Start from the basis of design and list every fire protection and life safety system, then confirm that the drawings, specifications, and sequence documents describe each one and its interfaces consistently. AI can flag gaps and conflicts; the commissioning authority and design team decide what the plan covers.
What does NFPA 3 cover?
NFPA 3 is the Standard for Commissioning of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems. NFPA describes it as outlining the commissioning process and integrated testing of fire protection and life safety systems so that they perform in conformity with the design intent; it was developed at the request of the National Institute of Building Sciences.
NFPA’s official NFPA 3 page identifies the 2027 edition as current when checked on October 2, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
NFPA 3 covers the commissioning process; the integrated test itself is the subject of NFPA 4. Use the NFPA 4 integrated testing guide to reconcile the input and output matrix, and confirm whether the project specifications, owner requirements, or authority call for either standard.
Start from the design intent
Collect the owner’s project requirements, the basis of design, the commissioning specification section, the fire protection, fire alarm, smoke control, emergency power, and elevator documents, door hardware schedules for doors that release or unlock, and any sequence of operations or input and output matrix.
Record which systems are in scope and who is the commissioning authority. A system that is drawn but missing from the commissioning plan, or listed in the plan but not drawn, is the most common gap to find early.
Check that every system has a stated intent
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| System list | Basis of design, commissioning specification, drawing index | Reconcile the systems named in each source. |
| Design intent | Basis of design, system specifications, narratives | Ask for a stated intent where a system is drawn without one. |
| Interfaces | Input and output matrix, alarm drawings, mechanical controls | Identify interfaces in one document that are missing from another. |
| Emergency power | One-line diagram, emergency power narrative, system specifications | Confirm which life safety loads the design expects on emergency power. |
| Responsibilities | Commissioning specification, Division 01, trade sections | Record who prepares, witnesses, and documents each test. |
| Records | Closeout requirements, commissioning specification | Confirm which reports and as-built documents the owner will receive. |
Use the fire alarm drawing checklist for the alarm interfaces, the NFPA 92 smoke control guide where smoke control is commissioned, and the NFPA 110 emergency power guide for the generator.
Example: a smoke control system missing from the plan
Hypothetical example. The mechanical drawings and sequence describe an atrium smoke control system, but the commissioning specification lists only the sprinkler, fire alarm, and emergency generator systems. The fire alarm matrix shows outputs to smoke control fans.
The mechanical drawings and fire alarm matrix include an atrium smoke control system that the commissioning specification does not list. Please confirm whether it is in the commissioning scope and where its design intent is documented.
The commissioning authority adds the system to the plan, and the mechanical engineer supplies its intent. Whether the commissioning approach is adequate is the commissioning authority’s and owner’s decision.
Review commissioning documents with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 3 reference from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it. State the edition, amendments, review area, and known exclusions in your instructions.
Compare the basis of design and commissioning specification with the fire protection, fire alarm, smoke control, emergency power, elevator, and door hardware documents. Flag systems or interfaces missing from any source. Use the supplied NFPA 3 reference where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sections and sheets behind it. Treat a missing intent statement as a question for the designer, not as a failed system.
Document review does not commission a system, witness a test, or certify performance. Those remain with the commissioning authority, the installers, and the authority having jurisdiction.