What Drawings Are Required for a Building Permit?
The honest answer is that it depends on your jurisdiction and what you are building. But the pattern is consistent enough that you can work out most of it before you call anyone.
The short answer
Almost every permit set contains three things: a site plan showing where the work sits on the lot, floor plans showing what you are building, and enough structural information to prove it will stand up. Everything else is added depending on scope.
The drawings most jurisdictions ask for
For a typical residential project, expect to be asked for some combination of the following. A small deck might need three of these; a new house needs all of them.
- ✓ Site plan: property lines, setbacks, the existing building and the proposed work
- ✓ Floor plans: dimensions, room names, door and window locations
- ✓ Elevations: what each side of the building looks like once built
- ✓ Building sections: a vertical cut showing heights, framing and assemblies
- ✓ Foundation plan: footings, slab or stem walls with sizes and reinforcement
- ✓ Framing plans: floor and roof framing with member sizes
- ✓ Structural details and calculations: how the loads reach the ground
- ✓ Electrical, plumbing and mechanical plans where new systems are added
- ✓ Energy compliance forms where the state requires them
What changes the list
Three things decide how long your list is.
- ✓ Occupancy. A house is reviewed under the residential code. A restaurant is reviewed under the building code, which adds life safety, egress and accessibility.
- ✓ Whether the structure changes. Moving a wall, adding a floor or cutting a new opening brings structural calculations into the set.
- ✓ Your jurisdiction. Two neighboring cities can ask for different sheets for the same job. This is the part people underestimate most.
What you can find out yourself, free
Before paying anyone, call or check the website of the building department for your address and ask for their submittal checklist for your project type. Most publish one. It tells you exactly what they want, and it is the single most useful document in the process.
When a licensed engineer has to be involved
You can often draw simple plans yourself. What you generally cannot do yourself is seal structural calculations. Most jurisdictions require a licensed Professional Engineer or Architect to sign and seal drawings when the structure is altered, when spans exceed prescriptive tables, or for most commercial work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I draw my own permit plans?
For small residential work in many jurisdictions, yes, a homeowner can prepare their own plans. The limits usually appear when the structure changes or the design falls outside the prescriptive tables in the residential code, at which point sealed engineering is required.
How detailed do the drawings need to be?
Detailed enough for a plan checker who has never seen your project to confirm it complies, and for a builder to build from. Vague drawings are the most common cause of correction letters.
What happens if I submit an incomplete set?
The jurisdiction issues correction comments and the review clock restarts when you resubmit. Each cycle typically costs weeks, which is why a complete first submittal is worth more than a fast one.