Compare each ladder and ship stair on the plans, sections, and roof plan with the articles kept in the issued Section 05 51 33: the drawings should give every ladder’s location, critical dimensions, materials, and support details, and the length of climb shown on the sections should decide whether the ladder safety device article and the paragraph on phasing out cages and wells are kept or deleted. Then confirm that the stringer and rung option matches whether a safety device is used, that the top-of-ladder conditions at parapets, hatches, and landings are detailed with the swing gate, and that the roof hatch and the guards around it are picked up by Sections 05 50 13 and 05 52 00.
Assemble the review package
Gather the floor, mezzanine, and roof plans with every ladder and ship stair located, the building sections and wall sections that show the length of climb, the ladder and ship stair details with their clip angles and brackets, the roof hatch, parapet, and platform details at the top of each ladder, the elevator pit section if a pit ladder is shown, the existing conditions and demolition drawings for renovation or antiterrorism upgrade work, the life safety plan, and the issued Section 05 51 33 with Sections 05 05 20, 05 50 13, 05 51 00, 05 52 00, and the painting section. Follow one ladder from its base to the level it serves before assuming the others are detailed the same way.
WBDG publishes UFGS 05 51 33: Metal Ladders as a public guide-specification reference (accessed October 29, 2026). Use your project’s issued specification and amendments for the actual comparison; the guide specification does not automatically govern your project. The checklist below is an original suggested review workflow, not a reproduction of the UFGS requirements.
Eight checks to run against the issued set
Use one record per location or system. The CSV contains the same eight prompts plus fields for source revisions, observed evidence, the review owner, the decision, and closure references.
| Check | Sources to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Ladder locations and critical dimensions | Opening designer note + Ladders article designer note + plans, sections, and ladder details | Is every ladder, including roof access, mezzanine, equipment platform, and elevator pit ladders, located on the plans and given a detail with its critical dimensions, materials, and support, as both designer notes ask? |
| Length of climb and fall protection | Phasing out of Ladder Cages and Wells and Ladder Safety Devices (Climbing Ladder Fall Arrest Systems) articles + building sections + ladder details | Do the sections show the length of climb for each ladder, are the two articles kept where a climb triggers them and deleted where none does, and do the details show a ladder safety system rather than relying on a cage, which the section says does not qualify as fall protection? |
| Stringer and rung option vs. safety device | Ladders article bracketed options + ladder safety device product data submittal + ladder details | Is the fixed stringer and rung size option kept for plain ladders and the dynamic loading option for ladders that carry a safety device, as the designer note directs, and do the details show the carrier, its mountings, and its cable guides? |
| Clearances and top termination | Ladders article + parapet, landing, and platform details | Do the details show the clearance behind the rungs to the wall or nearest object, the separate elevator pit condition where one exists, the top rung relative to the access level, side rail extensions on through or side-step ladders, and the protective swing gate at the top access level? |
| Roof hatches and adjacent guards | Ladders article hatch and well exception + Section 05 50 13 Roof Hatches (Scuttles) + Section 05 52 00 + roof plan | Where a ladder serves a roof hatch, is the hatch specified in Section 05 50 13, is a guardrail around the opening detailed and covered in the metal railings section, and does the ladder detail show how a climber passes through the hatch? |
| Ship stairs and alternating tread stairs | Ship Stair / Ship Alternating Tread-Type Stair article + fabricator certification + plans and sections + metal railings section | Where a ship stair or alternating tread stair is drawn, is the article kept with the aluminum option decided, are non-slip treads and handrails covered, and is it clear that the stair is a ship stair under this section rather than a stair under Section 05 51 00? |
| Existing ladders and security upgrades | Ladder Security Gate and Existing Roof Access Ladder ATFP Security Upgrade articles + Phasing out of Ladder Cages and Wells article + existing conditions and demolition drawings | On antiterrorism upgrade or renovation work, do the drawings say which existing ladders get a security door and which get a cage gate, and where an existing ladder or cage section is replaced, is a ladder safety system added there with the existing rungs and stringers checked for its anchor loads? |
| Anchorage, base, and finishes | Anchorage, Fastenings, and Connections and Ladders execution articles + Galvanizing and Dissimilar Materials articles + Section 05 05 20 + roof and floor details | Do the clip angle and bracket details suit the construction each ladder attaches to, is the expansion bolt bracket coordinated with Section 05 05 20, does the bracket saying ladders must not rest on the finished roof or floor match the details, and are exterior and corrosive-location ladders identified for galvanizing or aluminum? |
Worked example: a caged roof ladder with the safety device article deleted
Illustrative example: a two-story maintenance shop has a ladder from the mezzanine to a roof hatch and an exterior ladder from the low roof to the high roof. The building section shows a long climb on the exterior ladder, drawn with a cage and no carrier, while the issued Section 05 51 33 deleted both the ladder safety device article and the cage phase-out paragraph and kept the fixed stringer and rung size option. The exterior ladder detail sets the stringers directly on the finished roof, and nothing on the roof plan or in Section 05 52 00 guards the hatch opening.
Ask the architect to confirm the length of climb for each ladder and, where it triggers them, to restore the ladder safety device article and the cage phase-out paragraph, switch to the dynamic loading option, and draw the carrier on the ladder detail. Ask for the exterior ladder base to be detailed on brackets clear of the roofing, and for a hatch guardrail to be drawn and added to Section 05 52 00 with the hatch itself confirmed in Section 05 50 13.
Avoid a false conflict
Section 05 51 33 covers fixed ladders and ship stairs only. Exit and code stairs are covered in Section 05 51 00 and the metal stair guide, roof hatches in Section 05 50 13 and the miscellaneous metal guide, hatch guardrails and handrails in Section 05 52 00 and the metal railing guide, and post-installed anchors in Section 05 05 20. The section is written around OSHA general industry rules and ALI A14.3, and its notes add Navy fall protection guidance; whether a ladder is acceptable where a stair might be expected, and which fall protection the project needs, stay with the architect of record, the installation safety office, and the authority having jurisdiction.
When requirements disagree, follow the project’s document-control and clarification process. Do not assume that drawings always override specifications, or the reverse. Identify the exact sources and request an authorized decision.
Close the issue across the affected documents
Record the location or tag, drawing and specification references, issue dates, observed difference, and the decision needed. Assign an owner and keep the item open until the response identifies the governing requirement. Check the revised drawings and specification references together; a response email alone may leave the issued package inconsistent.
For the overall process, use the guide to drawing and specification conflicts. Mark an inapplicable checklist row with a reason, and distinguish a verified correction from a question that still needs design information.
Where Groundbook fits
Groundbook’s drawing and specification review helps investigate potential disagreements in the documents you supply. Include the relevant specification sections and drawing references, then verify the cited evidence with the responsible reviewers before acting on a finding.