Plan Submittal Tips

Welcome to Code Review Services plan submittal tips page for anyone that is going to submit plans for review by a building or fire department. The following are some very important tips to help your project get through a plan review smoothly. If you are a homeowner with questions on projects for your home, please visit our homeowners page.

	Always have plans reviewed by someone else that is knowledgeable enough to let you know if he could build it without asking your any questions. The plans should be organized in a standard format used in your area. The most common order of plans for residential construction is cover sheet with project information, a site/grading plan, floor plan(s), roof plan, elevations, building sections, detail sheet, framing plans, mechanical, plumbing and electrical. If you are not familiar with the items above, we suggest getting help from someone is is familiar with the above items. Most building departments offer pre-submittal plan reviews and some even offer plan checks at the counter for small projects. Most plans get rejected by any agency because they are incomplete, unorganized or missing information.
	Always contact the building or fire department to see if there are any items of major concern about submittal documents. Most entities have a specific system for submittal of plans. Some entities require only two sets of plans and others may require up to seven sets. The multiple set review system usually goes faster since one set is send to every reviewing agency at the same time. The two set system requires that both sets are sent to each reviewing agency one at a time. There are also some building departments that will not accept plans for review until all other reviewing agencies have approved plan for permit.
	Remember that plan submitted for a building permit become legal documents when approved by the entity. Make sure all documents submitted comply with state law for designers stamp and wet signature.
	Contact the department you are submitting to and set up a preliminary review for the project. This practice is highly recommended for all projects. It can usually be set up so that all reviewing agencies are present. This is not a comprehensive review, it is designed to catch major code problems and mostly to answer any questions on the application of codes and ordinances.
	Never submit plans thinking the reviewing agency will "red mark" missing items. All three model code disallow this practice even though some agencies allow it. There is one good reason to not allow red marked plans which is that when you get one set of plans back approved none of the sub contractors and most other workers do not see the red marked plans. This will cause delays during the inspections.
	To have some reassurance that your plans will not be rejected or held up we recommend having a consulting service, such as CRSI, review plans for not only code compliance but also the above items. There are many code consulting firms but not all of them check the above items. CRSI will contact the local entity to find out what needs to be done to expedite the review process. We will also prepare exiting plans and other documents needed to assure the fastest review time available.
	If you would like more information on ours services or have any suggestions or comments about our site, please send your request to info@codesusa.com. Thank you for visiting Code Review Service, Inc.