| CODE: | 1992 State Regulations for Barrier-Free Facilities (as Revised 1993) |
| SECTION: | Sections 51-20-3103 (a) 8 B, Exception 2 and 51-20-3105 (c) 1 A, Exceptions 1 and 2. |
| QUESTION: | Are multi-floor apartment buildings required to provide elevators regardless of the building height, or are they required to provide elevators once they reach the three story level just like other buildings? |
| ANSWER: | Multi-floor apartment buildings are not required to provided elevators,
regardless of building height, if the first level of dwelling units is
provided with an accessible route and the required number of Type A dwelling
units per Table No 31-B is met.
For example, assume a fifty unit complex is being built. Also assume that all the units will be contained in one building. Each floor of the building contains ten dwelling units and the building is five stories high. Per Table No 31-B, at least three Type A units need to be provided in the building. In addition, since the building contains more than three dwelling units, the remainder of the units must be Type B units unless an elevator is not provided in the building. If an elevator is not provided in the building, then only those units on the accessible floor need meet the Type B requirement. Since the required number of Type A units can be met on the ground floor, the building need not be provided with an elevator. In this case, the first floor will contain three Type A units and seven Type B units. The remaining 40 units need not meet either the Type A or Type B requirement. If the first floor of this building is to be constructed as anything other than a residential occupancy, for example a garage or retail occupancy, then access must be provided to the first floor of dwelling units. This applies to any building containing more than three single-floor dwelling units. Units that are multi-story, such as a townhouse, do not need to meet the Type B requirement. If an elevator is used to provide access to the first floor of dwelling units, the entire building becomes an elevatored building, and all units must meet the minimum standard for a Type B unit. If another means of transportation is used to acquire this access, such as a ramp or lift, then only the dwelling units on the accessed floor need be accessible. |
| SUPERSEDES: | None |
| REQUESTED BY: | City of Issaquah |