Plan check guide · San Diego
San Diego’s Development Services Department reviews each discipline separately and returns its comments as cycle issues, and resubmittal opens only when every discipline has finished. This guide collects what DSD publishes about review paths, plan formats, timelines, and submittal requirements.
In San Diego, the Development Services Department (DSD) reviews building plans through Rapid Review for minor scopes or Standard Review for everything else, with an optional paid Express Plan Check. Applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026 follow the 2025 California Building Standards Code with City amendments effective April 22, 2026; comments come back as cycle issues, and the full set is resubmitted to all disciplines at once.
San Diego at a glance
| Question | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who reviews building plans? | DSD’s Building Construction and Safety Division checks plans against City and State codes. DSD’s Land Development Review and Engineering divisions review zoning, grading, drainage, and right-of-way work. | DSD - About Us |
| Which code applies? | Applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026 follow the 2025 California Building Standards Code. City amendments took effect April 22, 2026, in Municipal Code Chapters 12 and 14. | DSD Public Notice: Effective April 22, 2026 - Local Amendments to the 2025 California Building Standards Code (April 15, 2026) |
| How are plans submitted? | Through DSD’s online permitting system, as PDFs up to 200 MB with one page size and orientation per set and a unique discipline-letter sheet number at the bottom right of each sheet. | DSD - Requirements for Digital Plans & Documents |
| How long does review take? | DSD publishes estimates, not guarantees. For standard building permits other than single dwellings, first review is 5 to 10 business days and rechecks 10 to 40, depending on project size. | Information Bulletin 100 - Estimated Due Dates for Building Permits (May 2026) |
| How do I respond to cycle issues? | Wait until every discipline finishes, address every issue, combine responses to several disciplines into one file, and upload the full plan set. | DSD - Permit Processing Timeline |
| Is private plan check available? | For 100 percent residential new construction of 1 to 10 units, when listed disciplines exceed 30 business days, applicants may use a qualified private plan checker under AB 253. | DSD - AB 253: Residential Private Permitting Review Act |
Sources reviewed September 12, 2026. Requirements change; confirm the current version with Development Services Department.
Who reviews
Each review discipline issues its own cycle issues. Land development, engineering, and fire items can come back alongside building code comments.
Checks construction plans against adopted City and State codes across accessibility, electrical, fire protection systems, hazardous materials, life safety, mechanical, noise, plumbing, smoke control, structural and sustainability disciplines.
Reviews ministerial and discretionary projects for Land Development Code, Community Plan and General Plan compliance; covers planning/zoning, landscaping, environmental review, mitigation monitoring and historic preservation.
Ten sections reviewing engineering, transportation, drainage and grades, traffic safety, water and sewer, stormwater, geology, mapping, permitting and project management for ministerial and discretionary projects.
Handles site safety inspections where projects need fire access roads, hydrants or standpipe fire department connections, plus ERCES, technical services (tank) permits and alarm permits; may refer applicants to DSD for building permits.
Extra submittal documents apply when a site has a structure 45+ years old that is not designated, or is a designated historical site or within a historical district.
Before issuance, applicants provide proof of water/sewer and school fee payments; non-residential and larger residential projects also need an approved regional hazardous materials questionnaire (HM-9171).
Review paths
For minor scopes; staff decide eligibility at submittal and place projects automatically. Examples include small single-dwelling additions, interior remodels, accessory structures, non-lab tenant improvements up to 10,000 sq ft and two floors, and fire alarm/sprinkler work.
Default submitted review for projects not eligible for Rapid Review; each discipline performs a first review and rechecks, with estimated due dates set by project size category (Short, Medium, Long, Complex).
Optional paid service, requested at initial submittal, advertised as 40-50% faster than standard. Admin fee plus 1.5 times plan check fee; covers initial review and two rechecks. Not for Rapid Review-eligible or combination permits.
Expedited processing of ministerial and discretionary permits for eligible affordable, in-fill housing and sustainable development projects.
Complex projects (e.g., hotels over 5 stories, 100+ unit multifamily, mixed use over 3 stories, shopping malls) get extra completeness screening, typically five working days, before full submittal is accepted.
Allows same-day building permits for qualifying office tenant improvements up to 20,000 square feet, per the DSD building permit page (details in Information Bulletin 150).
For 100% residential, 1-10 unit new-construction ministerial permits with no occupied floor over 40 ft: if listed disciplines exceed 30 business days, applicants may use a qualified private plan checker; DSD reviews that work within 10 business days.
Standard building permits (other than single dwelling/duplex/townhome), estimated first review / recheck: Short 5/10, Medium 6/20, Long 10/40 business days; Complex 20/60 (Structural disciplines only). Estimates, not guaranteed. (source) Single dwelling unit, duplex and townhome permits, estimated first review / recheck: Short 5/8, Medium 6/10, Long 6/15 business days. (source) Rapid Review projects receive estimated due dates of 6 business days for first review and 2 business days for rechecks. (source) Deferred submittals must be uploaded at least 30 business days before the item is installed. (source)
What DSD asks for
San Diego does not publish a common-corrections list. These items come from the Project Submittal Manual’s minimum submittal checklist, which staff use to screen plans, and from DSD bulletins. The manual is dated March 2023, before the 2025 code cycle. 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 | The first sheet needs a data table giving construction type and occupancy classifications (existing and proposed), number of stories, and the building code edition used for design. | — | Title/cover sheet | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, Minimum Submittal Requirements Checklist, item 3.1 (Title Sheet) |
| Occupant load and egress width | Label every space with its use and occupant load, derived from CBC occupant load factors and the City's technical bulletin on occupant load. | Technical Bulletin BLDG-10-1 | Egress plans, floor plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 5.7.1 (Space and Occupant Loads) |
| Travel distance and common path | Provide an egress plan for every floor tracing exit travel from the most remote occupied point to a public way, showing travel distance and common path of travel. | — | Egress plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 5.7.3 (Means of Egress Floor Plans) |
| Number and separation of exits | Egress plans must identify exit access, exits and exit discharge, and state exits required versus provided; rated corridors, horizontal exits and stair enclosures must be labeled. | — | Egress plans, floor plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 5.7.2 and 5.7.3 |
| Stairs, handrails, and guards | Include dimensioned details of all stairs, handrails and guardrails, and show each stairway's location and travel direction on floor plans. | — | Architectural details, floor plans, building sections | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 5.6.1 and 5.1.8 |
| Fire-rated assemblies | Where fire-resistive construction is proposed, show rated shafts, fire walls, fire barriers, fire partitions, rated corridors and horizontal exits on the floor plans. | — | Floor plans, life safety plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 5.1.10 (Fire Resistive Construction) |
| Rated openings and penetrations | Detail rated walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, shafts and penetrations, citing each assembly's listing number (such as UL or ICC); door schedules should list fire ratings. | — | Architectural details, door and window schedules | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 5.6.2 and 5.5.1 |
| Fire separation distance | The site plan must dimension fire separation distance between adjoining buildings and from property lines to every building or structure. | — | Site plan | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 4.1.10 (Fire Separation Distances) |
| Accessible toilet rooms | Provide fully dimensioned enlarged plans and interior elevations of kitchens, powder rooms and all bathrooms demonstrating accessibility compliance. | CBC Chapter 11A and 11B | Enlarged plans, interior elevations | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 5.1.7 (Accessibility - Enlarged Floor Plans and Interior Elevations) |
| Path of travel in alterations | Inside the building, floor plans must trace the accessible route to all rooms and to path-of-travel elements such as toilet rooms, drinking fountains and public telephones. | CBC Chapter 11A and/or 11B | Floor plans, accessibility plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist Accessibility Plans, Path of Travel item (numbered 4.2.5 in the source) |
| Special inspection | Structural sheets must include a statement of special inspections listing work that needs special inspection and testing, with related notes. | CBC Chapter 17 | Structural general notes | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 6.1.5; Technical Bulletin BLDG-17-2 |
| Deferred submittals | The architect or engineer of record must list deferred items on the construction documents; only components in the bulletin's Table 1 are deferrable without building official approval. | — | Title/cover sheet | Information Bulletin 188, Deferred Submittals (Table 1 and listing requirement) |
| Deferred submittals | If prefabricated trusses are deferred, permit plans still need a truss layout, shear transfer details compatible with the trusses, and a summary of truss design loads. | — | Roof/floor framing plans, structural details | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 12.0-12.3 (Truss Plans and Calculations) |
| Sheet coordination | Every detail used in structural calculations must appear on the plans and be cross-referenced to roof, floor or foundation plans; architectural grid lines should match structural grid lines. | — | Structural plans and details, architectural floor plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 11.3 and 5.1.11 |
| Allowable height and area | Recommended floor area analysis per the CBC: tabulate square footage by occupancy against the allowable area for that occupancy and construction type. | — | Title sheet or code analysis sheet | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 3.8 (Floor Area Analysis Calculation) |
| Allowable height and area | If open yards are used to increase allowable area (frontage increase), show the extent and depth of those yards on the site plan. | — | Site plan | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 4.1.18 (Allowable Area Frontage Increase) |
| Accessible route and entrances | Show at least one accessible route from accessible parking, loading zones, public sidewalks and transit stops to the entrance served, and show exterior entrances meeting accessibility requirements. | CBC Chapter 11A and/or 11B | Site plan, accessibility plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 4.2.1, 4.2.3 and 4.2.5 (Accessibility Plans) |
| Structural calculations and signatures | Plans need a California architect or engineer in responsible charge. Plans may be unsigned at submittal but signed before issuance; calculations must be stamped and signed at submittal. | Business and Professions Code 5535-5538 | Title sheet, all sealed sheets, calculation cover | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 3.5 (Responsible Charge) and 11.1 |
| Geotechnical report | Provide a site-specific, stamped geotechnical report when the municipal code requires it; reports over three years old need an update letter, and foundations must follow its recommendations. | SDMC 145.1803, Table 145.1803 | Foundation plans, structural notes | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 13.0-13.3 and 6.2.1 |
| Energy compliance | For non-residential, high-rise residential and hotel projects, envelope, mechanical and indoor/outdoor lighting Title 24 forms must appear on the plans, signed by a licensed design professional. | NRCC compliance forms (California Energy Code) | Title 24 (T) sheets; window schedule U-factor/SHGC | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 10.0-10.1 and 5.5.1 |
| Green building | Include notes and details demonstrating compliance with the California Green Building Standards Code. | California Green Building Standards Code | General notes / CALGreen sheet | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 3.10 (Cal Green Standards) |
| Plumbing fixture count | Show existing, proposed and relocated plumbing fixtures (and, for non-residential work, fixtures being removed); a Water Meter Data Card must list new and existing fixtures. | Form DS-16 | Floor plans, plumbing plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 5.1.5 and 1.2 |
| Fire sprinklers and alarms | Fire alarm and sprinkler plans may be deferred, yet life safety review of building plans proceeds; alarm devices drawn on electrical sheets are not reviewed and need a separate package. | Information Bulletins 137 and 139 | Fire protection (F) sheets, electrical plans | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 8.0, 15.0 and 16.0 |
| Site plan information | The site plan must show dimensioned property lines, setbacks, easements by type, right-of-way work, and existing and proposed structures with distances; surveyed lines and easements need a land surveyor's seal. | — | Site plan | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist items 4.1.1-4.1.7; Information Bulletin 122 |
| Other | Each sheet needs a unique discipline-letter number at bottom right, in Arial or Helvetica with no lowercase or special characters; one page size and orientation throughout. | — | All sheets (title block) | Requirements for Digital Plans & Documents (Sheet Numbering, Page Size, Page Orientation) |
Respond and resubmit
Each discipline sends its cycle issues report when it finishes, but resubmittal opens only after all reviews finish. Applicants must address every cycle issue first; resubmittals go to all disciplines together, never discipline by discipline. Source
Responses or corrected plans cannot be uploaded until every review discipline completes its cycle; when several disciplines request responses, combine them into a single file of the requested type. Source
Resubmit the full plan set, not partial sets. Mark deleted sheets with a strike-through and a DELETED SHEET label; give inserted or reordered sheets new unique numbers, checked with e-PlanSNAPP. Source
Checklist items marked Recommended are not needed for intake but may become plan check corrections in later cycles; DSD suggests providing them to reduce review cycles. Source
A second opinion from a supervisor may be requested anytime; for ministerial projects, Project Issue Resolution with management is available after third-cycle review comments are issued. Source
Official documents
Submittal checklist that staff use to screen plans: title sheet data, site, accessibility, architectural, egress, structural, MEP, energy, calcs, geotechnical, fire systems. Official submittal requirements, not a correction list.
Minimum submittal checklist for one- and two-family, townhome and accessory structure building permits.
Process overview: Rapid Review eligibility, prescreen/completeness review, how reviewing disciplines issue comments, permit issuance.
Required site plan and vicinity map content for permit submittals.
Which components may be deferred, how to list them on permit plans, timing, and the deferred submittal fee.
Electronic PDF, sheet numbering, page size and resubmittal rules enforced during upload and validation.
Statement of special inspections on approved plans and inspector/lab reporting duties under CBC Chapter 17.
Post-issuance plan revision submittals: clouding, deltas, revision table, sheets to include, fees.
Before you submit
Upload the drawings with the California code and San Diego amendment 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
No. DSD will not accept responses or corrected plans until every review discipline has finished its cycle. Resubmittals go to all disciplines at once, and responses to several disciplines must be combined into a single file.
No. DSD requires a full plan set and rejects partial submittals. Strike through deleted sheets and label them DELETED SHEET; give inserted or reordered sheets new unique numbers, and check numbering with e-PlanSNAPP.
IB-100 gives estimates, not guarantees. For standard non-single-dwelling permits, first review runs 5-10 business days and rechecks 10-40, by size category. Complex structural reviews run 20 days, with 60-day rechecks. Rapid Review is 6 days, with 2-day rechecks.
Applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026 follow the 2025 California Building Standards Code. San Diego's local amendments took effect April 22, 2026, and are codified in Chapters 12 and 14 of the Municipal Code.
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
Required documents, review types (Rapid, Express, Expedite, Standard), Professional Certification, Accela portal link, Scout/e-PlanSNAPP.
Department name and division scopes (Building Construction & Safety, Land Development Review, Engineering).
Adopted editions by application date; SDMC chapter locations of local amendments.
2025 code applies to applications on/after Jan 1, 2026; amendments effective Apr 22, 2026 in SDMC Ch. 12 and 14.
§145.0103 adopts 2025 CBC by reference; amended by O-22080 N.S., effective 4-22-2026.
Lists 2025 City amendments ordinance O-22080 N.S., effective 4/22/2026.
Summary of significant local amendment changes (geotechnical exemptions, Appendix P lofts, cool roofs, etc.).
PDF, page size/orientation, sheet numbering, password, annotation, and full-set resubmittal rules. Old PDF link redirects here.
Cycle issues, Recheck Required / Ready for Resubmittal steps, combined response PDF, Appendix C upload rules.
Permit issuance queue data as of Sept 4, 2026; resubmit only after all disciplines complete; consolidated responses.
Estimated first review / recheck business days by category for Standard, Expedite, Express and Rapid Review.
Eligibility, admin fee plus 1.5x plan check fee, three review cycles, disciplines.
Rapid Review definition and eligible scopes.
List of expedite programs, including Affordable/In-Fill Housing and Sustainable Buildings Expedite.
Review process overview, Rapid Review eligibility, disciplines email issues.
Minimum Submittal Requirements Checklist; completeness review for complex projects; source of most correction items.
Minimum submittal checklist for residential and accessory structures; historical resources triggers.
Site plan required elements; surveyor seal for property lines/easements.
Table 1 deferrable items, listing on plans, 30-business-day lead time, fee.
Clouding/delta and revision-table rules for post-issuance changes.
Statement of special inspections; CBC Chapter 17.
Official page on private plan check eligibility, triggers and process.
Second opinion and PIR process; ministerial PIR after third cycle comments.
SDFD site safety inspections, ERCES, technical services permits; referral to DSD.
Used only for terminology (Cycle Issues, Assessment Letter, LDR-Planning Review, LDR-Environmental).
Section list and revision dates.
Issuance queue, required documents, water/sewer and school fee proof.
Links DSD Online Services at aca-prod.accela.com/SANDIEGO and OpenDSD for older projects.
California plan review guide · All plan check corrections · California AB 253 private plan review · Los Angeles plan check · San Francisco plan check · San Jose plan check · Seattle plan check · New York City plan check
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.