When people say a Tenant Improvement “has to meet code,” they’re talking about the baseline rules that guide how commercial spaces in California are designed, permitted, inspected, and approved for occupancy.
These codes touch everything from accessibility and fire/life safety to structural requirements, electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems, and energy standards. Even a simple interior buildout can trigger plan review and inspections—so it helps to know where the official sources live.
This page is a quick reference point. Use it to understand what “codes” means in the real world, then jump to the official California Building Standards Commission (BSC) codes resource for the most current information.
Click here to open the official BSC CodesPage