Flooring Guidelines for Food Facilities

The California Retail Food Code (CalCode) Section 114268 states:

"Except in sales areas and as otherwise specified in subdivision, the floor surfaces in all areas in which food is prepared, prepackaged, or stored, where any utensil is washed, where refuse or garbage is stored, where janitorial facilities are located in all toilet and handwashing areas shall be smooth and of durable construction, and nonabsorbent material that is easily cleanable.

Floor surfaces shall be coved at the juncture of the floor and wall with a 3/8 inch minimum radius coving and shall extend up the wall at least 4 inches, except in areas where food is stored only in unopened bottles, cans, cartons, sacks or other original shipping containers."

Acceptable flooring for full-service kitchen areas

Includes sculleries, meat or fish preparation areas, bars, bakeries, and any areas with a power wash down.

• Quarry tile (any color) with a 4" quarry tile coved base. Epoxy grout is recommended.
• Seamless troweled-on epoxy floor (not paint) 1/4" minimum thickness with a 4" self-coved base.
• 100% homogenous vinyl flooring recommended by the manufacturer for use in commercial kitchens. The floor must have heat-welded seams a minimum of 4” high with 3/8” self-coved base.

Limited food preparation areas

Includes service areas such as delicatessens, sandwich shops, espresso shops, areas behind service counters, employee change areas, janitorial rooms, mixed-use and self serve areas.

• The floors listed above for full-service kitchens.
• The minimum flooring required is a commercial grade sheet vinyl having chemically-welded seams with a 4" self-coved base.

Restrooms

Includes customer and employee restrooms.

• The floors listed above for full-service kitchens and limited food preparation areas.
• Ceramic tile with 4" coved base tile.

Dry storage areas

Includes all areas with prepackaged, no open food containers, no food preparation, no sinks, no refrigerators and no ice machines.

• The floors listed above for full-service kitchens and limited food preparation areas.
• The minimum flooring required is vinyl composition tile (VCT) with a 4" vinyl/rubber top set coved base.

Walk-in refrigerators and freezers

• Metal floor and coved base installed as part of the ANSI Standards or equivalent walk-in.
• Quarry tile with a coved base or metal cove base provided by the manufacturer. Epoxy grout is recommended.
• Seamless troweled on epoxy (not paint) minimum 1/4" thick, a minimum of 4” high with 3/8” self-coved base, supplied by the walk-in manufacturer.
• New smooth, sealed concrete with 4" coved concrete base, quarry tile cove base or metal coved base supplied by the walk-in manufacturer.

Dining area

Floor drains

Upon new construction or extensive remodeling, floor drains shall be installed:

• In floors that are water-flushed for cleaning.
• In areas where pressure spray methods for cleaning equipment are used.

In restrooms, floor drains are recommended, but not required.

Floor sinks

• For new construction or additions where floor sinks are required the floor sinks may be either raised or flush mounted. Please verify with the building jurisdiction for their requirements.
• Floor sinks must have adequate grates to prevent injury and be accessible for regular cleaning.