Single Stair Bldg. Code Reform.

SB 492 allows single-exit stairways in certain multifamily residential buildings (5-32 units, under 75 feet tall, on one lot) that meet strict fire safety standards. It applies to qualifying "Group R-2" buildings, requiring either 2-hour fire-rated construction with sprinklers (mid-rise) or 1-hour fire-rated construction/sprinklers (low-rise), plus specific egress requirements like 20-foot travel distance to the stairway and pressurized stairwells. The bill temporarily permits this change until the Building Code Council adopts permanent rules, which must align with these provisions. It directly affects developers and builders constructing qualifying mid-rise or low-rise apartment buildings in North Carolina. The law does not apply to three- or four-family homes or buildings exceeding the specified height or unit limits.