The most remote point
Travel measured from the most remote point of each space along the natural path around walls, furniture, and equipment, not a straight line.
Plan check correction · Egress
Plan check correction: exit access travel distance and common path of egress travel
Reviewers ask for travel distances when they cannot see the longest path to an exit on the plans. Common path comments follow when a room or suite reaches one route for too long before a second route opens up.
The comment asks you to draw and dimension the longest path from the most remote point to an exit, and the distance a person travels before two separate routes are available, then compare both with the limits for the occupancy and sprinkler status. Clear it with dimensioned travel paths on the egress plan and a note citing the limits used.
Read the comment
What the plans examiner is asking for
Exit access travel distance
Distance to the nearest exit compared with IBC Section 1017 and Table 1017.2 for the occupancy and sprinkler status.
Common path of egress travel
Distance before two separate routes are available, compared with IBC Section 1006.2.1 and its table.
The limits used
A note naming the limit applied and why, such as the occupancy and whether the building is sprinklered.
Published correction lists
How city lists word this correction
Published lists ask for the exit access travel distance, the common path of egress travel, or dimensioned exit paths. 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 | Dimension the common path of egress travel from each space, and add a legend showing exit locations and travel distance from the most remote point on each story. | CBC 1006.2.1; CBC T1017.2 | Commercial Plan Check Correction Sheets (2026 LABC), Part II, H. Means of Egress, items 13 and 40 |
| San Francisco | Document exit access travel distance from the most remote point and common path of travel where applicable, measured at right angles unless walls guide travel. | SFBC 106A.3.4.2.1, item 3d | SFBC 106A.3.4.2.1 Contents of site permit application, item 3d |
| San Francisco | An existing non-sprinklered R-3 up to three stories may keep one exit and no sprinklers if travel distance, including from decks, stays within 125 feet. | SFBC 903.2.8 Exception 5 | Information Sheet EG-03, Discussion |
| San Diego | 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. | — | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 5.7.3 (Means of Egress Floor Plans) |
| New York City | Floor plans must show maximum travel distances, including dead ends and common path of egress. | — | Plan Examination Guidelines – Section 2.4.1 Floor Plans (Egress) |
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
Fixing a long travel path often means a new door or exit, which reaches well beyond the egress plan.
| Change | Sheets to revise | Also re-check |
|---|---|---|
| Second exit access door added | Floor plan; egress plan; door schedule | Exit separation distance, hardware, accessible route to the new door, rated corridor openings |
| Partition layout revised | Floor plan; enlarged plans | Reflected ceiling plan, sprinkler layout, electrical devices on relocated walls |
| Sprinkler basis relied on | Code analysis; fire protection notes | Deferred sprinkler submittal, corridor rating reductions that depend on sprinklers |
| Exit stair relocated | Floor plans on every level; stair sections | Structural openings, shaft ratings, discharge path at grade |
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
Show common path of egress travel and exit access travel distance for the suite. Travel distance appears to exceed the allowable.
Response
Revised as requested. Travel paths are dimensioned on A0.11 from the most remote points. A second exit access door (Door 212) has been added to the suite, reducing common path to 68 feet. Longest exit access travel distance is 187 feet, within the limit for a sprinklered Group B occupancy.
Before you submit
Catch it before the plans examiner does
Find the most remote points
Mark the corners of each space farthest from its exits, including rooms behind other rooms.
Draw the real path
Follow corridors, doors, and fixed furniture. Straight-line dimensions invite a correction.
Check the dependencies
If the result relies on sprinklers, make sure the code analysis and fire protection notes say the building is sprinklered.
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
Travel distance and common path: questions
What is the difference between travel distance and common path?
Exit access travel distance runs from the most remote point to the nearest exit. Common path of egress travel is only the first part, before occupants have a choice of two separate routes.
Is travel distance measured inside exit stairs?
No. Exit access travel distance ends at the entrance to an exit, such as an exit stair enclosure or an exterior exit door. Travel inside the exit is not counted.
Do sprinklers increase the allowable distance?
Usually. The limits in IBC Table 1017.2 and the common path table are higher for many occupancies when the building has an automatic sprinkler system.
Keep going
Related corrections and city guides
Number and separation of exits
Enough exits for the occupant load of each space and story, placed far enough apart that one fire cannot block both.
Read this correctionOccupant 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 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.