Print icon Print

Plan Exam Guidelines for Next Day Review Eligible Filings Only

Minimum Requirement for Review of Construction Documents: Information and details required for a complete submission will vary by project. Not every project will require all the items outlined in the Guidelines and some projects may require additional items not specifically identified in this information. (Rev. 7/25/24)

Application Submission for Construction Projects

The administrative provisions in Chapter 1 of Title 28 of the NYC Administrative Code (Admin Code) that govern the NYC Construction Codes including the NYC Building Code (BC) require that construction documents must be complete when a project application is submitted by the applicant. Chapter 1 of Title 28 of the Administrative Code states that "Construction documents shall be complete and of sufficient clarity to indicate the location and entire nature and extent of work proposed and shall show in detail that they conform to the provisions of this code and other applicable laws and rules…” (Administrative Code §28-104.7; see also BC 106).

Purpose of the Guidelines

The purpose of this document is to outline the minimum information requirements that must be met before a Department Plan Examiner can review the construction documents for compliance with applicable Code and Zoning requirements. In general, the type of construction plans required will depend on the size and type of the project for which the application is being submitted. For the Next Day Review (NDR) pilot in Manhattan, items listed in this document are a summary of the minimum requirements, as applicable, and must be included when submitting a Next Day Review application.

Plans must show all the intended work and have enough detail to clearly convey the entire scope of work and thereby have the information needed to support the construction process. Compliance with relevant NYC Construction Codes, Zoning and all other applicable Federal, New York State and City requirements must also be addressed. Final approval of these documents is contingent on a complete set of drawings demonstrating full compliance with Code, Zoning, and all other applicable laws and rules, whether such information is identified in this document.

Next Day Review eligible filings are limited to alteration projects that are ready for approval as submitted, which includes any related agency approvals and any combination of GC, MS, PL or SP work types. No Alt-CO or Enlargements shall be filed for Next Day Review. The application must be complete and account for the full scope of work, i.e., initial and all required subsequent filings must be submitted. Drawing sets may not have more than ten sheets for all filings and projects must be simple enough to review and process in 40 minutes, such as simple apartment renovations or commercial renovations, simple restaurant renovations, minor sprinkler modifications, or boiler replacements.

NOTE: Information and details required for a complete submission will vary by project. Not every project will require all the items outlined in the Guidelines and some projects may require additional items not specifically identified in this information.

Incomplete Submitted Applications

The Department’s review of construction documents, to ensure compliance with Building Code, Zoning and all other applicable laws shall not effectively begin until the construction documents submitted include these minimum requirements. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit a complete set of plans. The Department’s plan exam staff will not begin the plan examination process if the construction documents are not complete; the application will be marked Incomplete, and this status will be recorded in the Department’s DOB NOW system even if Next Day Review is selected.

Drawing Requirements for Construction Projects

Complete drawings, also referred to as construction documents or plans are required with every application for approval and building permit. Minimum required information, including scope, details, calculations, Zoning, and Code references, general notes, dimensions, etc., must be provided to ensure that pertinent information is shown on the submitted drawings prior to a formal plan examination. This will result in the issuance of specific and accurate objections, efficiently leading to approval of the application.

The amount of information and detail required for a complete submission will vary by project, and not every project will require all the items outlined in this document. The applicant must clearly show enough detail to allow an effective assessment of the proposed work before the Plan Examiner can consider the application complete for review. In addition to containing the basic information, submitted drawings must also be in consistent format. Such requirements are outlined in the following sections of this document and are necessary prior to any Plan Examiner commencing their review to ensure such submission’s compliance with all applicable Code and Zoning requirements.

Drawings submitted must include the information outlined in the following sections of this document prior to the Plan Examiner’s review for compliance with applicable Code and Zoning requirements. See the standard drawing templates.

DOB Title Block Standards for Drawing Submission

All submitted drawings must have a Title block, requirements listed below:

  • DOB Building Plan Job Number must be located on lower right side of each drawings sheet.
  • Professional Engineer/Registered Architect (RDP) information to be located on the lower right side of the title block sheet.
  • Drawing reference number and for PAAs a revision decimal should be shown (EX: A-100.05).
  • All page numbers should be located on the lower right side of the drawing sheet. (EX: PG – 3 of 45).
  • Drawing sheet name or description must be shown to identify what floor, elevation, section, etc. is being represented.
  • Project name and address should be represented on the top right side of the title block.
  • A revision block should be represented on the sheet indicating the dates of previous submitted sheets with the date it was submitted.
  • Most importantly a signed and sealed Stamp by the RDP must be shown on the title block. Drawing set submitted without a seal will be rejected.
  • There must be a space or a box for DOB Plan Examiners to put their approval stamps.
  • All the above-mentioned information must appear on the title block and must be the same on each page in the drawing set.
  • Cover sheets prepared for illustrative/decorative purposes may show the required information in varying locations except for the DOB Building Plan Identification Number and the page number, both of which must appear on the sheets’ lower right side.

Standard Drawing Checklist (NDR Pilot)

The standard drawings checklist must be provided on separate sheet for the NDR pilot. The checklist will not be counted toward the total number of sheets.

DOB Standards for Drawing Submission

The maximum size of all sheets submitted shall be 36 x 48 inches. The minimum size of all sheets submitted, including surveys submitted by licensed land surveyors, shall be 24 x 36 inches. Anything smaller or larger will be rejected. Minimum font size is 8 point and must be legible for all drawings and notes.

First Page of the plan set must include the following:

  • G.01 Site Location/Address
  • G.02 Full detailed Scope of work/Building Narrative
  • G.03 Digital Tax Map
  • G.04 Zoning map with building location marked off
  • G.05 Map showing 200 feet radius around site.
  • G.06 All Rrlated Job Numbers added.
  • G.07 Drawing of the building proposed Elevation or Axon
  • G.08 Drawing Legend for symbols, materials, and abbreviations
  • G.09 Drawing Index Sheet
  • G.10 Applicable Administrative Codes

Construction Notes must include the following:

  • G.11 Provisions for the NYS Multiple Dwelling Law (MDL), as applicable
  • G.12 Full NYC Building Code analysis that applies to your site
    • Provide BC chapters as applicable
  • G.13 All inspections being called for must be listed

Site Plan must include the following:

  • G.21 Full site information as well as site map
  • G.22 Full site context around the building, including but not limited to:
    • Rights-of-way and Easements
    • Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), special flood hazard area type, and base and design flood elevations
    • 200-foot limit from transit authority or railroad infrastructure
    • Little E designations
    • Landmark or historic district designations
  • G.23 Full dimensions on the drawing
  • G.24 Show any rear or side yards if applicable
  • G.25 North Arrow
  • G.26 Project address, block and lot and number of stories requested
  • G.27 Adjacent Building Information
  • G.28 Elevation heights that match the survey for the front of the building
  • G.29 Street Trees, Curb cuts, Hydrants, Signs, etc.
  • G.30 Street names and widths
  • G.31 Location of the property line, including:
    • Property Lot Lines with lengths of each segment

ADA Clearance and Enlarged Kitchen & Bathroom Diagrams must include:

  • G.41 Show dimensions and clearance locations
  • G.42 Grab Bars
  • G.43 Elevation and Plan diagrams
  • G.44 Demonstrate Accessibility compliance
    • Diagrams must be related to your building and have the location labeled
  • G.45 Show accessible entrances and components of accessible routes such as accessible doors, ramps, elevators, and wheelchair lifts
    • Turing radius circles must be shown
    • Self-opening/closing doors

Demolition Floor Plans must include:

  • A.11 Distance to property line, if applicable
  • A.12 Clear drawing legend showing what is remaining and what is being removed
    • Existing walls being removed may trigger an Asbestos Inspection
    • Note is to be added if demolition pertains to any work pertaining to Structural, Framing, and Egress.
  • A.13 Drawing label
  • A.14 North Arrow

All Floor Plans must include:

  • A.01 Distance to property line, if applicable
  • A.02 Dimensions, including for each room
    • Light and Air calculations for habitable spaces, if applicable
  • A.03 Egress/stairs
  • A.04 Room names
  • A.05 Door, wall, and window tags
    • Include wall tags showing where the sections are being cut on the plans, if applicable
  • A.06 Drawing labels
  • A.07 North arrow
  • A.08 Legend
  • A.09 Egress Calculations
    • Full Occupancy calculations and load calculations
      • Room names and proposed uses, square foot area, and occupant load
    • Each floor must specify the Area, Space, Occupancy Class, Area Type, Space required per area, Area, Occupant Load, and Number of exits.
    • Travel distance from the furthest points to the exits to the street.
    • Provide 2 means of egress as well as ADA accessibility on the first floor
    • Legend for Life Safety Plan
    • Exit signs and emergency lights, escape windows (where applicable), exit widths and capacities, occupancy load and maximum travel distances, including dead-end and common path of egress
    • Egress walls and stairwells should be marked with the correct fire rating.
    • Door loads and schedules must be provided.
    • Fixed furnishing and equipment layouts
    • Stair plans and details, including stair sections, handrail steps, and guard details
    • Roof Plans, including parapets, location of dunnage to support HVAC equipment, skylights, tanks, roof appurtenances, Fire Code mandated roof access, travel paths etc.
    • Seating (fixed and not fixed) layouts for place of assembly occupancies (i.e., restaurants, nightclubs and churches)

NOTE: 75 Persons or more will trigger a Place of Assembly filing

All RCP Plans must include:

  • A.21 Ventilation where necessary
  • A.22 Lighting including layout
  • A.23 Smoke and Carbon Detectors
  • A.24 Legend for elements on plans
    • Exit Signs
  • A.25 Full Dimensions

All Roof Plans must include:

  • A.31 Legend for elements on plans
  • A.32 Parapet with height indicated
  • A.33 Roof drains and roof pitch
  • A.34 Mechanical vents/ductwork, equipment, and piping
  • A.35 6 Foot FDNY Path, from side-to-side and back-to-back, clearly labeled for flat roof
  • A.36 Stairs/Elevators/Bulkheads
  • A.37 Roof dimensions
  • A.38 FDNY roof clearance area for pitched roof

Building Sections & Elevations must include:

  • A.41 Show the cellar or basement if applicable
  • A.42 All grades and elevations must indicate elevations above sea level using NAVD 1988 as the primary datum
    • Floor-to-floor height dimensions, building total height
    • Top of floor/roof elevations
    • Roof slope/pitch
  • A.43 Mean curb level or base plane
  • A.44 Grade elevation, first floor elevation
  • A.45 Exterior building components (walls, roof, doors, window location types, openings, projections etc.). Also, including but not limited to:
    • Exterior finishes and materials designation
    • Exterior Facades, balconies, awnings, and dimensions
    • Attachment/relationship of existing buildings (where applicable)
    • Detail cut symbols – plans and sections must clearly reference each other
    • Exterior stairs
    • Stair sections and guardrail and handrail details for balconies and atriums, etc.
    • FDNY Code required access, in particular roof access
    • Fire ratings of floors, walls, roof, etc.

Door, Wall, and Window Schedules must include:

  • A.71 Details showing all dimensions and hardware as applicable, i.e., latches, closers for FPSC doors
  • A.72 Tags with locations on the plans
  • A.73 Plan and elevation details
  • A.74 Details of assemblies

Energy Code Conservation Code must include:

  • Professional Statement
  • Energy Progress Inspection requirements
  • Energy Analysis in EN drawings with clear references to supporting documentation found elsewhere in the application
  • Supporting Documentation should be shown as applicable in the drawings stated above, or may be included in the EN Set

Additional Information