In a partition scenario, what fire rating is required between Restroom and Dine-In Restaurant?

• A. 0 HOUR
• B. 1 HOUR
• C. 2 HOUR
• D. 3 HOUR

Answer: (A)

The concept here is how fire-resistance requirements are applied between spaces that belong to the same occupancy within a tenant. When two spaces share the same occupancy, you don’t need a fire-rated barrier between them. A restroom in a dine-in restaurant is treated as an incidental space that doesn’t introduce a new occupancy type or hazard, so no fire-resistance rating is required for the partition between them. That means a non-rated partition is allowed, i.e., a 0-hour rating.

Keep in mind that a higher rating (like 1-hour or more) would come into play if you were separating different occupancies (for example, kitchen vs. dining) or certain hazardous areas.