Occupancy Classifications Based on the International Building Code
Occupancy classifications are broken down in the 2021 IBC or International Building Code Chapter 3 "Occupancy Classification and Use". These different groups are made up for different uses and structures. As you guessed, each occupancy classification has its own fire alarm system requirements. These fire alarm requirements are found in the IFC or International Fire Code section 907. Below is a simple breakdown of what each occupancy classification is used for. We have also included links that will take you directly to the fire alarm requirements for each group.
Occupancy Group Classifications
Assembly Group A Occupancy:
Section 303.1 - Uses intended for the gathering together of persons for the purposes such as civic, social or religious functions, recreation, food or drink consumption or awaiting transportation.
A-2: Uses intended for food and drink consumption. This could include but not limited to banquet halls, casino gaming areas, night clubs, restaurants, cafeterias and similar dining facilities including associated commercial kitchens, taverns, and bars.
A-3: Uses intended for worship, recreation or amusement and other assembly uses not otherwise classified. This could include amusement arcades, art galleries, bowling alleys, community halls, courtrooms, dance halls, exhibition halls, funeral parlors, greenhouses for the conservation and exhibition of plants that provide public access, gymnasiums without spectator seating, indoor swimming pools without spectator seating, indoor tennis courts without spectator seating, lecture halls, libraries, museums, places of religious warship, pool and billiard parlors, and waiting areas in transportation terminals.
A-4: Uses intended for viewing of indoor sporting events and activities with spectator seating. This can include but not limited to arenas, skating rinks, swimming pools, and tennis courts.
A-5: Uses intended for participation in or viewing outdoor activities. This can include but not limited to amusement park structures, bleachers, grandstands, and stadiums.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group A Occupancy.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group F Occupancy.
Group H-2: Deflagration Hazard or Accelerated Burning
Group H-3: Materials that readily support combustion or pose a physical hazard.
Group H-4: Materials are health hazard
Group H-5: Semiconductor fabrication facilities and comparable R&D areas which HPM's are used.
Group I-2: Used for medical, surgical, psychiatric, nursing or custodial care on a 24 hour basis of more than 5 persons who are not capable of self-preservation.
Group I-3: Is inhabited by more than five persons who are under restraint or security and is occupied by persons who are generally incapable of self-preservation due to security measures not under the occupant's control.
Group I-4: Includes buildings or structures occupied by more than 5 persons of any age who receive custodial care for fewer than 24 hours per day by persons other than parents or guardians. (Adult Day Care or Child Day Care). This group shall include but is not limited to the following: adult day care, and child day care.
Group R-2: Residential use for occupants that are primarily permanent in nature. This includes but not limited to apartment houses, congregate living facilities for 16 or more non transient occupants, boarding houses that are non transient, convents, dormitories, fraternities and sororities, monasteries, hotels, live/work units, motels, and vacation timeshare properties.
Group R-3: Residential use for occupants that are primarily permanent in nature which does not classify as Group R-1, R-2, R-4 or I. This includes but not limited to buildings that do not contain more than two dwelling units, care facilities that provide accommodations for five or less persons receiving care, congregate living facilities with 16 or less nontransient occupants, boarding houses that are nontransient, convents, dormitories, fraternities and sororities, monasteries, congregate living facilities for 10 or less transient occupants, boarding houses for transients, and lodging houses with five or less transient guest rooms and 10 or fewer transient occupants.
Group R-4: Residential use for more than 5 but fewer than 16 occupants, excluding staff, who reside on a 24 hour basis in a supervised environment.
Group S-2: Low Hazard storage. Occupancies include among others, buildings used for the storage of noncombustible materials such as products on wood pallets or in paper cartoons with or without single thickness divisions or in paper wrappings. Such products are permitted to have a negligible amount of plastic trim, such as knobs, handles or film wrapping.
Section 303.1.1 - A building or tenant space used for assembly purposes with an occupant load of less than 50 persons shall be classified as a group B occupancy.
Section 303.1.2 - A room or space used for assembly purposes with an occupant load of less than 50 persons or less than 750 square feet in area and accessory to another occupancy shall be classified as a Group B occupancy or as part of that occupancy. 
Section 303.1.3 - Assembly rooms which are accessory to Group E are not considered as Group A.
Section 303.1.4 - Religious education rooms and auditoriums with occupant loads less than 100 persons which are accessory to churches or places of special worship, shall not be considered separate occupancies.
Please refer to section 411 of the 2021 International Building Code for Special Amusement areas.
Note that a building or tenant space used for assembly purposes with an occupant load of less than 50 persons shall be classified as a Group B occupancy. A room or space for assembly purposes that is less than 750 square feet in area or accessory to another occupancy shall be classified as a group B occupancy or as part of that occupancy.
Group A is divided into five sub groups as follows:
A-1: Assembly use. Usually with fixed seating, intended for production and viewing of the performing arts or motion pictures. This could include but not limited to motion picture theaters, Symphony and concert halls, television and radio stations admitting an audience, and theaters.
A-1: Assembly use. Usually with fixed seating, intended for production and viewing of the performing arts or motion pictures. This could include but not limited to motion picture theaters, Symphony and concert halls, television and radio stations admitting an audience, and theaters.
A-2: Uses intended for food and drink consumption. This could include but not limited to banquet halls, casino gaming areas, night clubs, restaurants, cafeterias and similar dining facilities including associated commercial kitchens, taverns, and bars.
A-3: Uses intended for worship, recreation or amusement and other assembly uses not otherwise classified. This could include amusement arcades, art galleries, bowling alleys, community halls, courtrooms, dance halls, exhibition halls, funeral parlors, greenhouses for the conservation and exhibition of plants that provide public access, gymnasiums without spectator seating, indoor swimming pools without spectator seating, indoor tennis courts without spectator seating, lecture halls, libraries, museums, places of religious warship, pool and billiard parlors, and waiting areas in transportation terminals.
A-4: Uses intended for viewing of indoor sporting events and activities with spectator seating. This can include but not limited to arenas, skating rinks, swimming pools, and tennis courts.
A-5: Uses intended for participation in or viewing outdoor activities. This can include but not limited to amusement park structures, bleachers, grandstands, and stadiums.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group A Occupancy.
Business Group B Occupancy:
Assembly occupancies less than 50 persons and/or uses intended for office, professional or service type transactions, including storage of records and accounts. Group B occupancies can include but are not limited to the following: Airport traffic control towers, ambulatory care facilities, animal hospitals, kennels, pounds, banks, Barber and beauty shops, car washes, civic administration, clinics and outpatient facilities, dry cleaning and laundry facilities, educational occupancies for students above the 12th grade including higher education laboratories, electronic data processing, food processing establishments and commercial kitchens not associated with restaurants, cafeterias and similar dining facilities not more than 2500 square feet in area, Laboratories for testing and research, motor vehicle showrooms, post offices, print shops, professional services (architects attorneys, dentists, physicians, engineers, etc.), radio and television stations, telephone exchanges, training and skill development not any school or academic program this shall include but not limited to tutoring centers, Martial arts studios, gymnastics and similar uses regardless of the ages served, and where not classified as a group a occupancy.
For additional information on airport traffic control towers, please refer to the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) section 304.2.
For additional information on ambulatory care facilities, please refer to the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) section 304.3.
For additional information on higher education laboratories, please refer to the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) section 304 .4.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group B Occupancy.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group B Occupancy.
Educational Group E Occupancy:
Section 305.1 - Uses intended by 6 or more persons at any time for educational purposes through the 12th grade.
Section 305.2 - Group E daycare uses for educational, supervision or personal care services for more than 6 children older than 2 and a half years of age.
Section 305.1.1 - Religious education rooms or auditoriums that have an occupant load of less than 100 per room or space shall be classified as Group A-3 occupancies.
Section 305.2.3 - A facility having five or fewer children receiving such daycare shall be classified as part of the primary occupancy.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group E Occupancy.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group E Occupancy.
Factory Industrial Group F Occupancy:
Uses intended for assembling, disassembling, fabricating, finishing, manufacturing, packaging, repair or processing operations that are not classified as Group H Hazardous or Group S Storage. Group is divided into two sub groups.
Group F-1: Moderate Hazard - Factory industrial uses that are not classified as factory industrial F-2 low hazard shall be classified as F-1 moderate hazard and shall include but are not limited to the following: Aircraft manufacturing not including repair, appliances, athletic equipment, automobiles and other motor vehicles, bakeries, beverages over 16 per cent alcohol content, bicycles, boats, brooms and brushes, business machines, camera and photo equipment, canvas or similar fabric, carpets and rugs including cleaning, clothing, construction and agricultural machinery, disinfectants, dry cleaning and dying electric generation plants, electronics, energy storage systems in dedicated use buildings, Engines including rebuilding, food processing establishments and commercial kitchens not associated with restaurants, cafeterias and similar dining facilities more than 2500 square feet in area, furniture, hemp products, jute products, laundries, leather products, machinery, metals, millwork, motion pictures and television filming without spectators, musical instruments, optical goods, paper mills or products, photographic film, plastic products, printing or publishing, recreational vehicles, refuse incineration, Shoes, soaps and detergents, textiles, tobacco, trailers, upholstering, water and sewer treatment facilities, would distillation, and woodworking.
Group F-1: Moderate Hazard - Factory industrial uses that are not classified as factory industrial F-2 low hazard shall be classified as F-1 moderate hazard and shall include but are not limited to the following: Aircraft manufacturing not including repair, appliances, athletic equipment, automobiles and other motor vehicles, bakeries, beverages over 16 per cent alcohol content, bicycles, boats, brooms and brushes, business machines, camera and photo equipment, canvas or similar fabric, carpets and rugs including cleaning, clothing, construction and agricultural machinery, disinfectants, dry cleaning and dying electric generation plants, electronics, energy storage systems in dedicated use buildings, Engines including rebuilding, food processing establishments and commercial kitchens not associated with restaurants, cafeterias and similar dining facilities more than 2500 square feet in area, furniture, hemp products, jute products, laundries, leather products, machinery, metals, millwork, motion pictures and television filming without spectators, musical instruments, optical goods, paper mills or products, photographic film, plastic products, printing or publishing, recreational vehicles, refuse incineration, Shoes, soaps and detergents, textiles, tobacco, trailers, upholstering, water and sewer treatment facilities, would distillation, and woodworking.
Group F-2: Low Hazard - Factory industrial uses that involve the fabrication or manufacturing of non combustible materials that during finishing, packing or processing do not involve a significant fire hazard shall be classified as F-2 occupancies and shall include but not limited to the following: Beverages up to and including 16% alcohol content, brick and masonry, ceramic products, foundries, glass products, gypsum, ice, and metal products (fabrication and assembly).
- Factory industrial uses that involve the fabrication or manufacturing of non combustible materials that during finishing, packing or processing do not involve a significant fire hazard shall be classified as F-2 occupancies and shall include but not limited to the following: Beverages up to and including 16% alcohol content, brick and masonry, ceramic products, foundries, glass products, gypsum, ice, and metal products (fabrication and assembly).Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group F Occupancy.
High-Hazard Group H Occupancy:
Uses intended for manufacturing, processing, generation or storage of materials that constitute a physical or health hazard in quantities in excess of those allowed . Group H is divided into 5 sub groups.
Group H-1: Detonation Hazard
Group H-1: Detonation Hazard
Group H-2: Deflagration Hazard or Accelerated Burning
Group H-3: Materials that readily support combustion or pose a physical hazard.
Group H-4: Materials are health hazard
Group H-5: Semiconductor fabrication facilities and comparable R&D areas which HPM's are used.
Due to the complex nature and multiple types of combustible/explosive material, we highly recommend you review the direct requirements found in section 307 of the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) to verify which group H occupancy your facility will be classified as. Tables 307.1(1) and 307.1(2) will provide additional information as well.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group H Occupancy.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group H Occupancy.
Institutional Group I Occupancy:
Uses intended in which people are cared for or live in a supervised environment, having physical limitations because of health or age are harbored for medical treatment or other care or treatment or in which the liberty of the occupants is restricted. Group I is divided into four sub groups.
Group I-1: Houses more than 16 persons, on a 24 hour basis, who because of age, mental disability or other reasons, live in a supervised residential environment that provides personal care services. Condition 1 - The occupants are capable of responding to an emergency situation without physical assistance from staff.
Group I-1: Houses more than 16 persons, on a 24 hour basis, who because of age, mental disability or other reasons, live in a supervised residential environment that provides personal care services. Condition 1 - The occupants are capable of responding to an emergency situation without physical assistance from staff.
Condition 2 - This occupancy condition shall include buildings in which there are any persons receiving custodial care who require limited verbal or physical assistance while responding to an emergency situation to complete building evacuation.
This occupancy classification will include but not limited to alcohol and drug centers, assisted living facilities, congregate care facilities, group homes, halfway houses, residential board and care facilities, and social rehabilitation facilities.
A facility housing not less than six and not more than 16 persons receiving custodial care shall be classified as a group R-4 occupancy. A facility with five or less persons receiving custodial care shall be classified as a group R-3 or shall comply with the International Residential Code (IRC) provided in automatic sprinkler system is installed in accordance with sections 903.3.1.3 or section P2904 of the International Residential Code (IRC).
Group I-2: Used for medical, surgical, psychiatric, nursing or custodial care on a 24 hour basis of more than 5 persons who are not capable of self-preservation.
Condition 1 - This occupancy condition shall include facilities that provide nursing and medical care but do not provide emergency care, surgery, obstetrics or in-patient stabilization units for psychiatric or detoxification, including but not limited to nursing homes and foster care facilities.
Condition 2 - This occupancy classification shall include facilities that provide nursing and medical care and could provide emergency care, surgery, obstetrics or inpatient stabilization units for psychiatric or detoxification, including but not limited to hospitals.
Less than five people shall be considered a Group R-3. This group shall include but not be limited to the following: foster care facilities, detoxification facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, and psychiatric hospitals.
Group I-3: Is inhabited by more than five persons who are under restraint or security and is occupied by persons who are generally incapable of self-preservation due to security measures not under the occupant's control.
Condition 1 - Group I-2 classification shall include buildings in which free movement is allowed from sleeping areas, and other spaces where access or occupancy is permitted, to the exterior via means of egress without restraint. A condition one facility is permitted to be constructed as group R.
Condition 2 - Group I-2 shall include buildings in which free movement is allowed from sleeping areas and any other occupied smoke compartment to one or more other smoke compartments. Egress to the exterior is impeded by locked exits.
Condition 3 - Group I-2 shall include buildings in which free movement is allowed within individual smoke compartments, such as within a residential unit composed of individual sleeping units and group activity spaces, where egress is impeded by remote controlled release of means of egress from such a smoke compartment to another smoke compartment.
Condition 4 - Group I-2 shall include buildings in which free movement is restricted from an occupied space. Remote controlled release is provided to permit movement from sleeping units, activity spaces and other occupied areas within the smoke compartment to another smoke compartment.
Condition 5 - Group I-2 shall include buildings in which free movement is restricted from an occupied space. Staff controlled manual release is provided to permit movement from sleeping units, activity spaces and other occupied areas within the smoke compartment to another smoke compartment.
Group I-4: Includes buildings or structures occupied by more than 5 persons of any age who receive custodial care for fewer than 24 hours per day by persons other than parents or guardians. (Adult Day Care or Child Day Care). This group shall include but is not limited to the following: adult day care, and child day care.
Section 308.5.1 - A child day care facility that provides care for more than 5 but not more than 100 children ages two and a half years or less, where the rooms in which the children are cared for are located on a level of exit discharge serving such rooms and each of these child care rooms has an exit door directly to the exterior, shall be classified as a group E occupancy.
Section 308.5.2 - Rooms and areas located within places of religious warship that provide care during religious functions shall be classified as part of the primary occupancy.
Section 308.5.3 - A facility having five or less persons receiving custodial care shall be classified as part of the primary occupancy.
Section 308.5.4 - A facility such as above within a dwelling unit and having five or less persons receiving custodial care shall be classified as a group R-3 occupancy or shall comply with the International Residential Code (IRC).
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group I Occupancy.
Mercantile Group M Occupancy:
The use of a building or structure or a portion thereof for the display and sale of gods and involves stocks of goods. This occupancy shall include but not limited to the following: department stores, drug stores, markets, greenhouses for display and sale of plants that provide public access, motor fuel dispensing facilities, retail or wholesale stores, and sales rooms.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group M Occupancy.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group M Occupancy.
Residential Group R Occupancy:
The use of a building or structure or a portion thereof, for sleeping purposes when not classified as an institutional Group I or when not regulated by the International Residential Code (IRC).
Group R-1: Residential use for occupants that are primarily transient in nature. (Boarding houses with more than 10 occupants, congregate living facilities with more than 10 occupants Hotel, Motel, Boarding Home (transient), etc.)
Group R-1: Residential use for occupants that are primarily transient in nature. (Boarding houses with more than 10 occupants, congregate living facilities with more than 10 occupants Hotel, Motel, Boarding Home (transient), etc.)
Group R-2: Residential use for occupants that are primarily permanent in nature. This includes but not limited to apartment houses, congregate living facilities for 16 or more non transient occupants, boarding houses that are non transient, convents, dormitories, fraternities and sororities, monasteries, hotels, live/work units, motels, and vacation timeshare properties.
Group R-3: Residential use for occupants that are primarily permanent in nature which does not classify as Group R-1, R-2, R-4 or I. This includes but not limited to buildings that do not contain more than two dwelling units, care facilities that provide accommodations for five or less persons receiving care, congregate living facilities with 16 or less nontransient occupants, boarding houses that are nontransient, convents, dormitories, fraternities and sororities, monasteries, congregate living facilities for 10 or less transient occupants, boarding houses for transients, and lodging houses with five or less transient guest rooms and 10 or fewer transient occupants.
Care facilities for five or less people receiving care that are located within a single-family dwelling are allowed to comply with the International Residential Code (IRC) provided they are equipped with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with sections 903.3.1.3 or section P2904 of the International Residential Code (IRC).
Group R-4: Residential use for more than 5 but fewer than 16 occupants, excluding staff, who reside on a 24 hour basis in a supervised environment.
Condition 1 - Group R-4 shall include buildings in which all persons receiving custodial care, without any assistance, are capable of responding to an emergency situation to complete building evacuation.
Condition 2 - Group R-4 shall include buildings in which there are any persons receiving custodial care who require a limited verbal or physical assistance while responding to an emergency situation to complete building evacuation.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group R Occupancy.
Click here to find out what fire alarm equipment is required for Group R Occupancy.
Storage Group S Occupancy:
The use of a building or structure or a portion thereof, for storage not classified as a hazardous occupancy.
Group S-1: Moderate Hazard storage. Buildings occupied for storage uses that are not classified as group S-2 of combustible items.
Group S-1: Moderate Hazard storage. Buildings occupied for storage uses that are not classified as group S-2 of combustible items.
Group S-2: Low Hazard storage. Occupancies include among others, buildings used for the storage of noncombustible materials such as products on wood pallets or in paper cartoons with or without single thickness divisions or in paper wrappings. Such products are permitted to have a negligible amount of plastic trim, such as knobs, handles or film wrapping.
Public parking garages shall comply with section 406.4 and the additional requirements of section 406.5 for open parking garages or section 406.6 for enclosed parking garages.
Utility and Miscellaneous Group U Occupancy:
The use of a building or structure or a portion thereof, not classified by any of the above occupancy groups. This occupancy can include but not limited to: agricultural buildings, aircraft hangars accessory to a one or two family residence, barns, carports, communication equipment structures with a gross floor area of less than 1500 square feet, fences more than seven feet in height, grain silos accessory to a residential occupancy, livestock shelters, private garages, retaining walls, sheds, stables, tanks, and towers.
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