Guide

How to Respond to Plan Check Corrections and Avoid Permit Delays

A correction letter is not a rejection. It is a to-do list. Answer every item clearly and completely and most projects clear the next review. Here is how.

By the PE Engineer engineering teamUpdated October 11, 20264 min read

Key takeaways

Treat every comment as a separate item and answer each one in writing.
Show exactly where each change was made: sheet, detail and revision cloud.
Revised sheets must be resealed by the engineer responsible for them.
Most second rounds happen because one comment was missed or answered vaguely.
Forward comments to your engineer the day you receive them.

What plan check is looking for

During plan check, a reviewer compares your drawings with the building code, local amendments and the department’s own requirements. When something is missing, unclear or non-compliant, they issue a correction list, sometimes called comments, a correction letter or a plan review letter.

The reviewer is not redesigning your project. They need to see that each requirement is met and where on the drawings it is shown.

Common plan-check comments

Missing structural calculations for beams, headers, footings or lateral design
Design criteria not shown, such as code edition, wind speed, exposure, snow load or soil bearing
Missing details for connections, hold-downs, shear walls, anchorage or stairs and guardrails
Engineer’s seal missing from some sheets, or a seal from the wrong state
Code analysis for commercial work: occupancy, construction type, allowable area and occupant load
Means of egress: exit widths, travel distance, exit signs and accessible routes
Energy code compliance forms or calculations
Site plan items: setbacks, dimensions, drainage and easements

On a recent Certificate of Occupancy set in California, the reviewer asked for a dimensioned site plan, room labels and uses, storage dimensions, a building code analysis, occupant load calculations and a means of egress plan. Each became a numbered response with a matching sheet reference.

How to write a response letter reviewers accept

Copy every comment in the reviewer’s numbering.
Answer each one directly under the comment. Say what was done, not just “revised”.
Point to the location: “See sheet S-2, detail 4” or “See calculations, page 7”.
Explain when no change is needed, with the code section that supports it.
Keep it factual and short. Reviewers handle many projects a day.

A response such as “Comment 3: Beam B1 has been upsized to a 3-1/2 x 11-7/8 LVL. See sheet S-1 and calculations page 4” usually clears the item. “Comment 3: Revised” often does not.

Revising and resealing the drawings

Cloud the changes on each revised sheet and add a revision triangle with a number that matches the title block.
Update the revision block with the date and a short description.
Reseal revised sheets. The engineer responsible must sign and seal them again with the new date.
Resubmit what the department asks for: some want only revised sheets, others the complete set.

Our proposals include revisions within the original scope, so answering plan check does not mean a new invoice.

How to avoid a second review round

Answer every comment, even the ones that seem minor.
Check that changes on one sheet are carried to every other sheet that shows the same element.
Show design criteria and the code edition on the cover or structural notes sheet.
Confirm the seal is from an engineer licensed in the project’s state.
If a comment is unclear, call or email the reviewer before revising. A two-minute call can save weeks.

When the original designer is unavailable

Projects stall when the original engineer or designer stops responding. Another engineer can take over, but they must review the design fully before sealing revised sheets, and in some states notify the original engineer. We regularly pick up stalled projects, answer the outstanding comments and reseal the set. Send us the plans and the correction letter through the proposal form.