LIBRARY // BUILDING CODES AND PERMITS

Responding to Plan Review and Authority Comments

A list of plan review comments can feel like a setback. Handled well, it's just the last step before approval.

Almost every submission receives comments. Plan reviewers, building control bodies and authorities ask for clarification, corrections or more information. How a team responds can make the difference between one more round and several.

Read every comment carefully

Understand exactly what the reviewer is asking. If a comment is unclear, ask for clarification through the proper channel rather than guessing. A wrong guess often leads to another round.

Log the comments

Create a response log listing:

• Comment number and text
• Discipline responsible
• Response
• Sheets or documents revised
• Status

This keeps the whole team aligned, especially when comments involve several disciplines.

1. Issue drawings
2. Mark up comments
3. Revise the set
4. Back-check every comment
5. Close out and log

Revise the drawings

• Make the changes needed to address each comment
• Cloud changes and add a revision
• Check that changes don't create new conflicts elsewhere
• Update related schedules, details and calculations

Write a clear response letter

A response letter addresses each comment in order:

• Repeat or reference the comment
• Explain how it's been addressed
• Reference the sheet and detail where the change appears

Keep responses factual and concise. If you disagree with a comment, explain the reasoning politely, referencing the code section, and be prepared to discuss it.

Coordinate with consultants

Structural, MEP and fire consultants may need to respond to their own comments. Collect their responses and make sure they're consistent with the Architectural changes.

Avoid introducing new issues

Resubmissions sometimes include unrelated design changes. Reviewers may then raise new comments. Where possible, keep resubmissions focused on the comments, and flag any other changes clearly.

Learn from comments

Timing

Authorities often have deadlines for resubmission. Track them and plan the work so responses are complete and checked before the deadline.

Meetings

For complex comments, a meeting with the reviewer can resolve issues faster than written exchanges. Prepare clearly, and confirm agreements in writing.

Check the whole set before resubmitting

Before resubmitting, check that revised sheets are complete, indexes and revision lists are updated and responses reference the right sheets. A quick internal review catches mistakes that would otherwise trigger another comment.

Keep a record of the outcome

When comments are closed, note how they were resolved and file the correspondence with the project records. If the same question comes up during construction or a later project phase, the reasoning is easy to find.

1. 01Read every comment carefully
2. 02Log the comments
3. 03Revise the drawings
4. 04Write a clear response letter
5. 05Coordinate with consultants
6. 06Avoid introducing new issues

Stay courteous

Reviewers are doing an important job. A respectful, organised response helps build a working relationship that benefits the current project and future ones.

A structured response process shows professionalism, builds trust with reviewers and gets projects approved sooner.

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