(a) General Requirements. All applications for building permits shall be accompanied by two sets of specifications and three sets of plans. When in the opinion of the Building Commissioner complete information concerning the proposed work can be furnished by fewer drawings or specifications than those prescribed by this section, only such drawings or specifications need be submitted as in his opinion are necessary to fully illustrate the size, dimensions and construction of the building or structure or part thereof, or other work to be done, and the extent to which the occupancy thereof will be changed.
(b) Clarity. Plans shall be drawn to scale and shall be sufficiently clear, comprehensive, detailed and legible when submitted to the Building Commissioner, so that, together with any accompanying specifications and data, a person who is competent in such matters can determine whether or not the proposed building, addition or alteration, and all proposed building equipment will conform in safety and sanitation to all applicable provisions of Norwood Building Code.
(c) Changes. If substantive changes to the building are contemplated after first plan submission or during construction, those changes shall be submitted to the Building Commissioner for review and approval prior to those changes being executed. The Building Commissioner may waive this requirement for an emergency repair or similar instance.
(d) Drawing Requirements. Plan drawings, when submitted to the Building Commissioner for review, shall be in standard multiples of eight and one-half by eleven (8-1/2 x 11) inches or nine by twelve (9 x 12) inches in size, and shall include the following:
(1) The name and address of the owner of the building, the purposes for which the building or structure is to be used, its location, and the name and address of the architect, engineer, or other person by whom the plans and specifications were prepared.
(2) An index of drawings located on the first sheet.
(3) A plot plan for the construction of a new principal building and in all other cases where the Building Commissioner may require, which plan shall, if deemed necessary by the Building Commissioner, be a property survey bearing the seal of an individual authorized by law to make such surveys, and shall show the dimensions of such lot and the location of the surveyors stakes. The plot plan shall show the street location of the proposed building and all existing buildings on the site; including proposed front yard, side yard and rear yard dimensions, the front yard of buildings on other lots as required by the Zoning Code, and the dimensions of all projections of such buildings into the front yards, such as covered porches, vestibules or bays, existing or proposed easements with full detail and such other information that may be necessary to determine compliance with NBC. The plot plan shall also show the width of the streets and alleys abutting the lot, whether or not the same are dedicated, and the distance to the nearest platted street intersection of record, the location and sizes of all utility lines, the location, size and type of existing and proposed sanitary, storm or combination sewers, including the location of the existing or proposed tee branch and building sewer (house lateral) which serves or will serve the premises and the elevation of the sewer invert at the point of connection. The plat shall indicate the proposed disposition of surface drainage which shall be the responsibility of the owner. The plat shall also show the location and size of the existing or proposed water main and the proposed location of the water connection which serves or will serve the premises, the location and width of the existing sidewalk in the street, the curbs or edges of traveled roadways and the width and type of street pavement. The information on existing and proposed structures, as described above, shall be fully indicated on the survey plat. The survey points shall be maintained and be accessible at all times during construction. All elevations shall be referenced to mean sea level. A convenient bench mark shall be indicated on the plat and such bench mark shall be maintained for the duration of construction.
(4) Floor plans, including plans of full or partial basements or cellars and full or partial attics or penthouses. Floor plans shall show all relevant information, such as door swings, stairs and ramps, windows, shafts, etc.; and shall be sufficiently dimensioned to describe all relevant space sizes. Wall materials shall be described by crosshatching with explanatory key, by notation, or by other clearly understandable method. Spaces shall be identified by code appellation, i.e. an "Auditorium" may not be identified as "meeting room" if its size and function dictates that it is an auditorium.
(5) All elevations necessary to completely describe the exterior of the building including floor to floor dimensions.
(6) Cross sections, wall sections and detail sections, to scale, as may be required to describe the general building construction, and details which may be necessary to describe typical connections, etc.
(7) Complete structural description of the building on the above drawings or on separate drawings including size and location of all principal structural elements and a table of live loads used in the design of the building and computations, stress diagrams and other data sufficient to show correctness of plans.
(8) Complete description of the mechanical and electrical systems of the building on the above drawings or on separate drawings, including plumbing schematics and principal plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning duct and piping layouts and lighting and power equipment layouts. Plans for buildings more than two stories in height shall indicate where penetrations will be made for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and communications conduits, pipes and systems and the materials and methods for maintaining the required structural integrity, fire resistance rating and fire-stopping.
(9) Additional graphic or text information as may be reasonably required by the Building Commissioner to allow him to review special or extraordinary construction methods or equipment.
(e) Specification Requirements. Each set of drawings submitted for a permit shall be accompanied by a set of specifications describing all the materials to be used and the work contemplated to be done. The specifications shall be written in ink or typewritten or printed. The various subjects therein shall be grouped in the order of their construction, and all matters relating to the same subject shall be incorporated in that part of the specifications devoted to that subject.
(1) Exception. Where in the opinion of the Building Commissioner all pertinent specification data necessary to determine compliance with NBC are adequately shown on the drawings, he may waive the requirement for submission of the specifications.
(f) Responsibility for Plans. Required plans, when submitted for inspection, shall bear the identification of the person primarily responsible for their preparation and for the provisions for safety and sanitation shown therein. The Building Commissioner may require that the plans, structure, equipment and/or service facilities or part thereof bear the seal of a professional engineer or architect duly registered and authorized to practice his profession in the State of Ohio. However, such requirement may be waived, whenever, in his opinion, the protection of public health, safety and property do not require that the design of any construction, repair, alteration, enlargement and/or demolition of any building, structure, equipment and/or service facilities or any part thereof be performed by an individual having qualifications as a professional engineer or architect.
(g) Plans Review. The review of plans and specifications to determine compliance with the provisions of NBC shall be by a Plans Examiner meeting the requirements of Section 1301.16
(d)(3).
(h) Certification by an Architect or Engineer. Plans which have been certified by the registered architect or professional engineer who prepared the same as conforming to the requirements of NBC pertaining to design loads, stresses, strength and stability, or other requirements involving technical analysis, need be examined by the Building Commissioner only to the extent necessary to determine conformity of such plans with other requirements of NBC.
(i) Certification for Automatic Sprinkler System. Plans and specifications for automatic sprinkler systems shall:
(1) When submitted under the signature of an individual certified under Ohio R.C. 3781.105, be processed in the same manner as plans and specifications submitted under the signature of a professional engineer registered under Ohio R.C. Chapter 4733 or an architect registered under Ohio R.C. Chapter 4703. Any statistical data reports, explanations, plan description or information that would not also be required for a similar submission by a professional engineer or registered architect need not be submitted by a certified designer.
(2) If certified by a registered architect or professional engineer or individual certified under Ohio R.C. 3781.105 as conforming to requirements of NBC pertaining to design loads, stresses, strength, stability or other requirements involving technical analysis, be examined by the Building Department official only to the extent necessary to determine conformity of such plans and specifications with other requirements adopted by the Ohio Board of Building Standards under Ohio R.C. Chapters 3781 and 3791.
(j) Order of Action. All plans shall be examined in order of their receipt, and no plan shall be acted on out of its regular order unless the work involved is of a complex character which requires prolonged examination or unless otherwise consented to by the building owner affected by deferred examination of his application. Applications which are resumed without action because of being incomplete or because of violations of some of the provisions of NBC shall be taken in order as the date of resubmission for approval.
(k) Plans Approval. When the Building Commissioner finds that plans submitted for approval conform to the applicable provisions of NBC, he shall endorse or stamp such plans as approved. When the Building Commissioner does not meet the requirements of Section 1301.16
(d)(2)A, the approved plans shall also be endorsed or stamped by the Plans Examiner meeting the requirements of Section 1301.16
(d)(3) who reviewed same.
(l) Non-conforming Plans. When plans are submitted which do not conform with the requirements of NBC such plans may be approved by the Building Commissioner provided such nonconformance does not consist of a condition considered to be a serious hazard and the owner or his representative subsequently submits revised plans, addenda or other data to show evidence of compliance with the applicable provisions of NBC. In the event such data is not received within a reasonable length of time, not to exceed thirty days, the Building Commissioner shall revoke the plan approval.
(m) Conditional Plans. When plans are submitted which cannot be approved under the provisions of subsections (k) and (l) hereof, the Building Commissioner may at the request of the owner or representative of the owner, issue a conditional plan approval when an objection to any portion of the plans or specifications results from conflicting interpretations of NBC. No conditional approval shall be issued where the objection is to the application of specific technical requirements of NBC or correction of the objection would cause extensive changes in the building design or construction. A conditional approval is a conditional license to obtain a conditional permit in accordance with Section 1305.03
(c).
(n) Partial Plan Approval. The Building Commissioner may issue a partial plan approval for construction of a foundation or any other part of a building or structure before complete plans and specifications for the entire building or structure have been submitted, provided that such approvals are issued for various stages in sequence of construction and that all information and data required by NBC for that portion of the building or structure has been submitted.
(o) License Allowing Adjudication Hearing. The approval of plans under this rule is a license and the failure to approve such plans as submitted within thirty days after filing or the disapproval of such plans is an adjudication order denying the issuance of a license requiring the opportunity for an adjudication hearing as provided by Ohio R.C. 119.07 to 119.13 and as modified by Ohio R.C. 3781.031 and 3781.19. An adjudication order denying the issuance of a license shall specify the reasons for such denial.
(p) Imperfect Application, Drawings, Specifications or Statement. If the application for a permit or the drawings, specifications, details or statement accompanying the same indicate to the Building Commissioner that the work to be done is not clearly or specifically defined and or dimensioned or is imperfect, or is not in all respects in accordance with the provisions of NBC, he shall refuse to issue a permit until such application, drawings, specifications, details and statement shall have been made to conform in every respect with the requirements thereof. All drawings which are not completely dimensioned or which are illegible shall be deemed incomplete.
(q) Disposition of Plans. One set of plans and specifications approved under subsection (k) hereof shall be retained in the Building Department. One set of plans and specifications shall be resumed to the owner. One identical set of plans shall be kept at the site of the work and shall be available for reference by the Building Commissioner at all times during working hours while such work is in progress. The Building Commissioner shall stamp or endorse additional sets of plans which have been approved by him, when so requested by the owner or his agent.
(r) Conformity to Plans. The construction, erection and alteration of a building or other structure, and any addition thereto, and the equipment and maintenance thereof, shall conform to the required plans which have been approved by the Building Commissioner, except for minor deviations which do not involve a violation of NBC.
(Ord. 15-2010. Passed 4-13-10.)