Tent fire code2024 International Fire CodeSection 105.5 and Chapter 31
Fabric tents and cabanas over 400 square feet need a fire code permit, and open-sided ones are exempt up to 700
The 2024 International Fire Code requires a permit for a tent over 400 square feet, exempts open-sided tents up to 700, and asks for an NFPA 701 certificate.
- Operational permit above
- 400sq ft
- Open on all sides, exempt to
- 700sq ft
- Clear space for the exemption
- 12ft
- Temporary tent, per 12 months
- 180days
- Fabric test
- 701NFPA, Method 2
Worked example in round numbers, not a real property: six fabric layouts on a hotel's pool deck lawn and terrace, drawn to one scale with each grid square 10 by 10 feet. Permit thresholds from Section 105.5 of the 2024 International Fire Code, International Code Council.
Under the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC), a tent with an area over 400 square feet needs an operational permit from the fire code official, the person in the local fire department or fire marshal's office who enforces the code. Section 105.5 exempts a tent that is open on all sides if it is no larger than 700 square feet, sits at least 12 feet from structures and other tents, and does not join other tents into a group larger than 700 square feet without a 12-foot fire break.
The code's definition of a tent is broad enough to take in many of the fabric cabanas, shade tents and large umbrellas that hotels, restaurants and pool clubs buy, and Chapter 31 then sets the fabric test, the label, the spacing and the exits.
The IFC is a model code. It applies where a state, county or city adopts it, often with local amendments, and the edition in force varies by jurisdiction. Everything below is from the 2024 text as the International Code Council publishes it.
AThe code's tent takes in cabanas, shade tents and center-pole umbrellas
“with or without sidewalls or drops, constructed of fabric or pliable material supported in any manner except by air or the contents it protects.”
IFC Chapter 2, definition of a tent
The IFC defines a tent as a structure, enclosure, umbrella structure or shelter, "with or without sidewalls or drops, constructed of fabric or pliable material supported in any manner except by air or the contents it protects." An umbrella structure is a fabric shelter held up by a central pole or poles. Under that wording a framed poolside cabana with fabric drops, a pop-up shade tent and a large center-pole umbrella all fall within the definition.
Whether a particular product is regulated as a tent under the adopted code is for the fire code official to decide. A fabric structure built on a building, balcony or deck is treated differently: Chapter 31 says it is regulated as a permanent membrane structure under Section 3102 of the International Building Code.
BA permit starts above 400 square feet, and open-sided tents are exempt up to 700
| Structure | Operational permit | Condition in the code |
|---|---|---|
| Air-supported temporary membrane structure, temporary special event structure or tent over 400 sq ft | Required | Area in excess of 400 square feet |
| Tent used only for recreational camping | Not required | Exception 1 |
| Tent, curtains and extensions used for funeral services | Not required | Exception 2 |
| Tent open on all sides | Not required | Each tent no more than 700 sq ft; tents side by side without a 12-foot fire break no more than 700 sq ft in total; at least 12 feet to structures and other tents |
| Temporary heating or cooking equipment inside a tent or membrane structure | Required | Separate permit item |
Operational permits for tents and membrane structures under Section 105.5 of the 2024 International Fire Code, International Code Council. Download the data (CSV)
The code also requires a construction permit to erect a tent covered by that operational permit item. Temporary heating or cooking equipment inside a tent needs a permit of its own, so a large tent with a temporary heater can need both.
Chapter 31 limits a temporary tent or membrane structure to 180 days within a 12-month period on one premises. Permanent tents and membrane structures follow Section 3108 of the IFC and must also meet the International Building Code. The owner or agent inspects a temporary tent at least twice in each permit period, unless the period is shorter than 30 days.
CThe fabric needs an NFPA 701 certificate before the permit is granted
Before the official grants a permit, the owner or agent files a certificate from the product's manufacturer showing that an approved testing laboratory tested the materials. The certificate covers the tent fabric, its sidewalls, drops and tarpaulins, and any floor covering, and it must show that they meet the flame propagation criteria of Test Method 2 of NFPA 701.
Bunting and combustible decorations must meet Test Method 1 or Test Method 2, as applicable. A fabric can also qualify by being treated with a flame retardant in an approved manner and then meeting the test. NFPA describes the standard as test methods for flame propagation of textiles and films. The current edition is 2023.
The tent itself must carry a permanently attached label giving its size and fabric, its manufacturer's name and address, and a statement that the fabric meets the certificate requirement. A treated fabric's label also gives the date of the last flame-retardant treatment, the chemical, who applied it and which agency tested it.
DChapter 31 sets distances from 10 feet for heaters to 100 feet for fireworks
- Temporary tent to lot lines, buildings, other tents, parked vehicles and enginesTemporary tents and membrane structures, with exceptions
- Fire break kept clear on all sidesTemporary tents and membrane structures, unless the fire code official approves otherwise
- Membrane structure of 15,000 sq ft or more to any other tent or structureTemporary membrane structures
- Farthest point inside to an exitTemporary tents and membrane structures
- Open flame, heat-producing devices and fuel while open to the publicAll tents and membrane structures, unless approved
- Cooking and heating equipment to exits or combustible materialsAll tents and membrane structures
- Generators and other enginesAll tents and membrane structures
- RefuelingAll tents and membrane structures
- Combustible vegetation cleared around the structureAll tents and membrane structures
- Storage of flammable and combustible liquidsAll tents and membrane structures
- FireworksAll tents and membrane structures
Distances in Chapter 31 of the 2024 International Fire Code, International Code Council, in feet, on one scale. Rows marked temporary apply under Section 3103; the others apply to temporary and permanent tents and membrane structures under Section 3108. Download the data (CSV)
The 20-foot separation has two exceptions. Tents not used for cooking need no separation from each other if their combined floor area is no more than 15,000 square feet. A tent of no more than 10,000 square feet needs no separation from a building if the two together stay within the building code's allowable area, both have their required exits, and fire apparatus access roads are provided. Guy wires count as part of the tent when distances are measured.
Chapter 31 also bars smoking in any tent or membrane structure. Inside a membrane structure, the code requires 3 feet of clearance between the fabric and everything under it, which affects where a server station or a stack of chairs can go.
ENo point inside a temporary tent may be more than 100 feet from an exit
A temporary tent needs at least one exit, and at least the number in Table 3103.11.2. Exits are spaced around the perimeter so that no point inside is more than 100 feet from one. The total exit width in inches must be at least 0.2 times the occupant load, the number of people the space is approved for.
| Occupant load | Minimum exits | Each exit, tent (in) | Each exit, membrane structure (in) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inches | Bar | Inches | Bar | ||
| 10 to 199 | 2 | 72 | 36 | ||
| 200 to 499 | 3 | 72 | 72 | ||
| 500 to 999 | 4 | 96 | 72 | ||
| 1,000 to 1,999 | 5 | 120 | 96 | ||
| 2,000 to 2,999 | 6 | 120 | 96 | ||
| Over 3,000 | 7 | 120 | 96 | ||
Table 3103.11.2, minimum number of exits and exit widths from temporary tents and membrane structures, 2024 International Fire Code. Above 3,000 occupants, total exit width must also equal at least 0.2 inch per person. The shaded row holds the worked example's seated dinner for 150. Download the data (CSV)
In public areas, aisles are at least 44 inches wide and widen by 1 foot for each 50 people they serve. A tent with an occupant load of 50 or more needs exit signs, and its permit application includes a site and floor plan showing exits, seating, and heating and electrical equipment.
FIn the worked example, three of six layouts need a permit
The figures below are an example in round numbers, not a real property. A hotel plans six fabric layouts for its pool deck lawn and terrace, all on the ground and none on a deck or roof.
Worked example: floor area of six fabric layouts in square feet against the 400 sq ft permit threshold and the 700 sq ft open-sided exception in Section 105.5 of the 2024 IFC. Example with round numbers, not a real property.
The 20 by 30 tent shows how sidewalls change the answer. With all sides open and 12 feet clear around it, the 600-square-foot tent falls under the exception. With the sidewalls down, the exception no longer applies and the tent is over the 400-square-foot threshold. Two open-sided tents set edge to edge make 1,200 square feet without a fire break, over the 700-square-foot limit.
For the 40 by 60 event tent, suppose the fire code official sets an occupant load of 150 for a seated dinner. Table 3103.11.2 calls for two exits, each at least 72 inches wide. The 0.2-inch rule gives a total of 30 inches, so the table governs. At 150 people the tent also needs exit signs, a floor plan with the permit application, and exit lighting of at least 1 foot-candle at floor level.
| Layout | Area (sq ft) | Area bar | Permit threshold | Open-sided limit | Permit under 105.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 cabana with drops | 100 | 400 | 700 | Not required | |
| 20 x 20 shade tent | 400 | 400 | 700 | Not required | |
| 20 x 30 open-sided tent with 12 ft clearance | 600 | 400 | 700 | Not required (open-sided exception) | |
| 20 x 30 tent with sidewalls down | 600 | 400 | 700 | Required | |
| Two 20 x 30 open-sided tents with no fire break | 1,200 | 400 | 700 | Required | |
| 40 x 60 event tent | 2,400 | 400 | 700 | Required |
Example in round numbers, not a real property. The 400 and 700 square foot figures are from Section 105.5 of the 2024 IFC. Download the data (CSV)
What to ask before you order
- Ask the supplier for the manufacturer's NFPA 701 certificate for the exact fabric and color, covering sidewalls and drops as well as the roof, and confirm the label information Chapter 31 lists will be sewn or fixed to the product. The flammability guide covers the related rules for cushions and hung fabrics.
- Before the season, send the fire code official the product's dimensions, whether its sides close, where it will stand and how long it will stay up, and ask which edition of the IFC is in force and whether a local amendment changes the 400 or 700 square foot figures.
Caveats
This article describes the model text of the 2024 IFC. Many jurisdictions enforce an earlier edition or amend the permit thresholds. The fire code official decides whether a cabana or umbrella counts as a tent and sets each structure's occupant load. Fabric structures on a building, deck or balcony fall under the International Building Code's rules for permanent membrane structures, which this article does not cover. For a specific property, ask the local fire code official or a code consultant.