Section 7.4.1/Number of Means of Egress
NFPA 101 Section 7.4 establishes the minimum number of means of egress from any story or occupied space based on occupant load.
Every story of a building must have at least two means of egress. A single exit is permitted only where specifically allowed by the applicable occupancy chapter and the conditions in Section 7.4.1.2 are met (limited occupant load, limited travel distance, and the building is fully sprinklered where required). Spaces with more than 500 occupants require at least three exits. Spaces with more than 1000 occupants require at least four exits.
Why this section exists
Multiple exits provide redundancy. If one exit is blocked by fire, smoke, or structural failure, occupants must have an alternate escape route. The occupant load thresholds increase the number of exits as the consequence of an exit failure grows. At 1000 occupants, losing one of two exits would force 500 people to compete for a single remaining exit, which is unacceptable crowd density.
What plan reviewers look for
Plan reviewers count the exits on each floor plan and compare against the occupant load. They verify that exits are remote from each other (separated by at least half the maximum diagonal of the floor area, or one-third if sprinklered). They also check that single-exit conditions meet every requirement of the applicable occupancy chapter exception.
Common violations
Related NFPA 101 requirements
Section 7.3.1 covers egress capacity calculations. Section 7.2.1covers door requirements. Section 7.5 covers arrangement of means of egress including remoteness requirements. The IBC has similar but not identical requirements in Section 1006.2.