New facilities, new additions, and major renovations to existing facilities shall:

1. (1) be constructed of fire resistive, noncombustible materials. Single story, minimum security facilities may use wood framing when provided as part of an Underwriters Laboratory fire rated assembly, appropriate for the application, provided exterior walls, interior walls, and ceilings are of fire resistive materials. Roof materials shall meet Class C criterion unless superseded by local code requirements;
2. (2) have dividing fire and smoke partitions between floors, between compartments, and in corridors with self-closing fire doors or normally closed power operated swinging or sliding detention doors;
3. (3) have Class A interior finish materials on all interior surfaces (flame spread 0-25, smoke developed 0-450 in accordance with ASTM E84 "Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials" and UL 723 standards);
4. (4) be designed for isolation of fires, riots, or other emergencies;
5. (5) provide means of egress components consisting of doors, stairs, and smoke proof enclosures (in multistory facilities), horizontal exits, and passageways in accordance with NFPA 101 Life Safety Code §14.2 concerning Means of Egress Components as appropriate for the occupancy type such as Business or Detention.

Source Note:The provisions of this §263.12 adopted to be effective December 19, 1994, 19 TexReg 9526; amended to be effective June 14, 1996, 21 TexReg 5003; amended to be effective September 14, 2025, 50 TexReg 5939.