Start from the dock and slip layout, then trace shore power, fire protection water, standpipes or hose stations, extinguishers, fueling, and fire department access through every discipline. AI can flag conflicts; the designer and the authority having jurisdiction decide compliance.
What does NFPA 303 cover?
NFPA 303 is the Fire Protection Standard for Marinas and Boatyards. NFPA describes it as providing requirements to protect lives and property from fire and electrical hazards at marinas and related facilities, including boatyards, yacht clubs, boat condominiums, and docking facilities.
NFPA’s official NFPA 303 page identifies the 2026 edition as current when checked on October 5, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
Shore power and dock wiring also follow the electrical code in the NFPA 70 electrical guide, and fuel docks follow the NFPA 30A fuel dispensing guide. Large commercial piers and terminals are a separate subject in the NFPA 307 marine terminal guide. Record which documents apply to each part of the facility.
Start from the dock and slip layout
Collect the site and dock layout, the slip schedule, the electrical drawings for shore power pedestals and feeders, the fire protection drawings for dry or wet standpipes and hose connections, the extinguisher layout, the fuel dock and piping drawings, the boatyard and storage rack plans, the fire department access plan, and the specifications.
Note which docks are fixed and which are floating. Utilities crossing gangways and floating sections are where the drawings most often disagree.
Trace each utility along the docks
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Dock layout | Site plan, dock plans, slip schedule | Confirm the docks, fingers, and slip numbers agree across the site, dock, and utility sheets. |
| Shore power | Electrical plans, pedestal schedule, one-line | Match pedestals and feeders on the dock plans with the schedule and one-line. |
| Fire protection water | Fire protection plans, dock plans, details | Trace standpipes or hose connections along each dock and across gangways. |
| Extinguishers | Extinguisher layout, dock plans, specifications | Check that the extinguisher locations drawn match the layout and the specified type. |
| Fueling | Fuel dock plans, piping drawings, electrical plans | Compare the fuel dock, tank, piping, and emergency shutoff locations across sheets. |
| Access | Fire department access plan, site plan, dock plans | Confirm the drawn access routes reach the dock connections and boatyard areas. |
Carry extinguishers into the NFPA 10 extinguisher guide, standpipes into the NFPA 14 standpipe guide, and site utilities into the civil and site drawing checklist.
Example: a new dock without fire protection
Hypothetical example. A revised dock plan adds a new floating dock with twelve slips. The electrical drawings extend shore power to the new dock, but the fire protection drawings still end the dry standpipe at the previous last dock, and the extinguisher layout does not include the new dock.
The revised dock plan and electrical drawings include a new floating dock, but the fire protection drawings and extinguisher layout do not extend to it. Please confirm the fire protection for the new dock.
The designer extends the fire protection drawings or confirms the basis. Whether the arrangement meets the adopted standard is the designer’s and authority’s decision.
Review a marina package with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 303 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 site and dock layout, slip schedule, shore power drawings, fire protection drawings, extinguisher layout, fuel dock and piping drawings, boatyard plans, fire department access plan, and specifications. Flag docks, power, water, extinguishers, fueling, and access that differ between sources. Use the supplied NFPA 303 edition where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets behind it. It compares the documents with each other and with the references you supply; it does not size systems.
Document review does not size fire protection or electrical systems or approve the facility. Those decisions remain with the designer and the authority having jurisdiction.