RULE 9.

Sanitation
Basic Sanitation Provisions Balconies
All buildings shall be provided with the ff:
 Adequate and potable water supply
 Adequate plumbing installation
 Suitable wastewater treatment/disposal system
 Storm water drainage
Clearance between sidewalk grade and lowest portion of
Water Source balcony = 3.00m minimum
Potable water shall be sourced from the existing municipal
waterworks system whenever possible. Arcades
 Arcades may be constructed on sidewalks of streets
Water Quality whenever allowed or required by existing building
Shall conform to the criteria in the National Standards for and zoning regulations.
Drinking Water  Arcades shall be at least 3.00m above the sidewalk
grade.
Water Supply System
Shall conform to the provisions of the Water Code of the Canopies
Philippines (PD 1067) Horizontal clearance shall not be less than 300mm and
vertical clearance of not less than 3m.
Waste Disposal System
 Sanitary sewage from buildings shall be discharged Movable Awnings
directly into the nearest street sanitary sewer main. Horizontal clearance shall not be less than 300mm and
 If no sanitary sewerage system is available, septic vertical clearance of not less than 2.40m.
tanks may be used.
Doors and Windows
Storm Drainage Unless at least 2.40m above the pavement, no door or
Rainwater drainage shall not discharge into the sanitary window shall project beyond the property line when fully
system. opened or upon opening.

National Plumbing Code Chaflans

All plumbing installations (water supply and drainage) shall  Every corner building or fence on a public street less
conform to the National Plumbing Code. than 3.60m wide shall be truncated at the corner to
form a chaflan.
Noise Pollution Control  The chaflan shall be at least 4.00m wide.
Shall conform to acceptable limits the required emission
standards of DENR if machineries include DOLE.
RULE 11. Protection of Pedestrian
Pipe Materials  No person shall use or occupy a street or sidewalk
Shall conform to the standard specifications of the Bureau for the performance of work except in accordance
of Product Standards (BPS) of the Department of Trade and with this rule.
Industry (DTI).
 No work shall be performed adjacent to a public way
unless pedestrians are protected as specified in this
rule.
RULE 10. Building Projections Over Public Street
Projections are not allowed beyond the property line unless
Storage in Public Property
allowed by the Code.
 Shall not obstruct utility provisions (fire hydrants, fire
alarm box, manholes)
Projections into the RROW
 Shall not interfere with drainage.
 National roads or public highways: footings located
 Shall not interfere with vehicular and pedestrian
at least 2.40m below grade may project 300mm
traffic.
(maximum) beyond the property line.
 Public sidewalk: Foundations may encroach 500mm
Mortar Mixing
into the sidewalk if top of foundation is at least
The mixing of mortar or concrete shall not be allowed on
600mm below grade.
public streets.
 In all cases, these projections shall not obstruct any
utilities/services, unless the owner is willing to pay
for the rerouting of said utilities/services.
Temporary Walkways
 When the Building Official authorizes a sidewalk to
be closed, a temporary walkway at least 1.20m wide
shall be provided.
 If the street has no sidewalk, width may be reduced
to 600mm.
 If RROW is 5.00m wide or less, no temporary
walkways are allowed.
 If the sidewalk will only be partially occupied, a
temporary walkway will not be required provided
that a width of at least 600mm with railings on the
roadside is left open.
 Provide railings (1.00m min. height) for walkways
located beside the road or an excavation.
Fences + Canopies
 Fences shall entirely enclose a construction site.
 Minimum height: 2.40 meters above curb
 When the horizontal distance between the OFB and
the inner edge or the sidewalk is more than ½ the
building height, only a 2.40m high fence is required.
 When the horizontal distance between the OFB and
the inner edge or the sidewalk is equal or less than ½
the building height, a canopy will be also be required
in addition to the fence.
 For canopies: clear unobstructed height of 2.40m
above the walkway.
RULE 12. General Design and Construction Requirements
Excavations
 Excavations must not endanger life or property.
 Any person undertaking an excavation shall ensure
that the soil of the adjoining property will not cave in
or settle.
 Cut slopes shall not be steeper than 2:1 (horizontal:
vertical).
Occupant Load
Shall be determined by dividing the floor area assigned to
that use by the unit area allowed per occupant as shown on
Table XII.1.
Number of Exits
 Every building shall have at least one exit.
 Upper floors with occupant load of more than 10
shall have at least two exits.
 A mezzanine floor bigger than 185sqm or having
more than 18.00m in any dimension shall have at
least two stairways to an adjacent floor.
 Every floor with occupant load of 500-999 shall have
at least 3 exits.
 Every floor with occupant load of 1000 or more shall
have at least 4 exits.
 50% of floor above + 25% of floor above that
Width of Exits
 Total width of exits = Occupant load/165
 Note: This is the total width in meters
 Again, +50% of occupant load of storey above + 25%
of occupant load of storey above that
Arrangement of Exits
 If two exits are required, the two exits must be apart
by at least 1/5 of the perimeter of the area served.
 If three or more are required, they shall be arranged
a reasonable distance apart.
Distance to Exits
 If without a sprinkler system, 45.00m maximum
 If with a sprinkler system, 60.00m maximum
 Measured from any point in a building, measured
along the line of travel.
Exit Doors
 When serving an occupant load of 50 or more, must
swing in the direction of exit travel.
 Double acting doors shall not be used as exits when
serving a tributary load of more than 100. Must be
provided with a view panel of not less than 1300 sq.
cm.
Type of Locks
Exit doors shall be openable from the inside without the
use of a key or any special knowledge or effort.
Size of Doors
Minimum width of doorway: 0.90mm
Minimum height of doorway: 2.00m
Minimum clear width of exit way: 0.70m
Shall be capable of opening at least 90 degrees.
Maximum door leaf width: 1.20m
Prohibited Doors
The following shall not be used as exit doors:
 Revolving doors
 Sliding doors
 Overhead doors
Change in Floor Level at Doors
  There shall be a floor or a landing on each side of an
exit door.
 The floor/landing shall not be more than 50mm
lower than the door threshold.
 Exception: For Group A or B occupancies, a door may
open over the top step provided that the landing is
not more than 200mm from the floor level and the
door does not swing over the top step.
Corridors
 Minimum width: 1.10m
 This width shall be unobstructed, except that trim
handrails and doors when fully opened shall not
reduce the required with by more than 200mm.
 Doors in any position shall not reduce the width by
more than ½.
Dead Ends
Maximum length: 6.00m
Stairways Width
 Occupant load more than 50: 1.10m
 Occupant load of 50 or less: 0.90m
 Occupant load of less than 10 (private): 0.75m
 Handrails shall not reduce the width of stairways by
more than 100mm.
Riser and Tread
Maximum riser: 200mm
Minimum tread: 250mm
Stairway Headroom
Not less than 2.00m measured from the nosing.
Landings
 Length = stairway width
 If the stairway has a straight run, landing length does
not need to exceed 1.20m
 Landing width shall not be reduced by more than
100mm by any door when fully opened.
 Max. vertical distance between landings: 3.60m
Handrails
 Stairways shall have handrails on each side.
 If a stairway is more than 3.00m in width, at least
one intermediate handrail shall be provided.
 Height of handrails: 800-900mm above the nosing of
treads.
 Exceptions:
 In Group A or B occupancies, stairways 1.10m
or less in width serving one individual
dwelling may have one handrail only.
 Stairways having less than four risers need
not have handrails.
Basement Stairways
 If a basement stairway and a stairway to an upper
storey terminate at the same exit enclosure, a
barrier shall be provided to prevent persons from
continuing into the basements.
 Also, provided directional exit signs.
Winding Stairways
 Allowed as exits as long as the required tread
(250mm) is provided at a point 300mm away from
the narrow end.
 However, the tread must not be narrower than
150mm at any point.
Circular Stairways
May be used as exits provided that the minimum width of
run is not less than 250mm.
Aisles
 Aisles leading to an exit shall be provided for all
portions with installed seats, tables, etc.
 Shall be at least 0.80m wide if serving only one side,
or 1.00m if serving both sides.
 This minimum width shall be measured at the point
farthest from the exit and shall be increased by
30mm for every meter in length towards the exit.
Aisle Travel Distance
 The line of travel to an exit door by an aisle shall not
be more than 45.00m
 Maximum 7 seats between wall and aisle
 Maximum 14 seats between two aisles
 Maximum slope: 1 in 8
 The number of seats between aisles may be
increased to 30 if:
 Exit doors are provided along each aisle at the
rate of 1 pair of exit doors for every 5 rows of
seats.
 The back-to-back distance between seats is
1.00m minimum.
 Minimum clear width of exit doors is 1.70m
Standard Seats
Back-to-back distance: 840mm minimum
Width: 450mm minimum
Grandstands/Bleachers
 Back-to-back distance:
 600mm if without backrests
 850mm if with backrests
 850mm if chair seating
 Width: 450mm minimum
 Rise: 400mm maximum
 Number of seats between any seat and an aisle shall
not exceed 15 seats (31 seats bet. 2 aisles)
Fire Extinguishing Systems
  Automatic fire extinguishing systems are required for
the following:
 Habitable storeys with an area of 200 sqm or
more with an occupant load of more than 20
 Dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, workshops,
or factories with occupant load of more than
10
 Assembly halls under Group H and I with
occupant load of more than 500
Dry Standpipes
 All buildings 4 or more storeys in height shall be
equipped with one or more dry standpipes.
 Standpipes shall be located within enclosed stairway
landings.
 Siamese connections shall be located on the street-
front of a building 300mm-1200mm above grade.
Wet Standpipes
 The following shall have wet standpipes:
 Group H or I occupancy of any height
 Group C occupancy 2 or more storeys in
height
 Groups B, D, E F and G 3 or more storeys in
height
 Group G and E occupancy over 1800 sqm in
area
 Exemption:
 Group H buildings without stage whose
seating capacity is less than 500.
Location of Wet Standpipes
 All portions of the building are within 6.00m of a
nozzle attached to a hose 23.00m in length
(standpipes 58.00m apart)
 For assembly occupancies:
 1 outlet on each side of the stage
 1 at the rear of the auditorium
 1 at the rear of the balcony
RULE 13. Electrical + Mechanical
Referral Codes
 All electrical systems and installations shall conform
to the provisions of the Philippine Electrical Code
pursuant to RA 7920 (Electrical Engg. Law)
 All mechanical systems and installations shall
conform to the provisions of the Philippine
Mechanical Code pursuant to RA 8495 (Mech. Engg.
Law)
Clearance of Service Drop
 2.50m from highest point of roofs
 3.00m from the ground
 1.00m (horizontal) from windows/porches
 5.50m from the crown of the street or sidewalk
 No service drops conductors or any other wiring
shall pass over swimming pools.
Elevators
 Hoistway pit: minimum 600mm from underside of
car to bottom of pit.
 Maximum four elevators in a single hoistway
 Residential buildings 5 storeys or higher shall have at
least one passenger elevator on 24-hour constant
operation
Escalators
 Maximum inclination: 30° from horizontal
 Width between ballustrades: 560mm - 1200mm
 Shall not exceed the width of the step by more than
330mm.
 Speed: 38 meters per minute maximum (common
rule is 90-120 fpm/27.5-36.5mpm)
Air Conditioning
 Comfortable cooling standards:
 Temperature: 20°-24° Celsius
 Humidity: 50% - 60%
 Air movement: 4.60-7.60 meters per minute
Water Pumping
Installation of pumping equipment directly from the public
water supply system is prohibited.
RULE 14. Photo/X-ray Films
Film Storage Room
 Provide automatic fire extinguishing systems for the
ff:
 When unexposed films in shipping containers
exceed 14.00 cubic meters
 When shelving used for storing film exceeds
1.40 cubic meters in capacity.
 No films shall be stored within 600mm of steam
pipes, chimneys, or other sources of heat.
RULE 15. Prefabricated Construction
Prefabricated Assembly
 A structural unit, the integral parts of which have
been built-up or assembled prior to incorporation in
the building.
 To determine structural adequacy, they shall pass
special tests conducted by accredited material
testing laboratories.
RULE 16. Plastics
Approved Plastics
 Those which have a flame-spread rating of 225 or
less.
 Those with a smoke density not greater than that
obtained from the burning of untreated wood.
  Those whose products of combustion are no more
toxic than those of untreated wood.
Plastic Doors
Plastic doors are allowed except for entrance doors and
exit doors, which should be of materials other than
plastics.
RULE 17. Sheet Metal Spraybooths
 Paint spray booths shall be constructed of not less
than No. 18 US Gauge in thickness.
 The area of a spray paint booth shall not exceed
150sqm.
 The floor of the booth, if combustible, shall be
covered with non-combustible material.
 Shall permit the free passage of exhaust air.
RULE 18. Glass + Glazing
General Requirements
 Applies to all exterior glass/glazing except Groups
A, B, and J not taller than three storeys.
 Each glass panel shall bear the manufacturer’s
label designating the type and thickness of glass.
 Glass panels with special performance
characteristics shall bear the manufacturer’s label
indicating said characteristics.
 Measures shall be taken to keep persons from
walking into fixed glass panels where the floor on
both sides of the glass are the same level
(guardrails, etching, flower bins)
Glass Area Limitation
Glass in large areas along shopping malls, commercial
buildings, institutional buildings, etc.
RULE 20. Signs
 No sign shall be erected in such a manner as to
confuse or obstruct the view or interpretation of any
official traffic sign/device.
 Signs in any foreign language shall have a translation
in English or the local dialect.
Roof Signs
 No signs shall be installed on rooftops of buildings of
wooden structures or of buildings with wooden roof
framing.
 Provide grounding of metallic parts of roof signs
exposed to lightning.
Ground Signs
Shall be located within the property line and under no
circumstances shall they occupy the RROW.
Projecting Signs
 On non-arcaded RROW:
 Signs shall not project more than 1.20m
 On arcaded RROW:
 Signs shall not project more than 0.60m
 Buildings abutting RROW without sidewalks:
 Signs shall not project more than 0.30m
 Minimum vertical clearance
 Non-arcaded RROW: 3.00m from road surface
to lowest part of signs
 Arcaded RROW: 5.00m from road surface to
lowest part of signs

RULE 19. Use of Computers

General Requirements
The use of computers for all or any part of building design is
permitted provided that all programs to be used are
documented.

Program Documentation
 File with the OBO a reference to a publication
accessible to him where a detailed description of
the program including a description of the
algorithms are found.
 The software name, version number and the
developer and its address shall be provided as part
of documentation.