How do I read an ADU plan check correction list?

Read it as a to-do list sorted by discipline. A correction list names the reviewer, the codes applied and the numbered items to resolve, and it usually comes with a marked-up "checked set" of your plans that holds more comments. Your job is to find every item that applies, route it to the right designer, and answer each one in writing with where the fix appears.

The parts of a typical list

• Header. Project address, application number, review round and the plan checker's contact information. Keep that contact; it is your route for questions.
• Codes applied. Yorba Linda's residential list effective January 1, 2026, for example, cites the 2025 California Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, Energy and Green Building Standards codes.
• Instructions. These tell you how to respond. Yorba Linda asks for a separate typed response to each item stating how it was resolved and where, and will not accept a resubmittal without a response letter.
• Standard items. Many departments use a master list. Los Angeles's plumbing correction sheet says corrections with circled item numbers apply to your plan check, and that additional corrections are at the end of the list.
• Redlines. Both lists point you to the marked-up plans and calculations for further comments. If you read only the list, you can miss items written on the sheets.

Decode the code references

Watch the abbreviations. "CEC" can refer to the California Electrical Code or the California Energy Code, and a single list may use both; Yorba Linda's list cites "CEC 210.52" (an Electrical Code article) and "CEC 150.0" (an Energy Code section). "CPC" is the Plumbing Code and "CMC" the Mechanical Code. When in doubt, look the section up in the right code book or ask the reviewer. An Energy Code comment may involve both your Title 24 consultant and the MEP sheets.

Sort, then respond

1. Collect everything: the list, the checked set, calculation comments and any agency referrals.
2. Mark which items apply, and tag each as architectural, structural, energy, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire or planning.
3. Note whether each item asks for a note, a detail, a calculation or a design change. Design changes can ripple into other sheets and the Title 24 report.
4. Ask the plan checker about anything unclear before revising. LA's sheet invites questions to a plan check supervisor and asks you to contact the plan check engineer for a verification appointment once corrections are done.
5. Answer every item in your response letter with the sheet and detail or note number where it was addressed, as LA's sheet requests.

Common mistakes

• Answering "done" without saying where the change is.
• Fixing one sheet and leaving a conflicting note on another.
• Changing equipment without updating the energy report.

What this means for your MEP plans

Forward the full list and the checked set, not a summary, so each MEP comment can be answered precisely. City plan-check corrections on MEP Plans USA sheets are included with every order; architectural and structural items go to those designers. See what happens when the city sends corrections and how city corrections work. Formats vary by city, so confirm the response requirements with your building department.

Sources: yorbalindaca.gov, dbs.lacity.gov.