Match every window occurrence to its schedule and type, then compare dimension basis, operation, sill and head levels, glazing, performance references, and wall interfaces. Resolve differences using the actual opening and assembly. Track all uses of a changed type before closing the review.
Build an opening inventory
Collect floor plans, façade elevations, window schedules, type elevations, head/jamb/sill details, specifications, and applicable project performance criteria. Add selected product information where available. Record the issue being reviewed and distinguish existing windows, replacements, and new openings.
Determine how the project uses marks. A mark may identify a unique occurrence or a type repeated at several locations. Do not label every repeated tag a duplicate error. First establish the convention, then reconcile occurrences and quantities across plans and elevations. Record which floor, orientation, and room each reviewed opening belongs to.
For a preliminary schedule, keep unselected products and unresolved performance decisions visible. An empty value can mean unknown, not applicable, or omitted. Ask the author to clarify it instead of letting the next reviewer interpret the blank as permission to choose.
Twelve window schedule checks
Use the checklist once for each materially different opening condition. Repeated types can share a review record only when their installation and performance requirements are also equivalent. The CSV adds blank evidence, criteria, decision, revised-source, and closure fields.
| Review area | Sources to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Opening inventory | Plan marks, exterior/interior elevations, schedule | Does each window occurrence map to the intended row/type without unexplained missing or duplicate marks? |
| Dimension basis | Schedule headings, unit data, rough-opening detail | Are frame, rough-opening, masonry-opening, and clear-opening dimensions labeled and compared on the same basis? |
| Operation and view | Type elevation, handing/view convention, schedule remarks | Do fixed/operable portions and viewing direction describe the same window configuration? |
| Sill and head | Room sections, façade elevations, floor datum | Are sill/head levels referenced to the intended floor and consistent with surrounding construction? |
| Glazing assignment | Glass type legend, window row, specification | Is the glass description assigned to the correct opening and location-specific condition? |
| Energy rating basis | Performance schedule, project energy criteria, product rating | Do compared values use the same whole-product or glass-only basis and the correct unit configuration? |
| Other performance | Project wind/water/acoustic criteria, test data, schedule remarks | Are separate performance requirements traceable to relevant evidence instead of inferred from an energy label? |
| Joined assemblies | Window type drawing, mullion/joining detail, support scope | Are joined units and their overall dimensions, supports, and responsibility boundaries described? |
| Wall interface | Head/jamb/sill details, wall layers, installation instructions | Does the selected frame/attachment condition connect to the actual drainage and air-control layers? |
| Use and protection | Room use, opening position, hardware/restrictor data | Are safety glazing, fall protection, operation, or emergency-opening questions assigned to the applicable professional review? |
| Finish and accessories | Interior/exterior finishes, screens, hardware, trim | Do orientation-specific finishes and accessories agree across the row, type, and specification? |
| Changed type | Revision record, all uses of the type, dependent specifications | Has every affected occurrence been reviewed before the change is treated as closed? |
This review checks the design documents. Fabrication release, field measurement, and installation verification require their own project responsibilities and approved procedures.
Compare dimensions and performance on the same basis
A scheduled width may refer to the frame, rough opening, masonry opening, or another defined dimension. Find the heading or note that establishes its meaning. Compare it with the relevant product and wall information. Do not add a generic installation allowance: the appropriate relationship depends on the actual assembly and instructions.
Likewise, identify whether performance data describe the complete window or only the glazing. DOE’s window performance guide distinguishes whole-window NFRC ratings from center-of-glass values. Its 2012 publication date makes it explanatory background, not a source of current code limits. Match the rating evidence to the intended configuration, including frame and glazing choices, rather than treating a glass description as sufficient proof for every window type.
Energy ratings do not establish every other project requirement. Keep structural, water, air, acoustic, safety-glazing, and operating requirements distinct and ask for the relevant evidence. An energy label alone cannot answer a project-specific wind-performance or safety-glazing question.
Follow the window into the wall
Open the head, jamb, and sill details for the actual wall type. Locate the frame within the wall build-up and trace its support, flashing, drainage, and air-seal references. A typical detail may describe a different attachment condition or a different position relative to the insulation.
Andersen’s window and water-resistive-barrier guidance explains that integration depends on the barrier, flashing, attachment, and wall arrangement. Its article discusses 2021 IRC provisions; use it as manufacturer context, then obtain instructions that match the selected product and project condition. Do not treat an illustrative residential detail as universal commercial enclosure design.
For joined windows, inspect the assembly as well as each component. Overall dimensions, intermediate members, support conditions, and joining references may not be evident in a list of individual units. Identify who is responsible for confirming those requirements.
Worked example: one type is both fixed and operable
Hypothetical example. Window type W-6 is described as fixed in the schedule. The type elevation shows an operable sash, and several façade locations use the same mark. The specifications do not explain a location-specific variant.
W-6 is scheduled as fixed, but its type elevation shows an operable sash. Please confirm the intended operation at each W-6 location and coordinate the schedule, elevation, hardware, and relevant performance information.
The architect determines the intended configuration with the relevant specialists. If operation changes, ask them to assess any ventilation, accessibility, fall-protection, or emergency-opening implications applicable to the location. Backcheck every W-6 occurrence and dependent specification. Correcting only the type sketch leaves an unresolved schedule instruction.
Close the schedule decision across all occurrences
Record the accepted configuration, responsible reviewer, revised sources, and locations checked. When a type changes, search for all its uses and inspect exceptions at different floors, exposures, or wall assemblies. A decision suitable for one opening may require a distinct type elsewhere.
Groundbook can compare supplied plans, schedules, elevations, specifications, and uploaded reference PDFs and return potential inconsistencies with source links. A professional verifies the intended assembly and applicable criteria. Groundbook does not select the product, authorize fabrication, or certify window performance.
Continue with the architectural drawing checklist or start a review of your window documents. For door-specific hardware and frame coordination, use the door schedule guide.