California Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development

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Facilities Development Division (FDD) - Plan Review & Construction Observation

Plan Review and Construction Compliance Goal:
Plan Review and Construction Compliance will (a) provide quality service to our clients by being efficient, flexible, responsive and accountable, and (b) will review plans, specifications, and observe health care facilities construction to ensure compliance with applicable codes and regulations.

Plan Approval w/Comments

Approved with Comments

On October 1, 1997, the Facilities Development Division of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) began the "Approved with Comments" procedure. This procedure is designed to:

• Reduce plan review "turnaround" time.
• Reduce the number of backchecks.
• Reduce the time required to issue a Plan Approval Letter and a Building Permit.

Plan review and field staff are allowed to conditionally approve plans with comments marked on the plans and specifications. Each staff member determines which type of comments to mark on the plans and specifications. All comments become part of the approved documents. The comments cannot relate to the safety of construction or design. After the documents are approved with comments, OSHPD issues a Plan Approval Letter and a conditional Building Permit. At a later date, an Area Compliance Officer, a Field Fire and Life Safety Officer, a District Structural Engineer, or an Office Plan Reviewer will review and clear all comments. This review can be done at the construction site, the OSHPD office, or the office of the Architect or Engineer of Record. The Architect or Engineer of Record is responsible for insuring the approved documents with comments are available at the job site at all times. All comments must be cleared before construction can occur in the area relating to the comments. The Area Compliance Officer will not issue the 100% completion report unless all comments have been cleared.

Standard Comments

Following are Standard Comments prepared and used by the FDD Plan Checkers to assist in more efficient and consistent plan checks. Get Adobe Acrobat Reader for the portable document format (pdf) documents below.

Architectural Comments

• Standard Architectural Comments (PDF)

Electrical Comments

• Electrical Requirements for Health Care Facilities (PDF)

Structural Comments

• Standard Structural and Anchorage Review Comments per 1995 California Building Code (AKA 0619) (PDF) Applicable to single-story Type V skilled nursing or intermediate care facilities utilizing wood-frame or light steel-frame construction for projects received after December 29, 1995.
• Standard Structural and Anchorage Review Comments per 1995 2001 California Building Code (AKA 0621) (PDF) Applicable to hospital buildings for projects received after
  December 29, 1995
  November 1, 2002

Reminder Lists

• 2007 Field Review Project Closeout (PDF)
• 2007 New Project Field Review (PDF)
• Field Review Post Approval & Deferred (PDF)
• Staff and Stock Occupancy Prior to Patients (PDF)