The code basis
The code editions and local amendments the design follows, so the reviewer knows which tables apply.
Plan check correction · General
Plan check correction: provide a complete code analysis
The code analysis is the first thing a plans examiner reads, and every later comment is measured against it. When it is missing a value, or disagrees with the plans, the correction letter usually grows.
The comment asks for the facts the whole review depends on: occupancy classification, construction type, building height and area with the allowable values, occupant load, sprinkler and alarm basis, and the code editions used. Clear it by completing the analysis on the cover or code sheet and making sure every value matches the floor plans, egress plans, and wall types.
Read the comment
What the plans examiner is asking for
Occupancy and construction type
Each occupancy classification, how mixed occupancies are handled (separated or non-separated), and the construction type from IBC Table 601.
Height, stories, and area
Actual building height, number of stories, and floor areas beside the allowable values from IBC Chapter 5, with any frontage or sprinkler increases shown.
Occupant load and fire protection
Occupant load by area and use, and whether the building has automatic sprinklers and a fire alarm system, because many egress and rating allowances depend on both.
Published correction lists
How city lists word this correction
Departments ask for the same summary under different names: code analysis, code summary, project data, or building data. Paraphrased from each department’s own published list; the lists do not rank items by how often they are issued.
| City | What the published list asks for | Code cited | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Show project data on the title sheet: height, stories, basements, floor area, fire district, uses, lot size, construction type, occupancy groups, scope, sprinkler and alarm status, allowable-area analysis. | CBC 903.2, T506.2; CBC 907; CBC 506 | Commercial Plan Check Correction Sheets (2026 LABC), Part I General Requirements, C. Administration, item 6 |
| San Francisco | Cover sheet should list applicable codes and existing, changed and proposed occupancy, construction type, stories, basements, floor area and dwelling unit count. | — | Residential Pre-Plan Check checklist - Plans: Cover Sheet |
| San Diego | 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. | — | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, Minimum Submittal Requirements Checklist, item 3.1 (Title Sheet) |
| San Jose | Drawings must carry project data such as construction type, occupancy classification and square footage. | — | BDN 01 Information Required on the Drawings, Required Information list |
| Seattle | The building code analysis should give construction type, stories, occupancy groups, allowable-area or mixed-occupancy calculations, height calculations, and the sprinkler and fire alarm systems provided. | — | Screening Standards - NEW Commercial Projects, Building Code Analysis and Documentation |
| New York City | Code classification, energy analysis, inspection lists, lot diagram and zoning analysis go on the title sheet or the sheets right after it. | — | Drawing Standards for Plan/Work Applications – Drawing set hierarchy |
| New York City | Provide a full zoning analysis of use, bulk, parking and required street trees, with floor area tabulated per floor and box diagrams. | — | Plan Examination Guidelines – Section 2.2 Zoning |
Sources reviewed September 12, 2026. Code sections are as cited on each list and follow that city’s adopted code. Confirm the current list and edition with the department.
Revise the set
What changes on the drawings, and what else to re-check
The analysis is cheap to fix and expensive to leave inconsistent. A value changed here often changes ratings and egress elsewhere.
| Change | Sheets to revise | Also re-check |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy or use corrected | Code analysis; occupancy plan | Occupant load, plumbing fixture count, egress widths, rated separations between uses |
| Construction type changed | Code analysis; wall and floor type legend | Structural element ratings, exterior wall ratings, listed assembly details |
| Area or height recalculated | Code analysis; area plan with calculations | Allowable area increases, fire wall or separation locations, sprinkler basis |
| Sprinkler basis stated | Code analysis; fire protection notes | Travel distances, corridor ratings, deferred sprinkler submittal on the cover sheet |
Close the comment
A response the reviewer can verify
An illustrative example written for this guide, not a real project or a city’s wording. Name the sheet, the detail, and the change, so the recheck does not start with a search.
Comment
Provide a complete code analysis on the title sheet, including occupancy, type of construction, allowable area, and occupant load.
Response
Revised as requested. Code analysis added to G0.02: occupancies B and A-3 (non-separated), Type V-A, sprinklered throughout. One story; actual area 18,400 sf against 46,000 sf allowable. Occupant load of 412 is tabulated by room on G0.03 and matches the egress plan.
Before you submit
Catch it before the plans examiner does
Fill every line
Write down occupancy, construction type, height, area, occupant load, and sprinkler basis, even when a value seems obvious.
Trace each value to a sheet
Match areas to the area plan, occupancy to the room names on the floor plans, and construction type to the wall and floor assemblies.
Carry changes forward
When a value changes during design, update the egress plan, rated assemblies, and fixture count in the same issue.
Groundbook compares the drawings, schedules, and specifications with the code and local references you upload, and links each potential issue to the sheets and sections behind it. Your team verifies each finding; the jurisdiction makes every approval decision. See the pre-permit review and drawing-to-code review.
Questions, answered
Code analysis: questions
Where should the code analysis go on the drawings?
Usually on the cover sheet or a dedicated code sheet at the front of the set. Some departments name the sheet in their submittal checklist; follow the department’s instructions when they do.
Does a small tenant improvement need a full code analysis?
Most departments still expect the occupancy, construction type, occupant load of the space, and sprinkler status, because egress and accessibility comments depend on them. Check the department’s checklist for the permit type.
Why do reviewers keep asking about the code analysis after I added one?
Usually because a value does not match the plans: an area that differs from the area plan, or an occupancy that does not match the room uses. Reconcile the analysis with the sheets before resubmitting.
Keep going
Related corrections and city guides
Occupant load and egress width
Occupant load tabulated by space, and exit, door, corridor, and stair widths sized for that load.
Read this correctionSheet coordination
Detail references that resolve, and plans, sections, schedules, and consultant sheets that describe the same condition the same way.
Read this correctionFire-rated assemblies
The rating each wall, floor, and roof needs, a tested or listed design for each, and plans that show the ratings consistently.
Read this correctionLos Angeles plan check
How LADBS reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideSan Francisco plan check
How DBI reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideSan Diego plan check
How DSD reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideRespond to plan check comments
Response letter format, six response types, and a free response log.
Read the guideFind the corrections before the plans examiner does
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.