CAL 117-2013 and NFPA 260: Flammability Standards for Contract Fabric

Why two standards exist

Upholstered furniture fire standards in the US grew up in two tracks. California, with a long history of state-level consumer safety regulation, issued Technical Bulletin 117 in the 1970s. The National Fire Protection Association published NFPA 260 for the broader contract industry.

Both address the same root risk: a dropped cigarette smolders on upholstery and escalates to a room fire. Both test whether the fabric and fill resist smolder ignition.

The standards differ on scope (state vs industry), on what is tested (finished piece vs component), and on enforcement. For a specifier, both can be in play on a single project.

CAL TB 117-2013 in detail

California's Technical Bulletin 117-2013 went into effect January 2014, superseding CAL 117-2000. The change was significant: CAL 117-2000 required an open-flame test that effectively mandated flame-retardant chemicals in upholstered furniture. CAL 117-2013 dropped the open-flame test and replaced it with a smolder resistance test that most conventional fabrics and fills pass without chemical treatment.

The standard applies to upholstered furniture sold in California. In practice, because California is the largest US furniture market, most furniture manufacturers build to CAL 117-2013 nationally.

The test: a standardized cigarette is placed on a mock-up assembly of cover fabric and filling. After 45 minutes, the assembly is examined for smoldering combustion. Pass means no flaming ignition and no continued smoldering beyond defined limits.

NFPA 260 in detail

NFPA 260, Standard Methods of Tests and Classification System for Cigarette Ignition Resistance of Components of Upholstered Furniture, tests at the component level: fabric alone, foam alone, interliner alone. It classifies components into Class I (pass) and Class II (fail).

NFPA 260 Class I is the threshold referenced by the ACT flammability icon and by most commercial and hospitality contracts in the US.

Because NFPA 260 tests components, a fabric can be certified Class I independently of the furniture it ends up on. That is why you see NFPA 260 Class I published on mill spec sheets.

Comparison table

Where each certification is expected

• Hospitality guest rooms, lobbies, and F&B: NFPA 260 Class I is almost always required. Many brand standards add CAL 133 for full-scale furniture burn on public seating.
• Healthcare waiting rooms and patient rooms: NFPA 260 Class I plus local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) requirements, which may reference NFPA 701 for drapery.
• Corporate seating: NFPA 260 Class I common on contract bids; not always required on private residential portion of mixed-use.
• Multi-family amenity: NFPA 260 Class I in amenity spaces; CAL 117-2013 sufficient for in-unit.
• Residential: CAL 117-2013 is de facto national; NFPA 260 not usually required.
• UK hospitality: BS 5852 Crib 5; CAL 117 and NFPA 260 are not sufficient.

BS 5852 for UK and European hospitality

Projects in the UK and parts of Europe reference BS 5852, the British Standard for ignition sources on upholstered seating. The standard defines a series of ignition sources from a cigarette (Source 0) to an intense wood crib (Source 7, also called Crib 7).

Crib 5 is the typical threshold for hospitality and public-area seating in the UK. A fabric meeting Crib 5 has passed a significant flame source, often requiring inherent flame-resistant fibers or a back-coating.

North American fabrics certified only to NFPA 260 or CAL 117-2013 generally do not meet BS 5852 Crib 5 without additional treatment. For UK projects, specify to BS 5852.

How fabric mills certify

Mills send samples to an accredited third-party lab (Intertek, SGS, UL, and a handful of specialist labs). The lab runs the test and issues a pass report. The report identifies the fabric by style and colorway and is valid as long as the construction does not change.

A change in backing, in yarn source, or in finish can void the certification. Mills typically re-test when they requalify a base cloth or a finish chemistry.

For the specifier, the cert lives on the spec sheet or is available on request from the mill's trade team.

What to ask for at spec

1. The flammability standard required by your project. Usually CAL 117-2013 at minimum, NFPA 260 Class I for contract, BS 5852 Crib 5 for UK hospitality.
2. A copy of the mill's pass certificate, current and dated.
3. Confirmation that the colorway you are specifying falls under the same construction as the tested sample.
4. Any additional local standards the AHJ requires (NFPA 701 for drapery, CAL 133 for full-scale furniture burn in some contexts).
5. Lead time for re-certification if the fabric requires a back-coating to meet the spec.