Plan check guide · Austin
Austin’s Development Services Department reviews building plans through the Austin Build + Connect portal and publishes tiered review timelines by project type and size. This guide collects what DSD and its published checklists say: review paths, code basis, submission rules, and what the discipline checklists ask designers to show.
In Austin, the Development Services Department (DSD) reviews building plans under the 2024 I-Codes with local amendments, submitted through Austin Build + Connect (AB+C). Commercial projects are tiered into Quick Turnaround, Small Project, and Standard Review by size and scope, and residential projects follow a similar tiered timeline; when review is complete, staff send either an approval or a Master Comment Report by email, and applicants resubmit the complete updated plan set with written responses to every comment.
Austin at a glance
| Question | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who reviews building plans? | The Development Services Department (DSD), with the Austin Fire Department, Austin Water, Austin Energy, and the Watershed Protection Department reviewing the scopes that touch their systems. | Austin Development Services - Site Plan Requirements |
| Which code applies? | The 2024 International Building, Residential, and related codes plus the 2024 Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical Codes, each with City of Austin local amendments effective July 10, 2025; electrical work follows the 2023 National Electrical Code. | Austin Development Services - Building Technical Codes |
| How are plans submitted? | Through Austin Build + Connect (AB+C): applicants start with a project-specific web form, and once accepted for review, staff email an invoice and a link for uploading the required drawings. | Austin Development Services - Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) |
| How long does review take? | Commercial review is tiered: Quick Turnaround targets 1 business day, Small Project 5 days, and Standard Review 7, 10, or 20 business days depending on square footage. Standard residential review targets 10 business days for new construction and additions. | Austin Development Services - Commercial Plan Review |
| What is Pre-Check? | A beta AI tool, powered by Archistar, that reads submitted residential plans against zoning requirements such as setbacks, height, and floor area, and returns a report within 1 business day for eligible, complete submissions. | Austin Development Services - Codes, Resources, Tools |
| How do I respond to a Master Comment Report? | Resubmit the complete updated plan set, not just the changed sheets, with the Master Comment Report and a written response to every comment; a fee applies beginning with the second update submission. | Austin Development Services - Commercial Plan Review |
Sources reviewed September 12, 2026. Requirements change; confirm the current version with City of Austin Development Services Department.
Who reviews
DSD coordinates building review. Other departments and offices review the scopes that touch their systems, and some approvals, such as a S.M.A.R.T. Housing prequalification, must clear before a project can even apply.
Reviews fire access roads, hydrant placement, fire sprinkler and standpipe systems, fire alarm/detection systems, fire pumps, smoke control and ventilation, egress systems, hazardous materials and wildland-urban interface items under the 2024 International Fire Code; fire-system case status is tracked in AB+C under the associated building permit number.
Reviews water/wastewater taps, backflow-prevention assemblies, onsite sewage and grease-trap items, industrial-waste (pretreatment) discharges, and lift-station/force-main hydraulics; several commercial plumbing items require a separate Austin Water approval letter before permit issuance.
Reviews drainage/floodplain, water-quality, erosion-control and heritage-tree items as part of site plan review, and administers the Regional Stormwater Management Program.
Review right-of-way, constructability, traffic and parking items as part of site plan review.
Reviews tree protection for residential permits on properties with a protected tree of 19 inches or larger in diameter; a dedicated Residential Tree Review Checklist is published.
Review paths
Commercial projects under 5,000 sq ft with a simple scope (interior remodels, tenant finishes, exterior updates) limited to Group B (business/office) or Group M (mercantile/retail) occupancies.
Commercial projects that are slightly larger or more complex than Quick Turnaround eligibility.
Commercial projects reviewed on a timeline tiered by square footage.
Subdivision, site plan and building plan applications are reviewed simultaneously to surface issues earlier and shorten overall review time.
New construction, additions, interior remodels, demolitions and other residential permit types reviewed against the IRC, Land Development Code and local amendments, with disciplines assigned by property characteristics (zoning, technical code, tree, fire prevention, floodplain, historic, aviation, Austin Water taps).
Residential minor-repair permits are typically reviewed the same day.
Builders submit vector-based PDF master-set prototype drawings for approval; projects built from an approved Master Set receive an expedited review.
A premium service holding a single review session with a full team of reviewers and the applicant's design team; commercial applicants pass a completeness check before the formal review meeting, residential applicants may first use the Pre-Check tool.
An AI tool powered by Archistar reads submitted residential architectural plans against zoning requirements (setbacks, height, frontage, floor area) and returns a Pre-Check Report; available in beta for new residential construction outside PUDs, NCCDs, or projects with an approved site plan.
Quick Turnaround commercial projects are reviewed within 1 business day. (source) Small Project commercial review targets 5 business days. (source) Standard commercial review (effective July 15, 2026): 7 business days at or under 10,000 sq ft, 10 business days from 10,001-25,000 sq ft, and 20 business days above 25,000 sq ft; demolition and minor revisions target 5 business days, and major revisions follow the original project's timeline. (source) Standard residential review (effective July 1, 2026): 10 business days for new construction and additions; 5 business days for interior remodels, demolitions, garage conversions/porch enclosures, and fences; 7 business days for update (resubmittal) reviews. (source) Volume Builder Program projects built from an approved Master Set receive a 5-business-day expedited review. (source) Commercial and residential reviewers respond to applicant questions about a Master Comment Report within 1 business day (residential guidance describes this as within 24 hours). (source) Expedited Building Plan Review: the commercial completeness check runs about 10 business days before the formal review meeting; Preliminary Plan Review sessions are billed hourly per discipline, limited to 1-2 hours for commercial and 1 hour for residential. (source) Site plan Completeness Check review is targeted at 10 business days; once certified complete, applicants have 45 calendar days to proceed into formal review, which then delivers rolling draft comments as each discipline finishes. (source) The Pre-Check AI zoning tool returns its report within 1 business day when the submission is complete and the project meets eligibility. (source)
What DSD asks for
Austin does not publish a numbered correction sheet. These items come from DSD’s published Architectural, Structural, Plumbing, and Residential Technical Review Checklists. Paraphrased from the department’s published documents, grouped by topic. The documents do not rank items by how often they are issued.
| Topic | What the published document asks for | Code cited | Sheets that usually change | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Code analysis | State the applicable code editions on the title sheet and specify the proposed occupancy classification for every room or space; a space intended to be occupied at different times for different purposes must meet all of the requirements applicable to each purpose. | IBC 302.1 | cover/title sheet code statement; code analysis summary page | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section A item 8 and Section B items 11-13 |
| Occupant load and egress width | Size every egress component so its width is not less than the occupant load served multiplied by 0.3 in./occupant for stairways and 0.2 in./occupant for other components (reduced in fully sprinklered buildings), and confirm corridor widths against the minimum-width table. | IBC 1005.3; Table 1020.3 | occupant load/egress plan; corridor width notes | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section L items 103-104 |
| Travel distance and common path | Dimension the common path of egress travel and the exit access travel distance from the most remote point of each story, noting that travel distance and common path of travel share the same starting point. | IBC 1006.2.1; Table 1017.2 | egress/life-safety plan | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section L items 91 and 142 |
| Number and separation of exits | Provide two exits or exit access doorways from any space that exceeds the occupant-load thresholds in the exit-number table; where an R-2 building relies on a single exit stairway, also confirm compliance with the City's local amendment adding conditions to that table. | IBC 1006.2.1; Table 1006.3.4(1); Section 1006.3.4.2 (Austin amendment) | floor plans; egress plan | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section L items 137-138 |
| Stairs, handrails, and guards | Detail stairway headroom, landing dimensions, a maximum 12-ft vertical rise between landings, handrails on each side per Section 1014, and 42-in. guards at open sides with intermediate rails that block a 4-in. sphere. | IBC 1011.3; 1011.6; 1011.8; 1011.11; 1015; 1015.4 | stair plans, sections and details | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section L items 122-132 |
| Fire-rated assemblies | Label fire-resistive corridors, shaft enclosures, fire barriers and fire partitions with their hourly ratings, link each label to a partition schedule, and include the full tested-assembly listing data from the testing agency in the drawing set. | IBC 702; 704.2-704.3; 707; 708 | fire/life-safety plan; wall type legend; assembly details | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section C items 27-30 |
| Rated openings and penetrations | Tabulate the allowable percentage of protected and unprotected exterior wall openings by fire separation distance on the exterior elevations, and add a note that through- and membrane-penetrations of fire-resistive assemblies require special (third-party) inspection. | IBC 705.9; Table 705.9; 714.4-714.5 | exterior elevations opening table; wall section details | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section C items 36 and 69 |
| Fire separation distance | Where a building sits within 10 ft of a property line (or an assumed property line between two buildings on the same lot), show that line on every floor plan and dimension the fire separation distance from it to the building face. | IBC 202; 705.3 | floor plans; site plan | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section C items 32-33 |
| Accessible toilet rooms | Where an assembly or mercantile occupancy requires an aggregate of six or more male and female water closets, provide a separate accessible/family-assisted-use toilet room. | IBC 1110.2.1; UPC 422.1.2 | restroom enlarged plans | Plumbing Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section H item 52 |
| Path of travel in alterations | In an existing building undergoing alterations, IBC-required Type B accessible dwelling units are not required when the altered work area is 50 percent or less of the building's aggregate area. | IEBC 306.7.4 | accessibility/Type B unit notes | Residential Technical Review Checklist, Accessibility and Visitability section, Type B Unit Requirement Exceptions |
| Special inspection | Submit a completed City of Austin Statement of Special Inspections and, where required, a Structural Observation Form; note on the drawings which special inspections and structural observations apply to the project. | IBC 1704.2-1704.3; 1704.6; 1705.1 | structural general notes; special inspection/observation schedule | Structural Plan Review Checklist – Commercial Inspections, Section A items 1 and 4, and Section B item 30 |
| Deferred submittals | List deferred submittal items on the City's Deferred Submittal Request Form signed by the Registered Design Professional in Responsible Charge; the engineer or architect of record must review and annotate the deferred documents and submit them as a permit revision before that work begins. | — | general notes; deferred submittal form | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section A item 4 |
| Sheet coordination | Provide a key floor plan locating each suite and altered area within the whole building, with separate existing and proposed floor plans for every altered area of an existing building. | — | key plan; existing/proposed floor plans | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section A item 9 |
| Allowable height and area | Analyze maximum building area and height against the Chapter 5 limits for each floor and for the building as a whole (Section 508 for mixed occupancies), and clearly show the grade plane and maximum building height on every elevation. | IBC 503; 504; 506; 508 | code analysis summary sheet; exterior elevations | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section B items 21-22 |
| Accessible route and entrances | Provide accessibility signage at every primary public entrance and at major site junctions, consistent with the Texas Accessibility Standards adopted alongside the IBC. | IBC 1104.1-1104.2; TAS | site/accessibility plan | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section P item 211 |
| Structural calculations and signatures | Structural drawings must carry the seal of a structural or civil engineer registered in Texas, and the construction documents must list every material and design code or standard used. | PELS Rule 137.33; IBC Chapter 35 | structural general notes; title block/seal block | Structural Plan Review Checklist – Commercial Inspections, Section B items 7 and 9 |
| Geotechnical report | Provide a geotechnical report for the project; presumptive load-bearing values from the IBC table may substitute for it on applicable projects if clearly identified on the drawings. | IBC 1806.2 (checklist cross-references 1830.6) | foundation plan; structural general notes | Structural Plan Review Checklist – Commercial Inspections, Section A item 2 |
| Energy compliance | For low-slope roofs, show compliance with the reflective-roofing provision as amended by the City, and list glazing U-factors and SHGCs on the window schedule for new storefront windows and glazed doors to verify the prescriptive envelope requirements. | IECC C402.3 (City amendment 5.4.4); IECC C402.1, C402.4 | roof plan/specifications; window schedule | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section N items 190 and 195 |
| Plumbing fixture count | Provide a plumbing restroom fixture count keyed to occupancy type and occupant load under the current City ordinance, a domestic water fixture-unit analysis, and, for larger Group B occupancies, one drinking fountain per 100 occupants. | IBC Table 2902.1; UPC Appendix A; City Ordinance No. 20250410-042 | fixture count table; MEP plumbing plans | Plumbing Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section H items 48, 54 and 56 |
| Fire sprinklers and alarms | State the fire sprinkler system type (for example NFPA 13 or 13R) on the cover sheet, and submit sprinkler and fire-alarm shop drawings to the Austin Fire Department at least 30 days before starting work on those systems. | IBC 907.1.2; 907.2 | cover sheet notes; fire protection general notes | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section L items 84-85 |
| Site plan information | Show finish-floor and adjacent finish-grade elevations, established street grades, drainage patterns, and cut/fill gradients; grade the finished surface away from the foundation at least 5 percent for 10 ft, and attach a 911 Addressing Verification letter with any new-construction application. | IBC 1804.4 | site/plot plan; foundation detail | Architectural Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section A items 3, 5 and 6 |
Respond and resubmit
Commercial: once review is complete, staff send either an approval notification or a Master Comment Report (MCR) by email from an Intake Coordinator; corrections in the MCR must be addressed before the permit can be approved, and applicants may contact the assigned reviewer for clarification. Source
Commercial resubmittal is filed through the Commercial Building Permit Web Form with the complete updated plan set (not just revised sheets), the MCR, and written responses to each comment; a fee applies beginning with the second update submission. Source
Residential: the MCR lists rejection comments; applicants must give a brief narrative for each describing how and where it was addressed, mark changes on revised plans with revision clouds, reference the applicable code sections, and combine the materials into one PDF. Source
Residential resubmittal uses the "Modify a Residential Permit Application" web form's Update option; generated fees must be paid before resubmission, partial or informal updates are not accepted for review, and updates receive the same review timeline as the initial submittal. If the changes affect a previously approved discipline, the applicant should flag it in the form's Additional Message box so staff can redistribute the plans. Source
Site plan corrections (minor field changes to an approved, active plan) are submitted as a red-marked approved set plus a clean replacement set; site plan revisions require the unmarked approved set plus a red-lined proposed set, with a revision/correction table on the cover sheet. Source
Site plan formal review issues rolling draft comments as each of up to 10 reviewing disciplines finishes, followed by a consolidated Master Comment Report; applicants may go through multiple review cycles addressing comments until every discipline clears the plan. Source
Official documents
Commercial architectural review: general/administrative, use and occupancy, building height/area, fire-resistance-rated construction, fire protection systems, means of egress, interior environment, exterior walls, elevators, grading and site improvement
Commercial structural review: documentation (special inspections, geotechnical report, deferred submittals, structural observation), general design data, foundations, concrete, masonry, steel, wood
Commercial plumbing review: general/administrative approvals (Austin Water, industrial waste), backflow protection, drain/waste/vent, fire-system interfaces, fixtures and fittings
Residential review: minimum submittal requirements, Certificate of Compliance program, IRC scope/applicability, accessibility and visitability (R322 local amendments), means of egress, smoke/CO alarms, roof ventilation, decks (R507), framing, less-common building types
Commercial electrical review (seen on the Development Services Forms & Applications listing only; PDF not opened)
Commercial mechanical review (seen on the Development Services Forms & Applications listing only; PDF not opened)
Residential zoning review against the Land Development Code (seen on the Development Services Forms & Applications listing only; PDF not opened)
Residential tree-protection review (seen on the Development Services Forms & Applications listing only; PDF not opened)
Before you submit
Upload the drawings with the 2024 I-Codes with City of Austin amendments PDFs that apply to the project. Groundbook compares the sheets with each other and with those references, and links each potential issue to its sources for your team to verify.
Look for incomplete information and conflicting requirements before the first plan check cycle.
Prepare for submissionCompare the stated design with the code and local references you supply.
Review against codesWhich code PDFs to bring, and how Groundbook uses them in a review.
Read the guideQuestions, answered
Commercial applicants make the required corrections, resubmit the complete updated plan set with the MCR and written responses to each comment, and may contact the assigned reviewer for clarification. Residential applicants give a brief narrative for each rejected comment describing how and where it was addressed, mark revisions with clouds, cite the applicable code sections, and combine everything into one PDF before resubmitting through the web form's Update option.
Timelines are tiered by project type and size: Quick Turnaround (under 5,000 sq ft, simple Group B/M scopes) targets 1 business day; Small Project targets 5 business days; Standard Review targets 7, 10 or 20 business days depending on whether the project is at or under 10,000 sq ft, 10,001-25,000 sq ft, or larger.
Austin enforces the 2024 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Fire, Energy Conservation and related I-Codes, plus the 2024 Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical Codes, each with City of Austin local amendments effective July 10, 2025; electrical work follows the 2023 National Electrical Code, with the 2026 NEC scheduled for September 1, 2026.
Pre-Check is a beta AI tool, powered by Archistar, that reads submitted residential architectural plans against zoning requirements such as setbacks, height, frontage standards and floor area, and returns a report within 1 business day for complete, eligible submissions (new residential construction outside PUDs, NCCDs, or projects with an already-approved site plan).
Residential Plan Review guidance recommends submitting plans and exhibits as vector-based PDF files, while supporting documents may be in any PDF format; hand-drawn plans are also accepted if they are legible and drawn to scale.
S.M.A.R.T. Housing projects must obtain a Prequalification Letter from Austin Housing before submitting a site plan or building permit application; Development Services will reject a S.M.A.R.T. Housing application that lacks the letter. Certified projects then receive fee waivers and a dedicated case manager through their site plan review disciplines.
No. Groundbook surfaces potential conflicts and omissions in the drawings you upload, with links to the sources, for your team to verify before submitting. DSD reviews the application and makes every approval decision.
Official source directory
Residential review disciplines, submittal items, MCR/resubmittal process, review timelines effective July 1, 2026, vector-PDF file guidance, Pre-Check and Volume Builder mentions
Commercial submittal process, Quick Turnaround/Small Project/Standard/Concurrent review tracks, timelines effective July 15, 2026, MCR/resubmittal process
Table of adopted 2024 I-Codes and Uniform Codes with local amendments effective July 10, 2025; NEC 2023 current, NEC 2026 effective 9/1/2026
16-page commercial architectural checklist with IBC/local-amendment section references, downloaded and read in full
8-page commercial structural checklist, downloaded and read in full
8-page commercial plumbing checklist, downloaded and read in full
15-page residential checklist, downloaded and read in full
Program description, commercial/residential process steps, completeness-check and Preliminary Plan Review timing
Portal purpose, registration, Public Search, portal URL https://abc.austintexas.gov/
Site plan completeness-check and formal-review process, rolling draft comments, correction vs. revision submittal requirements
List of reviewing disciplines for site plans (Austin Water, Austin Energy, Austin Fire, Watershed Protection, Land Development Engineering, Austin Transportation, City Arborist, Address Management), LDC Volume III Chapter 25 basis
Scope of AFD's fire plan review and its integration with AB+C/DSD permit review
Portal registration and application steps; references a separate TAP Plan Review Submittals guide for Austin Water
Description of the Pre-Check AI zoning review tool (powered by Archistar), eligibility and beta status
S.M.A.R.T. Housing prequalification requirement and its effect on site plan/building permit submittal
Confirms "Austin Development Services" / DSD name and general plan-review role
Index page linking the current architectural/electrical/mechanical/plumbing/structural commercial checklists and residential technical/zoning/tree checklists at their austin.widen.net URLs
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Upload the drawing set with the code and local references that govern it. Groundbook links each potential issue to its sources for your team to verify.