Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Safety and Professional Services › SPS 301-399 - Safety, Buildings, and Environment › SPS 320-325 - Uniform Dwelling Code › Chapter SPS 321 - Construction Standards › Subchapter II - Design Criteria › Section SPS 321.03 - Exits

Current through June 24, 2024
Exits, doors and hallways shall be constructed as
						specified in this section.
(1) EXITS
					 FROM THE FIRST FLOOR.
(a) Except as allowed
					 under par. (h), every dwelling unit shall be provided with at least 2 exit
					 doors accessible from the first floor.
(b) At least one of the exits shall discharge
					 to grade and may not go through a garage. This exit may include interior or
					 exterior stairs.
Note:
Under this paragraph, only one of the
						two exit doors that are addressed in par. (a) is required to exit directly to
						grade.
(c) Any exit that
					 does not comply with par. (b) may discharge to an outside balcony that complies
					 with sub. (8).
(d) Any exit that
					 does not comply with par. (b) may discharge into an attached garage provided
					 the garage has an exit door that discharges to grade. An overhead garage door
					 may not be used as an exit door.
(e) Except as allowed under pars. (f) and
					 (h), the 2 required exit doors shall be separated by at least the greater of
					 the following distances:
1. One-third the
					 length of the longest diagonal of the floor in plan view, exclusive of an
					 attached garage.
2. 20 feet.
Note:
See ch. SPS 325 Appendix A for
						examples of exit separation design.
(f)
1.
					 First floor levels that do not meet the separation requirements under par. (e),
					 shall have at least one egress window complying with sub. (6) on that floor
					 level.
2. An egress window to
					 comply with subd. 1. shall be separated from at least one door on the first
					 floor by one of the distances under par. (e).
3. If first floor levels that do not meet the
					 separation requirements under par. (e) contain one or more sleeping rooms, each
					 sleeping room shall have at least one egress window complying with sub.
					 (6).
(g)
1. The exit separation distance required
					 under par. (e) shall be calculated or measured as a straight line from the
					 midpoint of one doorway to the midpoint of the other doorway.
2. For exiting through an attached garage,
					 the separation distance shall be measured using the door connecting the garage
					 and the dwelling. Distance within the garage shall be ignored.
(h)
1. Dwellings consisting of no more than a
					 first floor with a maximum floor area of 400 square feet and a loft area not
					 exceeding half of the first floor area, shall be provided with at least one
					 exit door leading directly to the exterior and at least one egress window that
					 complies with sub. (6).
2.
a. Dwellings that meet the size restrictions
					 under subd. 1., are not required to meet the exit separation requirements under
					 par. (e) or (f).
b. If a dwelling
					 that meets the size restrictions under subd. 1., has more than one room on the
					 first floor, the door and the egress window shall be located in different
					 rooms.
3. One of the
					 exit doors required in par. (a) may be omitted for a dwelling unit that has one
					 or more egress windows on the first floor. If there are bedrooms, each must
					 have a window that complies with sub. (6).