Stamped Architectural Plans for Your Building Permit
Stamped architectural plans reviewed for code compliance and sealed by a PE where your state allows, or by a coordinated licensed architect.
- Stamped by a PE licensed in your state
- Built to IBC, IRC and local amendments
- Plan-check comments answered
Architectural plans sealed by the right licensed professional
Floor plans, elevations, building sections and code analysis sheets are the backbone of a permit set, and some building departments want them sealed before they will review them. Getting stamped architectural plans is not always as simple as finding someone with a stamp, because the question of who may seal them depends on your state’s licensing laws, the type of building and sometimes its size and occupancy.
Architectural drawings are often sealed by a licensed architect. In many jurisdictions a Professional Engineer may also seal certain building plans when the work falls within the scope of the engineer’s license and competence. PE Engineer reviews and seals architectural and permit drawings where state law allows a PE to do so, and coordinates an appropriately licensed professional where it does not. You get one point of contact either way.
Before anything is sealed, the drawings are checked for the items plan reviewers look at first: occupancy, egress, fire separation, accessibility, energy notes and coordination with the structural and MEP sheets. Problems found at this stage cost far less to fix than the same problems found by the plan checker or, worse, by the inspector after framing is up.
What you receive
- Licensing review for your state and project
- Code compliance check of each sheet
- Redlines and corrected sheets
- Code analysis and egress notes
- Sealed architectural sheets
- Coordination with structural and MEP
Architectural drawings we review
We review the sheets your building department expects in an architectural set, whether they came from us, a designer or a plan service.
Floor plans
Room layouts, dimensions, door and window schedules, stair and hallway widths, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm locations checked against the residential or building code.
Elevations and building sections
Building height, roof pitch, wall assemblies, guard heights and finish materials reviewed for code limits, zoning height and consistency with the floor plans.
Site and plot plans
Setbacks, lot coverage, building footprint and access shown the way the zoning and building reviewers need, coordinated with the architectural floor plans.
Code analysis sheets
Occupancy classification, construction type, allowable area, occupant load and fire separation summarized on one sheet for commercial and change-of-use projects.
Egress and life safety plans
Exit paths, travel distances, exit widths and emergency lighting locations reviewed for commercial spaces, tenant improvements, restaurants and assembly uses.
Accessibility details
Accessible routes, restroom layouts, clearances and parking reviewed against ICC A117.1 and the accessibility provisions your jurisdiction enforces for commercial work.
Your Stamped, Permit-Ready Plans Start With One Upload
Send your drawings or describe the project. A licensed engineer reviews it and sends a clear, fixed-fee proposal, often within hours.
- Free and no obligation
- Reviewed by a licensed PE
- Secure file upload
When stamped architectural plans are required
Not every permit needs a seal on the architectural sheets. Many jurisdictions let homeowners and builders submit plans for one- and two-family dwellings, small additions and accessory buildings without any design professional’s seal, and ask only for engineering on the structural portion. Others require a licensed professional for every new home. Commercial projects almost always need sealed drawings.
Typical reasons a building department asks for stamped architectural plans include:
- New commercial buildings, tenant improvements and additions to commercial space.
- A change of use or occupancy, such as converting a warehouse to a gym or a house to an office.
- Multifamily buildings and mixed-use projects.
- Residential projects above a size or height threshold set by the state or the city.
- Assembly, educational, institutional and other occupancies with stricter life safety requirements.
If you are not sure whether your jurisdiction requires a seal on the architectural sheets, send us the permit application checklist or the plan checker’s comments. We will tell you what is actually being asked for, so you do not pay for a seal the city does not need or submit without one it does.
Who can seal architectural plans: an engineer or an architect
This question trips up many permit applicants. Architecture and engineering are licensed separately, and each state draws the line between them in its own way.
- In many states, a Professional Engineer may seal building plans, including architectural sheets, when the work is within the scope of the engineer’s license and the engineer is competent to do it. This is common for residential, agricultural, industrial and smaller commercial buildings.
- Some states reserve certain buildings, by occupancy, size or number of stories, for a licensed architect, or require an architect and an engineer to work together.
- Some states exempt smaller residential projects from needing any licensed professional at all.
Because the rules vary, the first step on every architectural stamp request is a licensing check for your state and building type. Where a PE is permitted to seal the plans, an engineer licensed in your state reviews and seals them. Where the law calls for an architect, we coordinate a licensed architect in that state to review and seal the architectural sheets, while our engineers handle the structural and MEP scope. You are never handed a seal that the building department, or the state board, would reject.
Each seal belongs to the professional who takes responsibility for it. When a coordinated architect seals the architectural sheets, that architect’s name and license appear on them, and the engineer’s seal appears on the engineering sheets. Each professional answers only for the scope they sealed, which is exactly how plan reviewers expect a multi-discipline set to be organized.
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- Free and no obligation
- Reviewed by a licensed PE
- Secure file upload
What the reviewer checks on architectural sheets
Architectural plan review is mostly about life safety and code compliance. Before sealing, the reviewing professional works through the set with the same priorities as the plan checker.
- Occupancy and construction type. The building’s use group and type of construction set its allowable height, area and fire protection requirements.
- Egress. Number of exits, exit width, travel distance, door swing and hardware, stair geometry and emergency escape openings in sleeping rooms.
- Fire separation. Rated walls between a garage and a dwelling, between tenants, and at property lines, with the assemblies identified.
- Accessibility. Accessible entrances, routes, restrooms and parking for commercial and multifamily projects.
- Energy compliance. Insulation values, fenestration and air sealing notes that match the energy code your jurisdiction has adopted.
- Coordination. Wall locations, openings and ceiling heights that agree with the structural framing and the MEP plans.
Missing or conflicting information in any of these areas is a frequent cause of plan-check corrections. We mark it up, fix it on the sheets or send it to your designer to update, and then the set is sealed.
Stamped plans from designers, drafters and plan services
Many architectural sets we review were drawn by a residential designer, a drafter or a stock plan company. These plans can be well drawn and still fall short of what a building department needs, because they were prepared for a different location, an older code edition or a lot with different conditions.
For purchased stock plans, we check the design against the code your jurisdiction has adopted, adapt the notes and details to your site, and confirm that the structural design suits your local wind, snow and seismic loads. For designer-prepared plans, we review the set, return any corrections and seal it once it is complete. Our structural PE stamp service covers the engineering sheets that usually accompany the architectural set.
If you do not have drawings yet, our team can prepare floor plans, elevations and site plans from your sketches or measurements. For commercial spaces, our tenant improvement plans include the code analysis and egress sheets most reviewers expect. Plan-check comments on the sealed scope are answered within the original fee.
You may need sealed architectural plans if
- Your city requires a design professional's seal
- You are changing the use of a building
- The project is commercial or multifamily
- Your home exceeds the local exemption limits
- You bought stock plans from another state
- The plan checker flagged egress or code issues
How it works, start to finish
From your first message to stamped drawings, you work directly with the engineering team.
- 1Share your projectSend the address, scope and any drawings, photos or plan-check comments. Two minutes is enough.
- 2Receive a fixed-fee proposalAn engineer reviews the scope and replies with a firm price and delivery date for your architectural drawing stamp drawings.
- 3Engineering and draftingWe run the calculations and prepare drawings to the codes your jurisdiction enforces, checked before sealing.
- 4Stamped set deliveredYou receive a sealed PDF set ready to submit, and we answer any plan-check comments within scope.
Codes and standards behind the review
Architectural sheets are reviewed against the edition of each code your jurisdiction has adopted, together with your state’s licensing rules for who may seal them:
- International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC)
- International Existing Building Code (IEBC) for alterations and changes of use
- International Fire Code (IFC)
- ICC A117.1, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
- International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or ASHRAE 90.1
- State codes such as the California Building Code, Florida Building Code and Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR)
How licensing works. Engineering drawings must be sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in the state where your project is located. PE Engineer works with a network of state-licensed PEs, so every set is reviewed and stamped by an engineer with an active license in the state where your project is located. Their name and license number appear on the seal, exactly as your building department requires.
Related services
Architectural PlansFloor plans, site plans, elevations and complete permit sets for homes, ADUs, additions and commercial spaces, drawn to the code your city enforces.Explore More
Change of Use & CO PlansPlans and code analysis for change of occupancy and Certificate of Occupancy approvals, covering egress, fire separation, fixtures, accessibility and structural loads.Explore More
Structural PE StampFoundation, framing, beam and lateral drawings checked against site loads and code, backed by calculations and sealed by a licensed structural PE.Explore MoreFrequently asked questions
Can an engineer stamp architectural drawings?
In many states a Professional Engineer may seal building plans, including architectural sheets, when the work is within the scope of the engineer’s license and competence. Other states reserve some buildings for a licensed architect. We check the rules for your state and building type before we quote, and coordinate a licensed architect where one is required.
Do I need an architect or an engineer for my project?
It depends on your state, the building’s use and its size. Many residential and light commercial projects can be handled by an engineer, while larger or more complex occupancies may require an architect. Send us the address and a description of the project and we will tell you which professional the building department expects.
Do residential floor plans need a stamp?
Often they do not. Many jurisdictions accept unsealed floor plans for houses, additions and garages but require engineering on the structural sheets. Some cities and states require a licensed professional on all new homes. We confirm the requirement before you spend money on a seal you may not need.
Can you stamp stock plans I bought online?
We can review them, adapt them to your site and your local code, and seal them where your state allows a PE to do so. Stock plans often need changes for local wind, snow and seismic loads, energy code requirements and foundation conditions before a building department will accept them.
What if my state requires an architect to seal the plans?
We coordinate a licensed architect in your state to review and seal the architectural sheets, while our engineers seal the structural and MEP scope. You keep one point of contact and one schedule, and the set goes in with the seals the building department needs.
Will you answer plan-check comments on the architectural sheets?
Yes. Send the correction list and we will respond to each item, revise the affected sheets and reseal them within the original scope at no extra charge. Comments on items outside the sealed scope, such as zoning approvals, are flagged so you know who needs to address them.
Get your free architectural drawing stamp proposal
Tell us where the project is and what you need. Attach any drawings, photos or plan-check comments. A licensed engineer reviews every request.
- Upload your filesPlans, sketches, photos or comments
- Get a fixed-fee proposalUsually the same day
- Receive stamped drawingsSealed by a PE licensed in your state