What happens if the city sends plan check corrections?

First, don't worry — plan check corrections are a normal, expected part of the permitting process, not a rejection. A correction notice is simply a written list of items the reviewer wants clarified, added, or adjusted. Almost every project receives at least a few comments, and resolving them is routine. When you order from us, responding to city plan check corrections is included at no additional charge.

What a correction notice looks like

After you submit, a plan reviewer goes through your set and issues a "correction letter" or "plan check comments" — a numbered list keyed to specific sheets. You (or we) address each item, mark up the revised set with a written response to each comment, and resubmit. This back-and-forth may happen once or twice before approval, depending on the jurisdiction and the complexity of the project.

Common MEP corrections

• A missing or incomplete load calculation
• HVAC equipment not specified with manufacturer model numbers
• GFCI/AFCI protection not noted where required
• A plumbing vent stack or cleanout not shown on the DWV plan
• Title 24 documentation missing or inconsistent with the equipment specified
• Smoke/CO alarm locations or ventilation rates not clearly called out

How we handle corrections

1. Forward us the city's correction letter and any marked-up plans.
2. We revise the affected sheets to satisfy each comment, coordinating across disciplines so a change in one doesn't create a problem in another.
3. We prepare a point-by-point response so the reviewer can see exactly how each item was addressed.
4. We re-deliver clean, resubmittal-ready PDFs.
5. We repeat until the permit is issued.

Every order includes two revisions and city corrections at no extra charge. Corrections are part of the journey to a permit — not a sign anything went wrong.

How to keep corrections to a minimum

Most MEP corrections are minor wording or notation items, which is exactly why permit-ready plans — with full calcs, schedules, and code notes from the start — tend to draw fewer comments than design-level sketches. The biggest single reduction comes from coordination: when Title 24 and MEP are prepared by the same team, the energy model and the mechanical schedule agree from day one, eliminating one of the most frequent correction triggers.

Corrections vs. rejection — they're not the same

It's worth restating because it causes needless anxiety: a correction notice is the reviewer asking for clarification, not a verdict that your project is denied. The overwhelming majority of ADU permits are issued after one or two correction cycles. A true rejection is rare and usually relates to zoning or planning issues, not the MEP engineering — and those are addressed at a different stage entirely.

How long do corrections add to the timeline?

Two factors set the pace: how quickly the comments are addressed on our end, and how quickly the city re-reviews on theirs. We turn revisions around promptly, but the city's re-review sits in the same plan-check queue as the original submittal, so the added time is mostly the department's, not the drafting. Submitting a thorough, permit-ready set the first time is the single best way to minimize the number of cycles — and therefore the total time to permit.

See the Full MEP Package and Title 24 Reports for how bundling reduces back-and-forth, and confirm your city's specific resubmittal process with your local building department, since portals and response formats vary.