Gainesville › Unified Land Development Code

Article 16 — Building and Property Maintenance Regulations, Chapter 16-7 — CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

current as of 2025-12-16verified current · checked 2026-08-24Officialofficial source ↗12 sections · full chapter

§ 16-7-1

Submittal Documents

Construction documents, special inspection and structural observation programs, and other data shall be submitted in one or more sets with each application for a permit. The construction documents shall be prepared by a registered design professional where required by the statutes of the jurisdiction in which the project is to be constructed. Where special conditions exist, the Building Official is authorized to require additional construction documents to be prepared by a registered design professional.

§ 16-7-2

Exception

The Building Official is authorized to waive the submission of construction documents and other data not required to be prepared by a registered design professional if it is found that the nature of the work applied for is such that reviewing of construction documents is not necessary to obtain compliance with this code.

§ 16-7-3

Information on Construction Documents

Construction documents shall be dimensioned and drawn upon suitable material. Electronic media documents are permitted to be submitted when approved by the Building Official.

Construction documents shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the location, nature and extent of the work proposed and show in detail that it will conform to the provisions of this code and relevant laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, as determined by the building official.

(a)Fire protection system shop drawings. Shop drawings for the fire protection system(s)

shall be submitted to indicate conformance with this code and the construction documents and shall be approved prior to the start of system installation. Shop drawings shall contain all information as required by the referenced installation standards in Chapter 9.

(b)Means of egress. The construction documents shall show in sufficient detail the location, construction, size and character of all portions of the means of egress in compliance with the provisions of this code. In other than occupancies in Groups R-2 and R-3 as applicable in Section 101.2 of the International Building Code, the construction documents shall designate the number of occupants to be accommodated on every floor, and in all rooms and spaces.

(c)Exterior wall envelope. Construction documents for all buildings shall describe the exterior wall envelope in sufficient detail to determine compliance with this code. The construction documents shall provide details of the exterior wall envelope as required, including flashing, intersections with dissimilar materials, corners, end details, control joints, intersections at roof, eaves, or parapets, means of drainage, water-resistive membrane, and details around openings.

The construction documents shall include manufacturing installation instructions that provide supporting documentation that the proposed penetration and opening details described in the construction documents maintain the weather resistance of the exterior wall envelope. The supporting documentation shall fully describe the exterior wall system, which was tested, where applicable, as well as the test procedure used.

§ 16-7-4

Site Plan

The construction documents submitted with the application for permit shall be accompanied by a site plan drawn to scale indicating the size and location of new construction and existing structures on the site, distances from lot lines, the established street grades and the proposed finished grades; and it shall be drawn in accordance with an accurate boundary line survey. In the case of demolition, the site plan shall show construction to be demolished and the location and size of existing structures and construction that are to remain on the site or plot. The Building Official is authorized to waive or modify the requirement for a site plan when the application for permit is for alteration or repair or when otherwise warranted.

§ 16-7-5

Examination of Documents

The Building Official shall examine or cause to be examined the accompanying construction documents and shall ascertain by such examinations whether the construction indicated and described is in accordance with the requirements of this Article and other pertinent laws or ordinances.

§ 16-7-6

Approval of Construction Documents.

When the Building Official issues a permit, the construction documents shall be approved, in writing or by stamp, as “Reviewed for Code Compliance.” The Building Official shall retain one set of construction documents so reviewed. The other set shall be returned to the applicant, shall be kept at the site of work, and shall be open to inspection by the Building Official or his authorized representative.

§ 16-7-7

Previous Approvals

This Article shall not require changes in the construction documents, construction or designated occupancy of a structure for which a lawful permit has been issued or otherwise lawfully authorized, and the construction of which has been pursued in good faith, within 180 days after the effective date of this code.

§ 16-7-8

Phased Approved

The Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for the construction of foundations or any other part of a building or structure before the construction documents for the whole building or structure have been submitted, provided that adequate information and detailed statements have been filed complying with pertinent requirements of this code. The holder of such permit for the foundation or other parts of a building or structure shall proceed at the holder’s own risk with the building operation and without assurance that a permit for the entire structure will be granted.

§ 16-7-9

Design Professional in Responsible Charge

(a)When it is required that documents be prepared by a registered design professional, the Building Official shall be authorized to require the owner to engage and designate on the building permit application a registered design professional who shall act as the registered design professional in responsible charge. If the circumstances require, the owner shall designate a substitute registered design professional in responsible charge who shall perform the duties required of the original registered design professional in responsible charge. The Building Official shall be notified in writing by the owner if the registered design professional in responsible charge is changed or is unable to continue to perform the duties.

(b)The registered design professional in responsible charge shall be responsible for reviewing and coordinating submittal documents prepared by others, including phased and deferred submittal items, for compatibility with the design of the building.

(c)Where structural observation is required by Section 1709 of the International Building Code, as amended, the inspection program shall name the individual or firms who are to perform structural observation and describe the stages of construction at which structural observation is to occur. See also duties specified in Section 1704 of the International Building Code, as amended.

§ 16-7-10

Deferred Submittals

(a)For the purposes of this section, deferred submittals are defined as those portions of the design that are not submitted at the time of the application and that are to be submitted to the Building Official within a specified period.

(b)Deferral of any submittal items shall have the prior approval of the Building Official.

The registered design professional in responsible charge shall list the deferred submittals on the construction documents for review by the Building Official.

(c)Submittal documents for deferred submittal items shall be submitted to the registered design professional in responsible charge that shall review them and forward them to the Building Official with a notation indicating that the deferred submittal documents have been reviewed and that they have been found to be in general conformance with the design of the building. The deferred submittal items shall not be installed until their design and submittal documents have been approved by the Building Official.

§ 16-7-11

Amended Construction Documents

Work shall be installed in accordance with the reviewed construction documents, and any changes made during construction that are not in compliance with the approved construction documents shall be resubmitted for approval as an amended set of construction documents.

§ 16-7-12

Retention of Construction Documents

The Building Official shall retain one set of approved construction documents for a period of not less than 180 days from the date of completion of the permitted work, or as otherwise required by state or local laws.