Plan Examination Guidelines - Minimum Requirements for Review of Design Drawings

Oct 28, 2026

Plan Examination Guidelines specify the minimum information requirements for construction document submissions before the department’s examiners review for compliance with applicable NYC code and zoning rules. The guidelines describe when review begins, the responsibilities of the applicant to submit a complete set of plans, and what happens when applications are marked “Incomplete.” They outline required drawing categories including zoning and site plans, architectural, structural, and MEP drawings, and reference energy conservation and other NYC building code requirements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Minimum Requirement for Review of Design Drawings

Application Submission for Construction Projects

Purpose of these Guidelines

Incomplete Applications

Drawing Requirements for Construction Projects

Applicable to All Plans

Zoning

Site Plans

Architectural Drawings

Floor Plans

Building Elevations

Building Sections

Detail Drawings

Structural Drawings

Mechanical / Plumbing / Sprinkler Drawings

Electrical Drawings

The New York City Energy Conservation Code

Other NYC Building Code Requirements

Plan Examination Guidelines Minimum Requirement for Review of Design Drawings 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 here Revised: 04.30.2014 1. Application Submission for Construction Projects 3 1.1 Purpose of these Guidelines 3 1.2 Incomplete Applications 3 2. Drawing Requirements for Construction Projects 4 2.1 Applicable to All Plans 4 2.2 Zoning 5 2.3 Site Plans 5 2.4 Architectural Drawings 7 2.4.1 Floor Plans 7 2.4.2 Building Elevations 8 2.4.3 Building Sections 9 2.4.4 Detail Drawings 9 2.5 Structural Drawings 9 2.6 Mechanical / Plumbing / Sprinkler Drawings 11 2.7 Electrical Drawings 12 2.8 The New York City Energy Conservation Code 12 2.9 Other NYC Building Code Requirements 13 SECTION 1: 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 ” (Admin Code §28-104 .7; See also BC 106) . SECTION 1. 1: PURPOSE OF THESE GUIDELINES The purpose of this document is to outline the minimum information requirements that must be met before the department’s examiners will review the construction documents for compliance with applicable code and zoning requirements. In general, the types of construction plans required will depend on the size and type of the project for which the application is being submitted. For example, new building project requirements may vary significantly from requirements for applications submitted for alteration work on existing buildings. Items listed in this document are a summary of the minimum requirements as applicable*, and must be included when submitting an application. For new building and alteration work projects, plans must show all of 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 Building Code, 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 or not such information is identified in this document. *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 here. SECTION 1.2: INCOMPLETE 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 Buildings Information System (BIS) . If the application is assigned an “Incomplete” status, the plan examiner will not issue objections, but will instead provide a general checklist of missing information required for complet

FAQs

What is the purpose of these plan examination guidelines?

They outline the minimum information requirements that must be met before department examiners review construction documents for compliance with applicable code and zoning requirements.

When does the department’s review of construction documents begin?

Review does not effectively begin until the submitted construction documents include the stated minimum requirements, and incomplete submissions will be marked “Incomplete.”

What drawings are required for construction projects?

Submissions must include drawings covering requirements applicable to all plans, zoning and site plans, architectural drawings, structural drawings, mechanical/plumbing/sprinkler drawings, electrical drawings, and relevant code references such as energy conservation requirements.

Oct 28, 2026

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