IES foot-candle standards, Title 24 LPD limits, and ASHRAE 90.1 requirements for every commercial space type. The definitive reference for 2026.
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| Space Type | Foot-Candles | Lux | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Warehouse Storage | 10-20 FC | 100-200 lx | IES |
| Warehouse Picking/Packing | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES |
| Warehouse Shipping/Receiving | 30 FC | 300 lx | IES |
| Manufacturing — General | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES |
| Manufacturing — Precision | 75-100 FC | 750-1000 lx | IES |
| Cold Storage / Freezer | 20-30 FC | 200-300 lx | IES |
| Space Type | Foot-Candles | Lux | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Office | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES / ASHRAE |
| Private Office | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES |
| Conference Room | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES |
| Reception / Lobby | 20-30 FC | 200-300 lx | IES |
| Corridor / Hallway | 10-20 FC | 100-200 lx | IES |
| Restroom | 20-30 FC | 200-300 lx | IES |
| Space Type | Foot-Candles | Lux | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Retail | 50-75 FC | 500-750 lx | IES |
| Grocery Store | 50-100 FC | 500-1000 lx | IES |
| Restaurant — Dining | 10-30 FC | 100-300 lx | IES |
| Restaurant — Kitchen | 50-75 FC | 500-750 lx | IES |
| Hotel Lobby | 20-30 FC | 200-300 lx | IES |
| Hotel Guest Room | 20-30 FC | 200-300 lx | IES |
| Space Type | Foot-Candles | Lux | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking Lot — Open | 1-2 FC | 10-20 lx | IES RP-20 |
| Parking Lot — Covered | 5-10 FC | 50-100 lx | IES RP-20 |
| Parking Lot — Enhanced Security | 2-5 FC | 20-50 lx | IES RP-20 |
| Roadway / Street | 0.6-1.2 FC | 6-12 lx | IES RP-8 |
| Building Perimeter | 1-3 FC | 10-30 lx | IES |
| Loading Dock | 10-20 FC | 100-200 lx | IES |
| Space Type | Foot-Candles | Lux | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classroom | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES |
| Library | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES |
| Gymnasium | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES |
| Auditorium | 15-30 FC | 150-300 lx | IES |
| Space Type | Foot-Candles | Lux | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital — General | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES / FGI |
| Operating Room | 100-200 FC | 1000-2000 lx | IES / FGI |
| Patient Room | 10-30 FC | 100-300 lx | FGI |
| Emergency Room | 50-100 FC | 500-1000 lx | IES / FGI |
| Space Type | Foot-Candles | Lux | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational / Community | 30-50 FC | 300-500 lx | IES |
| High School Competition | 50-75 FC | 500-750 lx | IES / NCAA |
| College (NCAA) | 75-100 FC | 750-1000 lx | NCAA |
| Professional / FIFA | 200-350 FC | 2000-3500 lx | FIFA / IES |
California Building Energy Efficiency Standards — maximum watts per square foot for new construction and major renovations.
Most warehouses need 30 foot-candles for general picking and packing operations (IES standard). Bulk storage aisles need 10-20 FC, while precision inspection areas may need 75-100 FC. The most common commercial warehouse target is 30 FC at floor level.
Open parking lots need 1-2 foot-candles minimum maintained per IES RP-20. Covered parking garages need 5-10 FC. Enhanced security areas (ATM, pedestrian crossings) need 2-5 FC. Uniformity ratio should be 4:1 or better (max to min).
Open offices and private offices need 30-50 foot-candles per IES standards. Computer-based work is comfortable at 30-40 FC, while paper-intensive tasks may need 50 FC. Conference rooms also need 30-50 FC with dimming capability for presentations.
1 foot-candle equals 10.764 lux. Foot-candles measure lumens per square foot (used in the US), while lux measures lumens per square meter (used internationally). To convert: multiply foot-candles by 10.764 to get lux, or divide lux by 10.764 to get foot-candles.
California Title 24 (2022) sets maximum watts per square foot: warehouse 0.6 W/ft², office 0.8 W/ft², retail 1.0 W/ft², classroom 0.8 W/ft², hospital corridor 0.7 W/ft². LED easily meets these limits due to high efficacy (130-200 lm/W).
FIFA requires 200 foot-candles (2,000 lux) horizontal for HD broadcast, and 350 FC (3,500 lux) for 4K/Super Slow Motion coverage. Vertical illumination requirements are 75% of horizontal. NCAA Division I requires 75-100 FC for competition with broadcast.