Technical articles for licensed PEs and AEC professionals.
Common AISC 360 steel design and connection errors found during structural plan review. Covers bolt and weld specifications, connection design forces, column base plates, HSS connections, member slenderness, and serviceability checks.
Common NFPA 90A violations in mechanical plan review for commercial HVAC systems. Covers plenum-rated materials, duct construction, fire and smoke dampers, duct smoke detection, and material restrictions in return air plenums.
The most common NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code) violations in mechanical plan review. Covers gas piping sizing, appliance venting, clearances to combustibles, gas shutoff valves, and combustion air requirements.
The most common ASCE 7 wind and seismic design errors found during structural plan review. Covers risk category classification, wind speed parameters, seismic design category determination, load combinations, and missing information on structural drawings.
The most common NEC violations found in residential electrical plan reviews. Covers branch circuit requirements, GFCI and AFCI protection, receptacle spacing, service entrance sizing, and grounding for single-family and multifamily projects.
New York has two parallel building code systems: the statewide Uniform Code based on the IBC and the separate NYC Construction Codes. Here is how both systems work, which editions are current, and where the biggest compliance differences are.
A practical guide to fire-resistance rated construction requirements under the IBC. Covers construction type classification, fire-resistance rating tables, fire walls, fire barriers, opening protectives, and through-penetration firestopping.
A practical checklist for mechanical and energy engineers reviewing construction drawings for IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 compliance before permit submittal. Covers envelope insulation, HVAC efficiency, lighting power density, and commissioning.
A practical checklist for architects reviewing construction drawings for ADA and ICC A117.1 accessibility compliance before permit submittal. Covers accessible routes, restrooms, parking, signage, and reach ranges.
A practical checklist for plumbing engineers reviewing drainage, water supply, and fixture drawings before permit submittal. Covers IPC, UPC, and coordination with mechanical and fire protection.
A practical checklist for fire protection engineers reviewing sprinkler, fire alarm, and life safety drawings before permit submittal. Covers NFPA 13, NFPA 72, NFPA 101, and IBC Chapter 9.
A practical checklist for structural engineers reviewing construction drawings before permit submittal. Covers load paths, foundation details, connection design, lateral systems, special inspections, and coordination with other disciplines.
Colorado adopts building codes at the state level but gives local jurisdictions broad amendment authority. Here is how the Colorado system works, which code editions are current, and where local amendments create the biggest compliance differences.
Texas has no mandatory statewide building code. Each city and county adopts its own codes, creating a patchwork of IBC editions, local amendments, and enforcement approaches. Here is how to determine which codes apply to your Texas project.
A practical checklist for electrical engineers reviewing construction drawings before permit submittal. Covers NEC compliance, panel schedules, fault current, arc flash, grounding, and coordination with other disciplines.
The IBC and IRC cover different building types and have different structural, fire, and energy requirements. Here is how to determine which code applies to your project, where they overlap, and what happens when a residential project triggers IBC compliance.
A cross-discipline pre-submittal checklist for engineers and architects. Covers the most common plan review comments that cause resubmittals, organized by what you can catch before the building department does.
Plan review timelines range from 2 weeks to 9 months depending on jurisdiction and project complexity. Here is what actually drives the timeline, why resubmittals are the biggest schedule killer, and what you can do before submittal to reduce correction cycles.
The Florida Building Code is based on the IBC but includes significant amendments for wind, flood, impact resistance, and the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. Here are the key differences that generate plan check corrections when engineers apply IBC assumptions to Florida projects.
The 2025 California Building Standards Code took effect January 1, 2026, and the changes go well beyond energy modeling. Here are the Title 24 updates generating the most plan check corrections on California projects right now.
Selecting the wrong NFPA sprinkler standard is one of the most common fire protection errors on drawing submittals. Here is how NFPA 13, 13R, and 13D differ in scope, coverage requirements, and IBC implications, and what it means for your permit drawings.
States are adopting ASCE 7-22 through the 2024 IBC cycle. Here are the key differences between ASCE 7-16 and ASCE 7-22 that affect wind, seismic, snow, and tornado design on structural drawing submittals.
A practical guide to evaluating AI-powered construction drawing review tools. What features matter most, what to watch out for, and how to compare pricing, accuracy, and workflow integration.
The most common AISC 360-22 steel design and detailing errors found during structural drawing review: connection design gaps, member stability issues, bolt/weld specification errors, and documentation problems that plan reviewers flag first.
The most common NFPA 72 fire alarm and signaling code violations found during construction drawing review: detector spacing, notification appliance placement, circuit class errors, and documentation gaps that fire marshals flag first.
The most common reasons construction permit applications get returned for revision: incomplete drawings, code compliance gaps, missing coordination, and documentation errors that add weeks to your project timeline.
The most common ADA 2010 and ANSI A117.1 accessibility violations found during construction drawing review: restroom clearances, door hardware, ramp slopes, signage, and accessible route errors that plan reviewers flag first.
The most frequent NFPA 101 Life Safety Code compliance issues found during construction drawing review: occupancy classification errors, means of egress deficiencies, exit signage, fire barrier ratings, and common path of travel violations.
A practical comparison of the International Plumbing Code and Uniform Plumbing Code: fixture unit calculations, venting methods, pipe sizing, and the jurisdictional split that determines which one governs your project.
The most common International Energy Conservation Code violations in commercial construction drawings, from envelope insulation gaps to HVAC efficiency documentation errors.
The most common ASCE 7 design load errors found during structural drawing review, from wind exposure misclassification to missing drift loads, and how to catch them before submittal.
The most common ACI 318-19 code violations found during structural concrete plan review, from development length mistakes to missing confinement detailing.
The most common International Plumbing Code violations in construction drawings, from fixture unit miscounts to water hammer arrestor omissions, and how to catch them before permit submittal.
The most common IBC and ASCE 7 violations in structural construction drawings, from load path gaps to connection detail errors, and why they keep appearing even on engineer-stamped sets.
The most common National Electrical Code violations in construction drawings, from panel schedule errors to arc flash documentation gaps, and how to catch them before the AHJ does.
A practical comparison of the Uniform Mechanical Code and International Mechanical Code: where they agree, where they diverge, and what it means for your drawing review.
The most common NFPA 13 fire sprinkler design errors in construction drawings, from obstruction rules to hydraulic calculations, and why they trigger correction notices.
A breakdown of the most frequent ASHRAE 62.1 ventilation rate procedure errors in construction drawings, from zone-level calculations to system-level adjustments.
The difference between a useful plan review comment and a useless one comes down to specificity. Here's why exact code citations matter for PEs, AHJs, and project documentation.
A practical checklist for mechanical PEs reviewing HVAC construction drawings, covering equipment schedules, ventilation, energy code, and coordination.
The most frequently flagged egress code violations in construction drawings, with exact IBC section references and what reviewers look for.
How AI-assisted plan review works for construction drawings, where it excels at catching code violations, and why it still requires PE verification.