IBC Chapter 10 · Means of egress

How to read the IBC egress tables

Single-exit spaces, common path, travel distance and corridor ratings — how Tables 1006.2.1, 1017.2 and 1020.2 work, with a worked office example.

Need the actual tables? Read IBC Tables 1006.2.1, 1017.2 and 1020.2 in the free ICC viewer →

Which egress table answers which question?

Question	Table	Inputs you need
Can this room or suite get by with one exit or exit access door?	Table 1006.2.1	Occupancy group, occupant load of the space, sprinklers, common path of travel
How many exits does the story need?	Section 1006.3 and its tables	Occupant load per story
How far can someone walk to reach an exit?	Table 1017.2	Occupancy group, sprinklers
Does this corridor need a fire-resistance rating?	Table 1020.2	Occupancy group, occupant load served by the corridor, sprinklers
How wide do doors, stairs and corridors need to be?	Section 1005 and 1020	Occupant load and sprinkler status

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 1006.2.1, 1017.2 and 1020.2 free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the IBC edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

How to read the three tables, step by step

Step	What you do	Watch out for
1	Calculate the occupant load of each room, suite and story (Table 1004.5)	Every egress table is keyed to occupant load — get that right first
2	Table 1006.2.1: find the occupancy row and read the maximum occupant load for one exit, then the common-path limit for your sprinkler / occupant-load case	Both limits must be met; the common-path column changes with sprinklers and, for some groups, with occupant load
3	Measure common path of egress travel: from the most remote point to where occupants first have two separate ways out	It is measured along the natural walking path around furniture and walls, not straight-line
4	Table 1017.2: read the maximum exit access travel distance for the group and sprinkler status	Travel distance runs to the exit (stair enclosure, exterior door, exit passageway) — not just to the corridor
5	Table 1020.2: find the group, the occupant load the corridor serves, and the rating with and without sprinklers	Many sprinklered groups need no corridor rating — but the door and wall details on the drawings govern

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 1006.2.1, 1017.2 and 1020.2 free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the IBC edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

Worked example — sprinklered Group B office suite

Input / step	Value	Source
Suite area and occupant load	6,000 sq ft gross ÷ 150 = 40 occupants	Table 1004.5
Single-exit limit for Group B	Up to 49 occupants	Table 1006.2.1
Common-path limit (sprinklered B)	100 ft — measured path from the far office is 85 ft, OK	Table 1006.2.1
Result	One exit access door from the suite is permitted
Travel distance limit (sprinklered B)	300 ft to an exit — measured 210 ft to the stair, OK	Table 1017.2
Corridor rating (B, serving more than 30, sprinklered)	0 hours — no rating required	Table 1020.2

Worked example values only. Without sprinklers, several of these limits tighten — check the table.

Common field mistakes

Mistake	What to do instead
Adding offices or a conference room that pushes a suite past the single-exit limit	Recalculate occupant load on every layout change and RFI before framing
Measuring travel distance straight-line on the plan	Measure the walking path around walls, casework and furniture
Assuming every corridor needs rated walls and doors (or none do)	Table 1020.2 depends on sprinklers and occupant load served — follow the life-safety plan
Letting the sprinkler system slip on the schedule or out of scope	Travel distance, common path and corridor ratings often assume full sprinklers
Creating a dead-end corridor with a late wall or door relocation	Dead-end limits (Section 1020) apply — check before moving walls

Our own summary, not the code text. Read Tables 1006.2.1, 1017.2 and 1020.2 free at codes.iccsafe.org and verify against the IBC edition (2021, 2024 or local amendment) adopted by your AHJ.

📋 Embed this chart on your site — freeGet the code →

Paste this where you want the live chart to appear. It works on any site that allows iframes, and includes a link back to Field PM.

<iframe src="https://www.field-pm.com/embed/charts/ibc-egress-requirements" title="IBC Egress: Exits, Travel & Corridors — Field PM" width="100%" height="620" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:12px;max-width:560px;width:100%"></iframe>
<p style="font:13px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif;margin:8px 0;color:#6b7280"><a href="https://www.field-pm.com/charts/ibc-egress-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IBC Egress: Exits, Travel & Corridors</a> by <a href="https://www.field-pm.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Field PM</a></p>

Egress limits the field can break with one wall

Read Tables 1006.2.1, 1017.2 and 1020.2 in the free ICC digital codes viewer. ICC offers free read-only access to the I-Codes. This page explains the 2021 and 2024 IBC tables; it does not reproduce them.

Table 1006.2.1 sets when a room or suite can have a single exit or exit access door: the occupant load has to stay under the group’s limit, and the common path of egress travel has to stay under its limit. Table 1017.2 caps the total walking distance to an exit. Table 1020.2 says whether a corridor must be fire-rated, based on group, occupant load served and sprinklers.

Worked example. A 6,000 sq ft sprinklered office suite has 40 occupants. That is under the Group B single-exit limit of 49, and the 85 ft common path is inside the 100 ft limit, so one door is allowed. The 210 ft walk to the stair is inside the 300 ft sprinklered travel distance, and the corridor needs no rating because the building is sprinklered.

Everything starts from occupant load — see IBC occupant load factors (Table 1004.5). When a corridor is rated, the door rating comes from Table 716.1(2). This page is not a substitute for the design professional of record. Field PM ties RFIs and drawing revisions to the job, so a late layout change gets flagged before it becomes a failed final.

FAQ

When can a space have only one exit under the IBC?+

When its occupant load does not exceed the Table 1006.2.1 limit for its occupancy group and the common path of egress travel stays within the table limit. For a Group B space, the single-exit threshold is 49 occupants. Read the table free at codes.iccsafe.org.

What is common path of egress travel?+

The portion of travel from the most remote point in a space to the point where occupants have access to two separate, distinct paths to two exits. It is part of — not added to — the overall exit access travel distance.

What is the maximum travel distance in an office?+

Under Table 1017.2, a sprinklered Group B building allows 300 feet of exit access travel distance. The limit is shorter without sprinklers. Check your edition and any footnotes.

Do corridors in a sprinklered office need to be rated?+

Under Table 1020.2, a corridor serving more than 30 occupants in a sprinklered Group B building requires no fire-resistance rating. Unsprinklered buildings and some other occupancies do require rated corridors.

Did the corridor table number change?+

Yes. The corridor fire-resistance table was Table 1020.1 in the 2015 and 2018 IBC and became Table 1020.2 in the 2021 edition. Old drawings and specs may still cite the earlier number.

Built by a contractor, for the field

Field PM runs daily reports, job costing, QA/QC, and billing in one platform — $99/month with unlimited foremen, QA/QC, and safety free. 30-day trial, no credit card.

Start free trial →

The Field PM platform

Construction project management software →Electrical contractor software →Daily field reporting app →GPS construction time clock →AIA G702 / G703 billing software →Weld mapping & tracking software →

More reference charts

Rated by contractors on