Confirm that the jurisdiction enforces the UMC, or a state code based on it, and which edition, then trace equipment, ductwork, exhaust systems, appliance venting, and refrigeration through the mechanical plans, schedules, details, and the architectural and structural drawings they depend on. AI can flag conflicts; the mechanical engineer and code official decide compliance.
What does the UMC cover?
IAPMO’s code development site describes the UMC as addressing the design, construction, installation, quality of materials, location, operation, and maintenance or use of heating, ventilating, cooling, and refrigeration systems, heat-producing appliances, and fuel gas piping systems and appliances. IAPMO’s June 2026 announcement describes it as governing mechanical systems, including HVAC, combustion, exhaust, and refrigeration.
IAPMO announced on June 11, 2026 that it has published the 2027 UPC and UMC, and its online reading page links free online versions of the 2027 and earlier UMC editions. The California Building Standards Commission publishes the California Mechanical Code as Title 24, Part 4, and its rulemaking notice for the 2024 cycle adopted the 2024 UMC as the model code for the 2025 edition. Checked October 6, 2026. Record the edition the jurisdiction enforces, not the newest.
Jurisdictions that adopt the IMC follow the IMC guide; a set should cite one mechanical code, not both. Plumbing in the same jurisdiction is often under the UPC, ventilation rates may reference the ASHRAE 62.1 guide, and California projects also follow the California Building Code guide.
Gather the mechanical set and the sheets it rests on
Collect the mechanical plans, sections, and details, the equipment and fan schedules, the kitchen hood and exhaust drawings, the appliance venting details, refrigeration piping and equipment information, the controls sequences, the roof plan, the architectural plans for rated walls and shafts, the structural drawings for equipment supports, and the mechanical specification sections.
Equipment support details sit between the mechanical and structural sets. Upload both so a support condition shown in one can be checked in the other.
Trace the mechanical systems through the set
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical code and edition | Code analysis, mechanical notes, specifications | Confirm every discipline cites the same mechanical code and edition. |
| Equipment | Equipment schedules, plans, roof plan, product data | Match tags, locations, and capacities across schedules and plans. |
| Kitchen exhaust | Hood drawings, exhaust duct routes, fan details, roof plan | Follow each hood to its fan and check supports, clearances, and access shown. |
| Ducts through rated construction | Duct plans, rated wall plans, damper schedule | Find ducts crossing rated walls or shafts without the dampers the design calls for. |
| Appliance venting and combustion air | Venting details, appliance data, plans | Check each fuel-burning appliance has a vent route, terminal, and air source drawn. |
| Equipment supports | Mechanical details, structural plans, roof framing | Confirm support materials and framing shown in one discipline appear in the other. |
Use the mechanical drawing checklist as the working log. Commercial kitchens follow the NFPA 96 guide and the commercial kitchen checklist, and fire and smoke dampers the NFPA 90A guide.
Example: a kitchen exhaust fan on a wood platform
Published finding. In Groundbook’s published waterfront hotel review, a commercial-kitchen grease exhaust fan was shown on a wood platform without a documented clearance or noncombustible support condition.
Kitchen exhaust support needs a closer look: the grease exhaust fan is shown on a wood platform with no documented clearance or noncombustible support condition.
The mechanical and structural designers confirm the selected fan, its installation instructions, and the applicable requirements, then resolve the support material and clearance.
Review mechanical drawings with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. Add the UMC edition the project uses, which IAPMO offers to read online, and the jurisdiction’s published amendments. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the mechanical code named in the code analysis, mechanical notes, and specifications, then compare the equipment schedules, mechanical plans and details, kitchen exhaust drawings, venting details, roof plan, rated wall plans, and structural support drawings. Flag mixed mechanical codes, equipment that differs between sources, exhaust and venting with no route or support shown, and ducts crossing rated construction without dampers. Use the supplied UMC edition and local amendments and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets involved. Upload appliance and fan installation instructions as supporting documents.
Document review does not size ducts or equipment, calculate loads, or replace the mechanical engineer or the code official.