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Egress through a garage.

V

vegeta82

Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
21
Location
United States
I am curious others takes on this circumstance. Individual wants to build a free standing garage which is accessory to the main dwelling. A part of the garage is a game room. In this game room there will be an emergency escape window. However to egress this game room you would have to travel through the garage. 311.1 is clear egress through the garage is prohibited. However this free standing garage and its game room by definition is not a dwelling (follow up question then what is it?). The game room certainly doesn't provide space for eating and cooking it does have a bathroom. The builder is flexible with how the bathroom is accessed but they are really set on not providing a door from the game room to the outside without travel through the garage.

What say you all?


R311.1 Means of egress. Dwellings shall be provided with a
means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of
egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical
and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling
to the required egress door without requiring travel through
a garage. The required egress door shall open directly into a
public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.
 
R311.4 Vertical Egress

Egress from habitable levels including habitable attics and basements not provided with an egress door in accordance with Section R311.2 shall be by a ramp in accordance with Section R311.8 or a stairway in accordance with Section R311.7.


[RB] DWELLING. Any building that contains one or two dwelling units used, intended, or designed to be built, used, rented, leased, let or hired out to be occupied, or that are occupied for living purposes
 
Is the Den a part of the Dwelling? IMPO, yes it is part of the Habitable space of the dwelling. therefore, the required egress shall be a door without requiring travel through a garage.
 
fatboy said:
A detached garage is not going to require egress in the same manner as a habitable space.

How do you egress out of a garage itself?
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Good question. A detached garage as i understand it wouldn't obligate a typical egress component i.e. door EEO or similar. But with this habitable space this is not just a garage An attached garage is extension of the dwelling and would require access to the Required Egress Door.

(Side not in Oklahoma we actually do have a state amendment that obligates egress from the garage by a door for these scenarios but this is straying from the topic)
 
mark handler said:
Is the Den a part of the Dwelling? IMPO, yes it is part of the Habitable space of the dwelling. therefore, the required egress shall be a door without requiring travel through a garage.
Click to expand...
So even though its detached its a part of the main dwelling? Not saying your wrong merely clarifying your opinion.
 
vegeta82 said:
So even though its detached its a part of the main dwelling? Not saying your wrong merely clarifying your opinion.
Click to expand...
Yes, it is a part of the residence. It is not a separate and distinct occupancy. Who is to tell the son, no you cannot turn it into a crash pad.....
 
Seems like another rewrite of 311 is required....
Dwellings "and habitable spaces associated with them" shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section....Maybe....?
 
[RB] HABITABLE SPACE. A space in a building for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls, storage or utility spaces and similar areas are not considered habitable spaces.

Is it a habitable space, a dwelling? I don't think it is either one. If you called this space a tool room would you have the same concerns? I commend them for being honest for what the purpose of the room is at time of permitting and review. Personally I would probably accept the EERO under R104.1
 
If the den also had another door leading outside then it could also have a door into a garage right? I'm thinking most every house I've been in that had an attached garage has a door from the house into the garage, say from the kitchen. The kitchen is part of the dwelling and it has a door into the garage, but since there is another means of egress it's not a problem. Right?
 
Correct. There must be a - one - means of egress that is not through a garage but fine if in addition to that one, others are permitted, through garage or elsewhere.
 
This reminds me of egress for office in a warehouse. If the office is in the middle of a warehouse and the warehouse is used for storage would this comply to code? Not allowed to egress through storage rooms:

1016.2 Egress through intervening spaces. Egress through
intervening spaces shall comply with this section.

5. Egress shall not pass through kitchens, storage rooms,
closets or spaces used for similar purposes.
 
If the game room vegeta82 describes was an addition, clearly R311.1 would require egress that does not pass through the garage, and R302.6 would require dwelling-garage separation. I agree with steveray that the code needs additional language because the vegeta82 scenario, while a fairly common occurrence, is not clearly addressed in the code. I like mark handler treating the game room as part of the dwelling since we lack clarity as the code does not address the scenario directly for a detached structure.

The code commentary to R311.1 specifically states that an EERO is not considered an exit. I believe the applicant is entitled to have a garage with a separate storage room that is part of the garage. I believe the applicant can finish off including insulate and heat that storage space, and it is still part of the garage. But when the applicant tells you it is a game room that now meets the definition of habitable space. The code gives us no reason to think that a habitable room in a detached dwelling should have a lower standard of (egress) safety than the exact same configuration attached to the house.

Heaven forbid anything should ever go wrong, but if you care about your liability, and you should, adopt the mark handler outlook on this one. By the way, if they tell you on the construction documents it is a storage room and they use it as something else (oh, that never happens) you have the documentation of what you approved if anyone gets hurt.
 
Rick18071 said:
This reminds me of egress for office in a warehouse. If the office is in the middle of a warehouse and the warehouse is used for storage would this comply to code? Not allowed to egress through storage rooms:

1016.2 Egress through intervening spaces. Egress through
intervening spaces shall comply with this section.

5. Egress shall not pass through kitchens, storage rooms,
closets or spaces used for similar purposes.
Click to expand...
I've always thought the same on commercial kitchens.....just an interesting conundrum........ ;)
 
I appreciate all the feedback on the topic.

Very on point responses.

While I do not believe the garage is a dwelling. I still believe the intent is not to allow egress from the garage only and the EEO isn't a means of egress.

I am going to stick with the notion that the habitable space shouldn't egress through the garage only. Having a BOA is always an option if they are interested.

Thanks again.
 
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