A common question that gets asked of a municipality is, “What do you want to see?”

A municipality, or Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is responsible to confirm compliance with the Building Code, and the design professionals are responsible to provide Building Code compliant designs. Seems simple, right?

Well, it’s not. When there are not clear requirements for how compliance is to be shown, it can leave everyone extremely frustrated. Yes, the building needs to meet minimum Building Code requirements, but simply stating that it is designed to a specific Code on the drawings does not suffice.

The Building Code is a bit of a riddle, and there are many paths/designs/products to a compliant building. Without proper documentation of a design professionals thought process, an AHJ does not know if something was a conscious decision, or an oversight.

From my experience, I have seen requirements to show compliance differ drastically between municipalities. Some require full building code reports, some a shorter version of a report commonly referred to as an analysis or data sheet, and some do not require either of these. Very few municipalities require that code compliance drawings are provided, which is unfortunate because these are extremely useful tools for everyone involved in a project.

Without documentation of a design professionals thought process, an AHJ does not know if something was a conscious decision, or an oversight.

Using tools such as code reports and drawings really can make the entire process go a lot smoother. In my opinion, there are three main tools that should be used for every project to confirm Building Code compliance. A checklist, code report and compliance drawings used together could clarify project requirements and really expedite the building permit process.

The Checklist

A checklist can be an amazingly beneficial resource if a municipality and design professional are working off of the same one. A checklist is a really just a way to document what you are already doing. Although there are a lot of requirements in the Building Code, they are law and need to be met…so might as well make the process a bit easier with some structure. The Vancouver CP Manual has an example checklist at the very end of the document here.

Here are some tips that I’ve found when using a checklist:

• If you are on the design side, break down a checklist into segments for what you would review at each stage (ie schematic, design development, detailed design, etc.),
• Even though it seems redundant, re-check the items that have been previously reviewed each time a Building Code review happens (sometimes there are changes to address one problem, which creates problems out of previously compliant items),
• Have a shared location for a checklist for a project team across disciplines – accountability helps,
• If something is not applicable to the project, make a note as to why it is not applicable (things change across the life of a project, and knowing the why saves time when changes happen),
• If something is applicable, provide notes referring to where on the design drawings detail showing compliance can be found (as opposed to just a check mark), and
• Submit the checklist with the building permit application (only if it provides detail on where compliance is shown).

A checklist also saves a lot of time if there are questions from the AHJ. You can easily and confidently say, “Yes, I did check that, and here is more detail.”

The Building Code Report

A Building Code report can be a wonderful tool, or an overwhelming 40 page report that is not efficient for anyone to use! The report should not be a document solely re-wording provisions in the Building Code that are applicable. When a report is used in conjunction with a checklist, the report serves as the document where you can explain how compliance is achieved. Think of the checklist as the ‘what’ and the report as the ‘how and why’. This is the place to provide clarity on what specifics are applicable to the building design, and to discuss any provisions that may have room for interpretation.

The Building Code report should not be a document solely re-wording provisions in the that are applicable.

If compliance can be shown through the checklist (ie either noting not required, or directing the reader to where in the drawings detail is found), then it does not need to take up much space in the report.

The Building Code report should also include (but is not limited to):

• Any alternative solutions applicable to the project (including design requirements),
• Spatial separation calculation details,
• Building area, height and applicable construction requirements,
• Detail on how fire-resistance ratings are achieved (what listed assemblies were chosen),
• Occupant load, washroom and egress/exit capacity calculations,
• What referenced standards (including edition) are applicable,
• What type of fire alarm and sprinkler system is provided any information specific to the design, and
• Any ‘contentious’ items (ie room for interpretation).

It is always a good idea to discuss any provisions that are ‘contentious’ with the AHJ ahead of time, and include any documentation on decisions in the appendix of the report.

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The Code Compliance Drawings

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Building Code compliance drawings are an amazing tool for everyone involved in a project on both the design and municipal side, but there are not many municipalities requiring them.

If the checklist is the ‘what’ and the report is the ‘how and why’, then the compliance drawings focus on the ‘where’. At a very minimum, the compliance drawings should include:

Site plan:

• Fire Department (FD) principal entrance,
• FD access route (dimensioned and clear of all obstructions and parking stalls),
• Hydrant and FD connection location,
• Streets and limiting distances,
• Fire alarm annunciator and control panel.

Each floor level:

• Occupancy classification and occupant loads of each space,
• Egress and exit capacity and remoteness,
• Location of fire separations and elements requiring a fire-resistance rating (this should include coordination with the structural design to show loadbearing elements that require a rating),
• Travel distances,
• Any proposed locking devices in a path of travel,
• Accessibility requirements.

Section views:

• Elevation of grade and the first storey (including grade calculations if a sloping site),
• Cross over floors,
• Details on how continuity of fire separations are maintained.

The compliance drawings should also provide reference back to the code report when more detail is provided. Design requirements and locations of applicable alternative solution should also be shown on the code compliance drawings, as should any items that are ‘contentious’ (ie room for interpretation).

Who Gets a Copy?

The checklist should be a living document throughout the life of a project, available to everyone involved in the project.

As mentioned above, I think it is a great idea to provide the checklist along with the report and compliance drawings to the municipality for building permit review.

A copy of the code report and compliance drawings should also be provided to the building owner to be included in the Fire Safety Plan, and the Fire Department.