Wis. Admin. Code Department of Safety and Professional Services SPS 321.03

Current through October 28, 2024

Section SPS 321.03 - Exits

Exits, doors and hallways shall be constructed as specified in this section.

(1) EXITS FROM THE FIRST FLOOR.

(a) Except as allowed under par. (h), every dwelling unit shall be provided with at least 2 exit doors accessible from the first floor.

(b) At least one of the exits shall discharge to grade and may not go through a garage. This exit may include interior or exterior stairs.

Note: Under this paragraph, only one of the two exit doors that are addressed in par. (a) is required to exit directly to grade.

(c) Any exit that does not comply with par. (b) may discharge to an outside balcony that complies with sub. (8).

(d) Any exit that does not comply with par. (b) may discharge into an attached garage provided the garage has an exit door that discharges to grade. An overhead garage door may not be used as an exit door.

(e) Except as allowed under pars. (f) and (h), the 2 required exit doors shall be separated by at least the greater of the following distances:

1. One-third the length of the longest diagonal of the floor in plan view, exclusive of an attached garage.

2. 20 feet.

Note: See ch. SPS 325 Appendix A for examples of exit separation design.

(f)

1. First floor levels that do not meet the separation requirements under par. (e), shall have at least one egress window complying with sub. (6) on that floor level.

2. An egress window to comply with subd. 1. shall be separated from at least one door on the first floor by one of the distances under par. (e).

3. If first floor levels that do not meet the separation requirements under par. (e) contain one or more sleeping rooms, each sleeping room shall have at least one egress window complying with sub. (6).

(g)

1. The exit separation distance required under par. (e) shall be calculated or measured as a straight line from the midpoint of one doorway to the midpoint of the other doorway.

2. For exiting through an attached garage, the separation distance shall be measured using the door connecting the garage and the dwelling. Distance within the garage shall be ignored.

(h)

1. Dwellings consisting of no more than a first floor with a maximum floor area of 400 square feet and a loft area not exceeding half of the first floor area, shall be provided with at least one exit door leading directly to the exterior and at least one egress window that complies with sub. (6).

2.

a. Dwellings that meet the size restrictions under subd. 1., are not required to meet the exit separation requirements under par. (e) or (f).

b. If a dwelling that meets the size restrictions under subd. 1., has more than one room on the first floor, the door and the egress window shall be located in different rooms.

3. One of the exit doors required in par. (a) may be omitted for a dwelling unit that has one or more egress windows on the first floor. If there are bedrooms, each must have a window that complies with sub. (6).

(2) EXITS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR.

(a) At least 2 exits shall be provided from the second floor. At least one of the exits shall be a stairway or ramp and lead to the first floor or discharge to grade. The second exit may be via a stairway or ramp that discharges to grade, or to a balcony which complies with sub. (8), or to a deck that complies with s. SPS 321.225 and that is no more than 15 feet above the grade below.

(b) Windows that comply with sub. (6) may be provided in each second floor bedroom - or in another location on the second floor if there are no bedrooms on that floor - in lieu of the second exit from that floor.

(c) Where the second floor of a building is the lowest floor level in a dwelling unit, as in an up-and-down duplex, no exit from the unit may go through another dwelling unit or other party's occupancy on the first floor.

(3) EXITS ABOVE THE SECOND FLOOR.

(a) Except as provided under pars. (b) and (c), each habitable floor above the second floor shall be provided with at least 2 exits that meet all of the following requirements:

1. The exits shall be stairways or ramps that lead to the second floor or discharge to grade.

2. The exits shall be located such that an exit is accessible to the second floor if another exit is blocked.

(b) A second stairway or ramp exit is not required for habitable areas on a third floor that meet all of the following requirements:

1. The habitable area consists of a single room.

Note: Non-habitable areas, such as closets and bathrooms may be partitioned off.

2. The room is not used for sleeping.

3. The habitable area has a floor area of 400 square feet or less.

4. There is at least one egress window meeting the requirements of sub. (6) in the habitable area.

(c) A second stairway or ramp exit is not required for habitable areas on a third floor that meet all of the following requirements:

1. The dwelling is fully sprinklered in accordance with NFPA 13R or NFPA 13D.

2. If a required exit includes an attached garage, the garage shall be sprinklered.

(4) EXITS FROM LOFTS.

(a) At least one stairway exit shall be provided, to the floor below, for a loft exceeding 400 square feet in area.

(b) At least one stairway or ladder exit shall be provided to the floor below for a loft, 400 square feet or less, in area.

(5) EXITS FROM BASEMENTS AND GROUND FLOORS.

(a)General. Except as provided in par. (b), all basements and ground floors shall be provided with at least one exit of the following types:

1. A door to the exterior of the dwelling.

2. A stairway or ramp that leads to the floor above.

(b)Basements and ground floors used for sleeping.

1. Basements and ground floors used for sleeping shall be provided with at least 2 exits.

2. The exits shall be located as far apart as practical.

3. The exits may not be accessed from the same ramp or stairway.

4. In addition to the exit type required under par. (a), the second exit from a basement or ground floor used for sleeping shall be one of the following types:

a. A door to the exterior of the dwelling.

b. A stairway or ramp that leads to the floor above.

c. A stairway that leads to a garage provided the garage has an exit door other than the overhead door.

d. An egress window that complies with sub. (6), located in each bedroom.

(6) WINDOWS USED FOR EXITING. Windows which are installed for exit purposes shall comply with the requirements of this subsection.

(a) The window shall be openable from the inside without the use of tools or the removal of a sash. If equipped with a storm or screen, it shall be openable from the inside.

(b)

1. The nominal size of the net clear window opening shall be at least 20 inches by 24 inches irrespective of height or width. Nominal dimensions shall be determined by rounding up fractions of inches if they are 1/2-inch or greater or rounding down fractions of inches if they are less than 1/2-inch.

2. No portion of the window, including stops, stools, meeting rails and operator arms, shall infringe on the required opening.

(c) The area and dimension requirements of par. (b) may be infringed on by a storm window.

(d)

1. For any window used for exiting, the lowest point of clear opening shall be no more than 60 inches above the floor.

2. If the lowest point of clear opening is more than 46 inches above the floor, a permanent platform or fixture shall be installed such that a flat surface at least 20 inches wide and 9 inches deep is located no more than 46 inches directly below the clear opening.

3. The topmost surface of the platform or fixture shall be no more than 24 inches above the floor.

4. The topmost surface of the platform or fixture shall support a live load of at least 200 pounds.

5. A stair used for the sole purpose of reaching the top of the platform or fixture is exempt from the requirements of s. SPS 321.04.

(e)

1. An egress window with any point of clear opening below adjacent grade shall be provided with an areaway in accordance with this section.

2. The width of the areaway shall be at least equal to the width of the window.

3. The areaway shall be a minimum of 36 inches measured perpendicular from the outer surface of the below-grade wall.

4. If the bottom of the areaway is more than 46 inches below adjacent grade or the top of the areaway enclosure, the areaway shall be provided with a ladder or stair to aid egress. Stairs used to comply with this section are exempt from the requirements of s. SPS 321.04.

5.

a. Ladders or other stairs used to comply with subd. 4. may infringe on the required area of the areaway by a maximum of 6 inches.

b. Ladder rungs shall have a minimum inside width of at least 12 inches and shall project at least 3 inches from the wall behind the ladder.

c. Ladder rungs shall be able to support a concentrated load of 200 pounds.

d. Ladder rungs shall have a maximum rise of 12 inches between rungs and shall extend to within 12 inches of exterior grade.

6. The areaway shall be constructed such that water entering the areaway does not enter the dwelling.

(f) An egress window under a deck or porch shall discharge through a clear path of at least 36 inches in height and 36 inches in width, and no more than 15 feet in length, to a yard or open space.

Note: Under this paragraph, there is no maximum height above grade for an egress window. Similarly, egress windows are not prohibited from discharging to a roof, regardless of the slope of the roof.

(7) DOORS USED FOR EXITING.

(a) Doors used for exiting from a dwelling shall meet the following dimensions:

1. At least one exit door shall be a swing-type door at least 80 inches high by 36 inches wide.

2. Except as allowed under subds. 3. and 4., other required exit doors shall be at least 76 inches high by 32 inches wide.

3. Where double doors are used as a required exit, each door leaf shall provide a clear opening at least 30 inches wide and be at least 76 inches high.

4. Where sliding doors are used as a required exit, the clear opening shall be at least 29 inches wide and be at least 76 inches high.

(b) All exit doors shall be openable from the interior without the use of a key.

(8) BALCONIES.

(a) Balconies shall be made of concrete, metal or wood which is treated, protected or naturally decay-resistive in accordance with s. SPS 321.10.

(b) Balconies shall be provided with guards in accordance with s. SPS 321.04(3).

(c) Balconies which are required for exit purposes shall also comply with all of the following requirements:

1. The balcony guard shall terminate no more than 46 inches above the floor level of the balcony.

2. The floor level of the balcony shall be no more than 15 feet above the grade below.

3. The floor of the balcony shall have minimum dimensions of 3 feet by 3 feet. The guard and its supports may infringe on the dimensions of the required area no more than 4.5 inches.

(9) SPLIT LEVEL DWELLINGS. In determining the exit requirement in a split level dwelling, all levels that are to be considered a single story shall be within 5 feet of each other.

(10) TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGS. In a 2-family dwelling, each dwelling unit shall be provided with exits in compliance with this section.

(11) EXITS TO COURTYARDS. No exit may discharge to a courtyard having a perimeter that is entirely enclosed by exterior building walls or other obstructions that prevent pedestrian passage.

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Safety and Professional Services SPS 321.03

Cr. Register, November, 1979, No. 287, eff. 6-1-80; r. and recr. Register, February, 1985, No. 350, eff. 3-1-85; emerg. am. (1) (b), (2) and (5) (b) 2., eff. 5-7-85; r. (1) (b), renum. (1) (a) to be (1), am. (2), (7) and (8), r. and recr. (5) to (6), cr. (6m) and (10) to (12), Register, January, 1989, No. 397, eff. 2-1-89; am. (3) and (7), r. and recr. (10) and (11), Register, March, 1992, No. 435, eff. 4-1-92; am. (8), r. and recr. (10) (a), Register, November, 1995, No. 479, eff. 12-1-95; am. (6m) (b) 1. and 2., r. (6m) (b) 3., Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99; r. and recr. (1), (5), (7) and (8), am. (2) (b), r. (6), renum. (6m) to be (6) and r. and recr. (6) (d) and (e) as renum., Register, March, 2001, No. 543, eff. 4-1-01; reprinted to correct printing error in (6) (e) 2., Register September 2001 No. 549; CR 02-077: am. (1) (a), (5) (a) (intro.) and (10) (b), r. and recr. (1) (e), cr. (1) (f) to (h), Register May 2003 No. 569, eff. 8-1-03; CR 03-097: am. (1) (h) 1., Register November 2004 No. 587, eff. 1-1-05; CR 08-043: am. (title) and (1) (b), r. and recr. (3) and (7), renum. (6) (e) 5. and (10) to (12) to be (6) (e) 5. a. and (8) to (10), cr. (6) (e) 5. b. to d., r. (8) and (9) Register March 2009 No. 639, eff. 4-1-09; correction in (2) (a) made under s. 13.92(4) (b) 7, Stats., Register March 2009 No. 639; CR 09-104: am. (1) (c) Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11; correction in (6) (d) 5., (e) 4., (8) (a), (b) made under s. 13.92(4) (b) 7, Stats., Register December 2011 No. 672.

Amended by, CR 15-041: am. (1) (c), (d), c r. (1) (h) 3., am. (2) (a) to (c), (6) (d) 5., (e) 4., 5. a., c r. (6) (f), am. (7) (a) 4., (8) (b), (c) 1., 3., cr. (11) Register December 2015 No. 720, eff.1/1/2016