McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Here’s the minimum code requirements for a residential kitchen:
• Every residence must have a kitchen area (IRC R306.2).
• There is no minimum square foot area for a kitchen (IRC R304.1).
• Minimum kitchen ceiling height of 7-feet (IRC R305.1).
• Kitchen must have a sink (IRC R306.2).
• Kitchen sink must provide hot and cold water (IRC R306.4).
• Sink must be connected to a sanitary sewer or approved private sewage disposal system (IRC R306.3.
• Dishwasher and garbage disposal are not required.
• Minimum of two separate 20-amp kitchen appliance circuits serving only the kitchen counter receptacles, with the exception that a refrigerator receptacle can be on one of the circuits. [NEC 210.52(B)(3)]
• The kitchen counter appliance circuits must be GFCI-protected [NEC 210.8(A)(6)].
• Kitchen counter appliance receptacle outlets must be spaced so that no point along the wall line at back of counter is more than 2 feet from a receptacle outlet. Area directly behind a range, counter-mounted cooking unit, or sink is exempted from this spacing requirement. (NEC 210.50(C)(1)].
• Kitchen must have a switched lighting outlet (permanently installed light fixture) [NEC 210.70(A)(1)].
• A range hood fan is not required unless an open-top broiler is installed. However, if a range hood fan is installed, it must vent to the exterior unless it is specifically designed (listed and labeled) to be ductless and the kitchen has some other form of mechanical or natural ventilation (IRC M1505.1 and M1503).
These requirements are based on the International Residential Code (IRC) and the National Electrical Code (NEC). Other codes and local jurisdiction amendments may be different. Also see Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Minimum Code Requirements
Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about BUILDING CODES:
