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[SPEC: ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTION & BIM]•DISCIPLINE: ARCH

REV // A-01LOD 350-400

LIBRARY // BUILDING CODES AND PERMITS

Building Codes and Permits

How codes and approval processes shape drawings in the US, the UK and the UAE. Need a hand with production? See our services.

United States (8)United Kingdom (8)United Arab Emirates (8)General (7)

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United States

A building section with fire-rated walls and a floor plan with dashed exit routes beside a review checklist

Preparing US Permit Drawings Under the IBC

What US plan reviewers expect to see, and how the IBC shapes a permit set.

Five building structures side by side from concrete high-rise to timber frame labelled by construction type

IBC Construction Types Explained

Types I to V, what A and B mean and why it matters for height and area.

A single-family house plan and section with framing notes and a permit application form

Residential Permit Drawings Under the IRC

When the IRC applies, and what a typical residential permit set needs.

Two overlapping circles labelled civil rights law and building code over an accessible floor plan

ADA Standards vs IBC Accessibility: What's the Difference?

Two overlapping sets of US accessibility rules, and how to satisfy both.

A hospital corridor with smoke compartment doors, exit signage and fire alarm devices

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code: When It Applies

Where the Life Safety Code sits alongside the IBC, and when it applies.

A city block map with zoning colours beside a building section showing code requirements

Zoning vs Building Codes in the US

What zoning controls, what building codes control and how approvals connect.

A permit drawing set with a list of deferred items such as fire sprinklers, trusses and curtain wall

Deferred Submittals in US Permit Applications

Items designed later by specialists, and how to keep them on track.

A clipboard checklist with ticked items next to a stack of permit drawings

US Building Permit Set Checklist for Architects

A practical pre-submission checklist for US permit sets.

United Kingdom

A cutaway terraced brick house with icons for structure, fire safety, ventilation and energy checks

Drawings for UK Building Regulations Approval

What building control needs to see, and how the Approved Documents shape the drawings.

A UK apartment building plan with protected stair, fire doors and compartment lines marked

Approved Document B Fire Safety: A Guide for Drawings

The fire safety guidance behind most building control submissions in England.

A wall section with insulation and U-value annotation beside an energy calculation summary

Part L Energy Compliance: What Drawings Need to Show

Fabric, glazing and air tightness details that support Part L calculations.

A UK flat plan showing wheelchair turning circles, wide doorways and an accessible bathroom

Part M Access: M4(1), M4(2) and M4(3) Explained

The three dwelling access categories, and how they affect layouts.

Two stacks of drawings, one with site plans and elevations, the other with technical sections and details

Planning Permission vs Building Regulations in the UK

Two separate UK approvals, what each controls and the drawings each needs.

A tall residential building with three gate markers representing planning, construction and completion stages

Building Safety Act Gateways Explained

Gateways 1, 2 and 3 for higher-risk buildings, and what design teams must provide.

A construction site section with highlighted risks such as working at height and safe access routes

CDM 2015 Duties for Designers

How CDM 2015 affects designers, and what to record on drawings.

A semi-detached house with a rear extension and loft dormer outlined in dashed lines

Permitted Development Rights: The Basics

Works that don't need a planning application, and the limits that apply.

United Arab Emirates

A high-rise tower in a desert city next to a digital folder of drawings uploading to an online portal

Preparing Drawings for UAE Authority Submissions

Working with UAE municipalities, free zone authorities, civil defence and green building rules.

A Dubai skyline behind a set of permit drawings and a digital application screen

Dubai Building Permits: An Overview for Design Teams

Who issues permits in Dubai, and what drawings typically need to cover.

A floor plan with exits, fire alarm devices and sprinkler zones marked in red

Civil Defence Fire and Life Safety Approval in Dubai

Fire and life safety drawings and approvals for Dubai projects.

A Dubai building with shading fins, rooftop solar panels and a green rating badge

Al Sa'fat: Dubai's Green Building System

Dubai's green building rating levels and documentation basics.

An Abu Dhabi villa with shading, efficient landscaping and a pearl rating symbol

Estidama Pearl Rating System in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi's Pearl ratings, mandatory minimums and design documentation.

An Abu Dhabi waterfront building with a permit drawing set and site plan

Building Permits in Abu Dhabi: An Overview

Abu Dhabi's codes, approvals and typical permit drawings.

A UAE high-rise with fire-rated facade, refuge floor and firefighting access marked

The UAE Fire and Life Safety Code: An Overview

The UAE's national fire code, its main topics and design impacts.

A master plan of a UAE community with plot boundaries and design guidelines document

Master Developer NOCs in the UAE

Developer guidelines, reviews and NOCs before authority submission.

General

A code analysis sheet with tables for occupancy, construction type, areas and egress beside a building outline

Code Analysis Basics for Architectural Projects

The questions a code analysis answers, and when to start one.

A mixed-use building cutaway with colour-coded floors for retail, offices and apartments

Occupancy and Use Classification Explained

Why use classification drives so many other code requirements.

A floor plan with dashed escape routes leading to two protected stair cores and an exit

Means of Egress Explained for Architects

Occupant loads, exits, travel distances and widths in plain terms.

A building section divided into compartments by fire-rated floors and walls with protected shafts

Fire Compartmentation and Separation Basics

Dividing buildings to limit fire spread, and showing it clearly on drawings.

An accessible building entrance with a gentle ramp, level threshold and clear signage

Accessibility Codes Overview: US, UK and UAE

The main accessibility rules in three regions, and how they differ.

A wall build-up section with insulation thickness, thermal values and an energy compliance label

Showing Energy Code Compliance on Drawings

Insulation, glazing and air tightness information reviewers look for.

A list of numbered review comments matched to clouded changes on revised drawings

Responding to Plan Review and Authority Comments

Turning review comments into a clean resubmission.

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