Balcony Bill

The University of California Balcony Bill Guidelines provide direction for the implementation of California Health and Safety Code Section (HSC) 17973, more commonly referred to as the “Balcony Bill”. The requirements of the code take precedence over the UC Guidelines except in areas where UC Guidelines are stricter.

These guidelines, for Regents-owned Buildings,  apply to UC-owned facilities, National Laboratories, Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), or Natural Reserve System (NRS).  While these guidelines apply to existing buildings, campuses are encouraged to minimize the impact of the statute on new multifamily projects . Consideration should be given to reducing and/or eliminating wood-supported balconies and walkways in the design to reduce the need for ongoing inspections. In instances where wood-supported features cannot be eliminated from the design, thought should be given to the integration of features that will make Balcony Bill inspections easier, such as observation hatches. 

Balcony Bill Implementation Guidelines for Regents-Owned Buildings, RD4.4

These guidelines are for privately-owned buildings over which UC is the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for building code matters:

Balcony Bill Implementation Guidelines for Privately Owned Buildings

UC Design and Construction Services with UC Legal developed a contract for Balcony Bill related inspections, which may require a combination of professional services and construction work. The contract is a modified PSA with a work order for the construction (i.e., destructive testing) work, along with the standard PSA Work Authorization for inspection that may not require any destructive testing. It can be modified to allow the consultant to subcontract that work or perform it themselves if they have that capability.

The Balcony Bill Professional Services Agreement (Balcony Bill PSA)