Exit Sign / Emergency Lighting Placement Calculator

Exit sign count

Assumes a sign is visible from both ends; obstructions, offsets, or soffits add signs.

Construction and illumination reminders for every sign counted

• Tactile signs (§1013.4): a raised-character and Braille EXIT sign is required at each exit door to an interior exit stairway or ramp, exit passageway, and exit discharge.
• Illuminated at all times (§1013.3): every exit sign must be internally or externally illuminated whenever the building is occupied.
• Externally illuminated signs (§1013.6.1): letters at least 6 inches high with principal strokes at least 3/4 inch wide.
• Face illumination (§1013.6.2; NFPA 101 §7.10.6.3): externally illuminated sign face at least 5 footcandles (54 lux).
• Emergency power (§1013.6.3; NFPA 101 §7.10.9): at least 90 minutes on battery or generator when normal power fails.

When NO exit sign is required — §1013.1 exceptions

Check each condition that applies to the space you are marking. If one applies, that door or room does not need a sign under the base code.

• Rooms or areas that require only one exit or exit access
• Main exterior exit doors that are obviously and clearly identifiable as exits, where approved by the building official
• Group U occupancies
• Individual sleeping units or dwelling units in Group R-1, R-2, or R-3
• Dayrooms, sleeping rooms, or dormitories in Group I-3
• Group A-4 and A-5 where exit signs are provided at the exits and at grade level

Code cited: IBC 2021 §1013.1, §1013.2, §1013.3, §1013.4, §1013.6; NFPA 101-2021 §7.10.1.5.2, §7.10.6.3 — exit sign location and spacing, floor-level signs in R-1, illumination, tactile signs, sign construction and external illumination.

Emergency lighting units

Planning estimate from the manufacturer spacing; a photometric layout is still required.

• Duration (§1008.3.4): emergency power must run the egress illumination for at least 90 minutes — storage batteries, unit equipment, or an on-site generator installed per §2702.
• Normal-power illumination (§1008.2.1): the means of egress must be lit to at least 1 footcandle (11 lux) at the walking surface whenever the building is occupied. Exceptions exist for R-1, R-2, and R-3 dwelling and sleeping units, aisles in Group A lit to 0.2 fc during performances, and I-3 sleeping units — verify the exception before relying on it.

Inventory: where emergency lighting is required

Check off each space type present in the building. The count updates below so you know how many separate paths to run through this panel.

§1008.3.1 — rooms and spaces that require two or more exits or exit accesses

• Aisles
• Corridors
• Exit access stairways and ramps

§1008.3.2 — buildings that require two or more exits

• Interior exit access stairways and ramps
• Interior and exterior exit stairways and ramps
• Exit passageways
• Vestibules and areas on the level of discharge used for exit discharge (§1028.2)
• Exterior landings (§1010.1.5) for exit doorways leading directly to exit discharge

§1008.3.3 — always required, regardless of exit count

• Electrical equipment rooms
• Fire command centers
• Fire pump rooms
• Generator rooms
• Public restrooms larger than 300 sq ft

Code cited: IBC 2021 §1008.2.1, §1008.3.1–1008.3.4; NFPA 101-2021 §7.9.1 — means of egress illumination level, emergency power required locations, and 90-minute duration.

Illumination check —

• Group I-2 (hospitals, nursing homes) — §1008.3.5: failure of a single lamp in a luminaire must not reduce illumination at any point below 0.2 fc (2.2 lux). This tool does not model single-lamp failure; check it on the photometric layout.
• Where to measure: §1008.3.5 sets these levels at the walking surface along the path of egress. Readings taken at eye level or on a wall are not comparable.

Code cited: IBC 2021 §1008.3.5; NFPA 101-2021 §7.9.2.1 — emergency illumination: 1 fc average and 0.1 fc minimum initially, 0.6 fc average and 0.06 fc minimum at the end of the duration, 40:1 maximum-to-minimum ratio.