Culver City Becomes First in California to Approve Six-Story Single-Stair Buildings

Culver City, California, has secured state approval for its single-stair ordinance, permitting the construction of apartment buildings up to six stories with a single exit stairwell. This landmark decision, confirmed by Joe Cohen via a social media post, positions Culver City as the first municipality in California to adopt such a measure, aiming to address the state's severe housing shortage and promote more affordable and efficient urban development. The ordinance was formally accepted by the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) on September 30, 2025, following a unanimous vote by the Culver City Council on September 29, 2025.

The new ordinance allows for buildings up to six stories, with specific conditions including a maximum of 4,000 square feet per floor and no more than four units per floor. To mitigate fire safety concerns traditionally associated with single-stair designs, these buildings must incorporate enhanced fire-prevention measures, such as pressurized or open-air stairwells and the highest class of automatic sprinkler systems. Additionally, buildings between five and six stories will be required to include an elevator.

Councilmember Bryan "Bubba" Fish, who introduced the ordinance, emphasized its broader significance. "This is bigger than a staircase," Fish stated, highlighting that "the vast majority of the world builds apartments this way. We are an outlier. It touches on the housing crisis, the affordability crisis." The move is expected to reduce construction costs by optimizing space, potentially leading to more attainable housing options for residents.

The approval comes at a critical juncture, as a new state law effective October 1, 2025, imposes a six-year moratorium on local building code changes. This makes Culver City potentially the last California city for some time to implement such a reform, setting it up as a crucial test case for the impact of single-stair buildings on housing supply and affordability. Travis Morgan of the Livable Cities Initiative noted that the ordinance's design was influenced by successful models in cities like Seattle and New York.

While proponents, including housing advocates, celebrate the potential for increased housing density and innovative design, the International Association of Fire Fighters union has voiced concerns regarding safety, questioning the implications if a single stairwell were to be blocked during an emergency. However, a study by the Pew Charitable Trusts examining residential fire deaths in New York City and Seattle found low and equal fatality rates in single-stair buildings compared to other residential structures, with no deaths directly attributable to the lack of a second exit.