Start from the equipment schedule that names each oil-burning appliance and its fuel, then follow the tank, transfer piping, combustion air, and vent for that appliance through every sheet that shows them. AI can flag conflicts; the mechanical engineer and the authority having jurisdiction decide compliance.
What does NFPA 31 cover?
NFPA 31 is the Standard for the Installation of Oil-Burning Equipment. NFPA’s page states that it covers the safe, efficient design and installation of heating appliances that use a liquid fuel, typically No. 2 heating oil, but also lighter fuels such as kerosene and diesel fuel and heavier fuels such as No. 4 fuel oil, in residential, commercial, and industrial occupancies.
NFPA’s official NFPA 31 page identifies the 2024 edition as current when checked on October 11, 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 31 is the installation standard for the appliance and its fuel supply. Larger fuel storage often also falls under the NFPA 30 guide, chimneys and vents under the NFPA 211 guide, and dual-fuel appliances under the NFPA 54 gas guide. Record which documents govern each part before comparing.
Gather the appliance, tank, and vent documents
Collect the mechanical floor plans, the boiler or furnace room enlarged plan, the equipment schedule, the fuel oil tank details and data, the fuel piping plan and riser, the combustion air and ventilation drawings, the chimney or vent details, the electrical drawings for burner controls and remote shutoffs, and the specifications for fuel oil systems.
Replacement projects often reuse an existing tank or chimney. Upload whatever survey or existing-condition drawings you have, so the review can show what was assumed rather than checked.
Follow the fuel from the tank to the vent
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Appliances and fuel | Equipment schedule, mechanical plans, specifications | Confirm each appliance and its fuel grade are the same on every sheet and in the specifications. |
| Tank location | Tank details, site or floor plans, architectural sections | Check that each tank is drawn in the same place, indoors or outdoors, on every plan. |
| Fuel piping | Piping plan and riser, tank details, appliance connections | Find supply and return lines whose routes, valves, or connections differ between sources. |
| Combustion air | Room plans, louver schedule, mechanical ventilation | Ask the engineer to confirm the combustion air openings drawn for each appliance room. |
| Venting | Vent and chimney details, roof plan, equipment schedule | Match each appliance’s vent connector and chimney with the roof and section drawings. |
| Controls and shutoffs | Electrical drawings, control diagrams, specifications | Identify remote shutoffs and burner controls shown on one discipline’s sheets but not the other’s. |
Engine-driven generators with day tanks follow the NFPA 37 guide. These systems turn up in renovation and industrial projects; the mechanical drawing checklist helps track the appliance questions.
Example: a replacement boiler with the old vent
Hypothetical example. A school replaces two oil-fired boilers with one larger unit. The equipment schedule and boiler room plan show the new boiler, while the vent details and roof plan still show two connectors entering the existing chimney.
The equipment schedule and boiler room plan show one replacement boiler, but the vent details and roof plan still show two connectors into the existing chimney. Please confirm the venting for the new boiler and coordinate the chimney details.
The mechanical engineer confirms the vent arrangement and reissues the details. Compliance is decided by the engineer and the authority having jurisdiction.
Review an oil-fired installation with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 31 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 mechanical plans, boiler room plan, equipment schedule, fuel oil tank details, fuel piping plan and riser, combustion air and ventilation drawings, chimney and vent details, electrical control drawings, and specifications. Flag appliances, fuels, tanks, piping, combustion air, vents, and shutoffs that differ between sources. Use the supplied NFPA 31 edition where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets involved and the reference you uploaded.
Document review does not size tanks, piping, or chimneys, inspect existing equipment, or approve the installation. Those decisions remain with the engineer and the authority having jurisdiction.