modernization (adopted June 17, 2026) authorizes space-saving stairway designs intended to preserve simultaneous occupant evacuation and emergency response while allowing more flexible apartment layouts, alongside amendments extending some four-story sprinklered-building provisions to five-story buildings. | — | DOB/Mayor's Press Office release, Phase 3 Construction Codes Modernization (April 15, 2026), 'Build More Housing' section |
Sources reviewed September 12, 2026. Code sections are as cited on each list and follow that city’s adopted code. Confirm the current list and edition with the department.
Revise the set
What changes on the drawings, and what else to re-check
Adding or moving an exit is one of the largest changes a correction can force, so check the whole chain.
| Change | Sheets to revise | Also re-check |
|---|---|---|
| Second door added to a room | Floor plan; door schedule | Swing direction, hardware, accessible clearances, corridor rating at the new opening |
| Exit relocated for separation | Floor plans; egress plan with diagonal | Travel distances, exit discharge, site plan path to the public way |
| Second stair added | Floor plans on every level; stair sections; roof plan | Structural framing, shaft enclosures, fire department access, elevator lobby layout |
| Diagonal re-measured | Egress plan | Code analysis note on sprinkler status that the one-third rule depends on |
Close the comment
A response the reviewer can verify
An illustrative example written for this guide, not a real project or a city’s wording. Name the sheet, the detail, and the change, so the recheck does not start with a search.
Comment
Two exits are required from the second floor. Show exit separation of not less than one-third of the overall diagonal.
Response
Revised as requested. Egress plan A0.12 shows the overall diagonal of the second floor (212 feet) and the distance between exit stairs 1 and 2 (84 feet), greater than one-third of the diagonal for this sprinklered building. Stair 2 relocated to the east end; structural plan S2.02 updated.
Before you submit
Catch it before the plans examiner does
Check thresholds early
Compare each space’s occupant load and common path with the single-exit limits before the plan is fixed.
Draw the diagonal
Show the overall diagonal and the separation dimension on the egress plan.
Follow the routes
Trace both exit paths and confirm they do not converge before reaching separate exits.
Groundbook compares the drawings, schedules, and specifications with the adopted code and local amendments, and links each potential issue to the sheets and sections behind it. We read the amendments governments publish online and use licensed model codes only where a license allows it. Your team verifies each finding; the jurisdiction makes every approval decision. See the pre-permit review and drawing-to-code review.
Questions, answered
Number and separation of exits: questions
How is exit separation measured?
Measure the straight-line distance between the exits or exit access doorways and compare it with the maximum overall diagonal of the building or area they serve.
Can a building have a single exit?
Some small stories can, within the occupant load and travel distance limits of IBC Section 1006.3.4 and its tables. The plans should state which provision is used.
Do scissor stairs count as two exits?
No. Under IBC Section 1007.1.1, interlocking or scissor stairways count as one exit stairway. A second required exit needs its own separated stair or route.
Keep going
Related corrections and city guides
Travel distance and common path
Measured travel paths to exits, and the distance before two routes are available, compared with the code limits.
Read this correctionOccupant load and egress width
Occupant load tabulated by space, and exit, door, corridor, and stair widths sized for that load.
Read this correctionStairs, handrails, and guards
Dimensioned stair sections and handrail and guard details showing heights, openings, extensions, and structural loads.
Read this correctionLos Angeles plan check
How LADBS reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideSan Francisco plan check
How DBI reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideSan Diego plan check
How DSD reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideRespond to plan check comments
Response letter format, six response types, and a free response log.
Read the guideFind the corrections before the plans examiner does
Upload the drawing set. We read the local amendments that governments publish online, and link each potential issue to its sources for your team to verify.