{"id":61225,"date":"2020-02-18T15:53:20","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T15:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/uncategorized-us\/occupancy-ratings-what-you-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T14:53:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T14:53:35","slug":"building-occupancy-ratings-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/building-codes-permits\/building-occupancy-ratings-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Occupancy Ratings: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"61225\" class=\"elementor elementor-61225 elementor-12137\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13db6ec e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"13db6ec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2aff543 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"2aff543\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-208c263 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"208c263\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a previous blog, we discussed how all steel buildings must be custom engineered taking into consideration the specific building codes and loads for their specific site location. We talked about the importance of understanding the specific <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/building-codes-permits\/steel-building-codes-loads\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Codes and Loads<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the design of a metal building system.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as there are differences in structural design that correspond to different environmental conditions, there are also differences in design that relate directly to occupancy rating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding your building\u2019s intended use is essential when planning a steel structure. One of the first questions to ask is, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how do I find a buildings occupancy rating<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? This rating affects how much <strong>reinforcement is needed<\/strong> and whether the structure <strong>meets local building code requirements<\/strong>. In this blog, we explain the different <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">building occupancy types <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and why they matter in the engineering process.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e7c50e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7e7c50e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Are Human Occupancy Ratings?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6f91b1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d6f91b1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the name implies, the occupancy rating is a designation given to a structure based on the number of human beings that the structure\u2019s application would typically require or dictate. In general, the more people a building needs to protect, the stronger the building is required to be.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, the more people a building needs to protect, meaning the higher the building occupancy, the stronger the building is required to be.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buildings can fall into one of four <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">building occupancy ratings\u200b<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> categories:<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low Human Occupancy<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Normal Human Occupancy<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High\/Substantial Human Occupancy<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Post-Disaster\/Essential<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84117a5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"84117a5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Building Occupancy Types Explained<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c749472 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c749472\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The majority of structures are designated as Normal Human Occupancy by the permit office. This is the catch-basin for all structures that do not fit into any of the other categories. Therefore, it is easier to distinguish what is NOT Normal Human Occupancy to understand what that category actually includes. With that said, let\u2019s examine the different building occupancy types and what each requires.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c04fe50 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c04fe50\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Low Human Occupancy<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32c8cc6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"32c8cc6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buildings designated as Low Human Occupancy are strictly defined as those which have an occupant load of not more than one person per 431 square feet of floor area during normal use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examples of Low Human Occupancy buildings include <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/buildings\/agricultural-steel-buildings\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">agricultural structures<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, storage and equipment buildings. Each case is carefully evaluated before changing the occupancy rating.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd048bc e-grid e-con-full e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bd048bc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-153e25b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"153e25b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Produce storage and packing facilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Livestock and poultry housing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equipment and machinery storage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Milking and dairy centres<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manure storage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feed preparation facilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grain bins and silos<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farm workshops, farm rental centres<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Horse arenas, riding, exercise and training facilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Greenhouse and <a style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';\" href=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/buildings\/cannabis-grow-facilities\/\">grow-op facilities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b2b987 elementor-arrows-position-inside elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-carousel\" data-id=\"3b2b987\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;slides_to_show&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;navigation&quot;:&quot;arrows&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_hover&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_interaction&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;autoplay_speed&quot;:5000,&quot;infinite&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;effect&quot;:&quot;slide&quot;,&quot;speed&quot;:500}\" data-widget_type=\"image-carousel.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-carousel-wrapper swiper\" role=\"region\" aria-roledescription=\"carousel\" aria-label=\"Image Carousel\" dir=\"ltr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-carousel swiper-wrapper\" aria-live=\"off\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"1 of 2\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/363.png\" alt=\"A high-efficiency steel boat storage facility featuring vertical storage racks for compact, organized, and space-saving solutions.\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"2 of 2\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/193.png\" alt=\"A steel-framed equestrian riding arena offering a safe and spacious training environment.\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-prev\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"eicon-chevron-left\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-next\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"eicon-chevron-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a331d73 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a331d73\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, <strong>backyard garages<\/strong> can be considered Low Human Occupancy buildings when used for the purpose of item or vehicle storage, but it\u2019s also important to consider the amount of people using the garage at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e0b73c6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e0b73c6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">High Human Occupancy<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce46416 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ce46416\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Buildings designated as High Human Occupancy are those that are likely to be used as post-disaster shelters but whose primary use is characterized by a dense <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">occupancy of building<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during regular operations.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examples of structures that are typically designated as High Human Occupancy include:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-753660b e-grid e-con-full e-con e-child\" data-id=\"753660b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ad8d7e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4ad8d7e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-65688 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Popeyes-Norsteel-1024x576-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Popeyes-Norsteel-1024x576-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Popeyes-Norsteel-1024x576-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Popeyes-Norsteel-1024x576-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Restaurants, like the one built by Norsteel here, are examples of high human occupancy buildings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8853ff6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8853ff6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elementary, middle or secondary schools<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Universities and colleges<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Auditoriums and stadiums<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Places of worship; churches, mosques, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Community centres<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manufacturing and storage facilities containing toxic, explosive, or other hazardous substances in sufficient quantities to be dangerous to the public if released<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-978230a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"978230a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Post-Disaster<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53b96a9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"53b96a9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Post-Disaster designation is given to buildings which are essential to the provision of services in the event of a disaster. As you might expect, this occupancy of building category requires the highest level of structural design and reinforcement.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examples of structures that are typically designated as Post-Disaster Buildings include:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eeca885 e-grid e-con-full e-con e-child\" data-id=\"eeca885\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8b21646 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8b21646\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hospitals, emergency treatment facilities, and blood banks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Telephone exchanges<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power generating stations and electrical substations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Control centres for air, land, and marine transportation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Public water treatment and storage facilities, and pumping stations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sewage treatment facilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buildings with critical national defense functions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emergency response facilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fire, rescue, and police stations, and housing for vehicles, aircraft, or boats used for such purposes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communications facilities, including radio and television stations<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-befa61b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"befa61b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-65691 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/psot-disaster-fire-station.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"414\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/psot-disaster-fire-station.webp 414w, https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/psot-disaster-fire-station-300x264.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Fire stations and emergency vehicle storage like the one pictured here are examples of post-disaster buildings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-09c5727 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"09c5727\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Multi-Use Buildings and Occupancy Ratings<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dc6720d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dc6720d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Some steel buildings are designed for more than one function\u2014such as a warehouse with office space, a farm structure with a retail area, or a backyard garage with a loft or hobby workshop. In these cases, the <strong>building occupancy rating typically reflects the most demanding use<\/strong>.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Even if part of the space qualifies as Low Human Occupancy, the overall structure may require a higher rating to meet safety and code requirements. Discussing all intended uses with your building consultant early in the process is key to ensuring the building is engineered correctly and approved without delays.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f498b9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1f498b9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How Do I Find a Building's Occupancy Rating?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c59e140 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c59e140\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>To find your building\u2019s occupancy rating, start by <strong>identifying how the building will be used and how many people are expected<\/strong> to occupy it during regular use. These factors determine how the structure must perform under safety and code requirements.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Ultimately, building occupancy ratings are <strong>assigned by your local building permit office<\/strong>. Their decision will be based on national or regional building codes and the information you provide during the design and permitting process.<\/p><p><br \/>Although the final rating is determined by the authorities, it is important to <strong>discuss occupancy early in the planning stage<\/strong> with your steel building provider. This allows your structure to be engineered correctly from the start\u2014preventing costly revisions or permitting delays.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3fe5edc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3fe5edc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why Occupancy Ratings Matter in Steel Building Design<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10ec45d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"10ec45d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Building occupancy ratings have a direct impact on the safety, strength, compliance with building codes, and cost of your steel building. The more people a building is meant to protect, the more robust the structure needs to be \u2013 resulting in more steel and, therefore, more cost.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>When comparing building quotes, make sure you\u2019re comparing the same building occupancy types\u200b<\/strong>. Some companies may use a Low Human Occupancy rating to lower costs \u2013 but that may not be suitable for your building\u2019s actual function.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c4e0ee elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5c4e0ee\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Occupancy Ratings and Norsteel<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-842bc19 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"842bc19\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Norsteel, we design according to your specific project\u2019s needs and functionality requirements. So, if your building\u2019s function requires a higher or lower human occupancy rating, this is an important discussion that you should have with your building consultant. Determining the proper occupancy rating for your building will have a direct influence on the integrity of your engineered structure and it has an impact on the cost.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>In general, more people = more steel = more cost.<\/strong><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Norsteel, unless you tell us otherwise, we will always default to designing your structure with a Normal Human Occupancy rating. Not all <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">metal building<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> providers default in this way. Some design using a Low Human Occupancy Ratings (category 1). This is important to consider when you are comparing your quotes. Remember that a change in a structure\u2019s occupancy rating will change its strength as well as its cost. So be mindful.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the end, it is the permit office that will determine the essential rating for your structure, so it is important for you to understand where your building sits on the scale. This way, you can make an informed decision on the right building occupancy from the very beginning of the design process.<br \/><\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/contact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to contact us today for a free, no obligation quote on your next building project!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a previous blog, we discussed how all steel buildings must be custom engineered taking into consideration the specific building codes and loads for their specific site location. We talked about the importance of understanding the specific Codes and Loads in the design of a metal building system. \u00a0 Just as there are differences in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":54679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[169],"tags":[231],"class_list":["post-61225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-building-codes-permits","tag-2025-us"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Understanding Building Occupancy Ratings by Type<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what building occupancy ratings mean, the different types, and how they affect steel building design, safety, and compliance with local codes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/building-codes-permits-us\/building-occupancy-ratings-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding Building Occupancy Ratings by Type\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn what building occupancy ratings mean, the different types, and how they affect steel building design, safety, and compliance with local codes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/building-codes-permits-us\/building-occupancy-ratings-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"norsteelbuildings\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-18T15:53:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T14:53:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Popeyes-Norsteel.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michelle Keenan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michelle Keenan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/building-codes-permits-us\/building-occupancy-ratings-guide\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/building-codes-permits\/building-occupancy-ratings-guide\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michelle Keenan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/568d6f973f0f7c64e0363a1ee3bf0647\"},\"headline\":\"Building Occupancy Ratings: What You Need to Know\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-18T15:53:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-13T14:53:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/building-codes-permits\/building-occupancy-ratings-guide\/\"},\"wordCount\":1233,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/us\/building-codes-permits-us\/building-occupancy-ratings-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/norsteelbuildings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Popeyes-Norsteel.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"2025\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Building Codes &amp; 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