Occupant Load

OCCUPANT LOAD is the building code's way of determining how many people are expected (and in some cases permitted) to occupy a space, based on a calculated guess of the number of people per square feet a particular use will accommodate. This is called the occupant load factor and is found in Table 10-A in the Building Code. The occupant load factor for live/work is almost always 200, and the number of occupants which triggers a second means of egress is 10. Therefore 200 x 10 = 2000 square feet as the minimum size unit which requires two exits. Total occupant load can also be calculated for a building, and it affects other matters which your architect will explain.