Find the A117.1 edition the adopted building code references, which is often not the newest. Then trace each accessible room, route, and element from the scoping on the code analysis into the enlarged plans, elevations, door and fixture schedules, and details. AI can flag conflicts; the architect and building official decide compliance.
What does ICC A117.1 cover?
ICC describes A117.1, the Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, as designed to ensure that people with physical disabilities can independently approach, enter, and use a site, facility, building, or element. The 2024 IBC preface explains the split: the IBC sets the scoping (what, where, and how many), and A117.1 is the referenced standard for the technical provisions (how).
ICC Digital Codes lists ICC A117.1-2026 as published, while the referenced standards chapter of the 2024 IBC lists A117.1-2017. An ICC Building Safety Journal article states that the 2026 edition will be referenced in the 2027 I-Codes. Checked October 5, 2026. The edition that governs is the one the adopted building code references, so a project under the 2024 IBC uses A117.1-2017 unless the jurisdiction amends the reference.
Federal ADA obligations are separate from the building code. The U.S. Access Board describes the IBC’s technical reference as highly consistent with the technical chapters of the ADA Standards, but a building permit does not establish ADA compliance; see the 2010 ADA Standards guide. The accessibility checklist organizes the review itself.
Gather the scoping and the enlarged drawings
Collect the code analysis with the accessibility scoping, the accessible route plan, enlarged toilet, kitchen, and unit plans, interior elevations, door and hardware schedules, fixture and accessory schedules, casework details, ramp and stair details, signage drawings, and the related specification sections.
Technical criteria apply to dimensions and mounting heights, so the review needs finished dimensions on enlarged plans and elevations, not measurements scaled from small plans.
Carry the scoping into the technical drawings
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Edition | Code analysis, general notes, referenced standards | Confirm the A117.1 edition the adopted code references and that the notes cite it. |
| Scoping to technical | Code analysis, accessible unit and room lists, enlarged plans | Match each room or unit the scoping requires to an enlarged plan that shows it. |
| Clear floor spaces | Enlarged plans, casework plans, interior elevations | Find casework, furniture, or equipment that overlaps space drawn as clear. |
| Doors | Door and hardware schedules, enlarged plans | Reconcile door widths, hardware, and approach conditions between the schedules and plans. |
| Fixtures and accessories | Fixture and accessory schedules, elevations, details | Match mounting heights and locations in the elevations to the schedules and details. |
| Ramps, stairs, and handrails | Plans, sections, ramp and stair details | Check that each ramp and stair in plan has a detail with the information needed. |
Check ramp slopes with the ADA ramp slope calculator, partitions and accessories in the toilet compartment and toilet accessories specifications guides, and openings in the door schedule checklist. A common plan check correction is covered in accessible toilet room clearances.
Example: the accessory schedule and the elevation disagree
Hypothetical example. An enlarged toilet room plan and interior elevation show a grab bar and a paper towel dispenser on the same wall. The accessory schedule lists a recessed dispenser at a different mounting height than the elevation, and the casework plan adds a counter that the enlarged plan does not show.
The interior elevation, accessory schedule, and casework plan show different mounting heights and arrangements for the accessories on this wall. Please confirm the intended arrangement and coordinate the elevation, schedule, and casework with the applicable A117.1 provisions.
The architect confirms the arrangement and the governing provision. Whether the final arrangement complies is the architect’s and building official’s decision.
Review accessibility details with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. Add the ICC A117.1 edition the project uses from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it, and the jurisdiction’s published amendments. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the accessibility scoping on the code analysis with the enlarged plans, interior elevations, door, hardware, fixture, and accessory schedules, and details. Flag rooms the scoping requires that have no enlarged plan, conflicting mounting heights or arrangements, and clear spaces obstructed in another drawing. Use the supplied A117.1 edition and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets and schedules involved. Verify the edition the adopted code references before sending a comment.
Document review does not certify accessibility compliance or replace the architect, an accessibility specialist, or the building official.