Frequently Asked Questions About Plan ReviewBelow are a few questions about Plan Review that are commonly asked by our customers. We hope you find the answers that will help you with your construction project. If you still have questions, please call us at (509) 625-6300.
For a new commercial building, an addition or a change of use or occupancy, please submit three (3) complete sets of plans plus eight(8) additional copies of the site plan package along with a completed application. The 3 complete sets of plans need to include all site, architectural, structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical plans. The 8 site plan packages shall include all parcel/property lines at the project, all site utilities, all required parking and required landscaping, refuse container location, On-Site-Storm-Water disposal and calculations. Please provide drainage plans with one-foot contours), soil and erosion control information; show where the nearest fire hydrants are located; show all curb cuts, approach aprons, and sidewalks with their dimensions; and show all signage along the street frontages of the project, etc. If this information is not provided, the plans will not be able to complete the intake process and the plans will need to be resubmitted with the missing information. Transportation normally requires a “Trip Generation and Distribution” letter for the intake process.
Deferred submittals do require advanced approval from the Building Official. Additional fees and additional site and structural plans are required for a deferred submittal.
If the permit application is for an interior tenant improvement, then please provide a minimum of three (3) sets of plans.
If the project involves food and/or beverage sale, a school or a public swimming pool, a fourth (4TH) set of plans shall be submitted separately to the Spokane Regional Health District, 509-324-1500.
If we receive complete plans, the review is done on a first in, first reviewed basis. It may take six (6) to eight (8) weeks for the plans to be reviewed, but we will do the review as quickly as we can. If the plans are for a new building, addition or change of use or occupancy, other departments within the City of Spokane will have to review the site plans (plan sets) and approve them before the permit can be issued. For a tenant improvement, only the Building and Fire Departments normally review the projects. The plans are still done on a first in, first reviewed basis.
Engineering Design Standards are the standards used by those who design buildings to ensure that they have adequate strength to resist the loads placed upon them. For example, before you build a roof, you will want to know the amount of snow (in our area) that the roof will need to withstand without bending or collapsing.
The City of Spokane has adopted the following Engineering Design Standards:
Ground Snow Load: 39 pounds per square foot
Basic Wind Speed (mph): 85 mph (3-second gust) Exposure B (Urban and Suburban areas)
Seismic Design Category: C
Weathering: Severe
Frost Line Depth: 24 inches
Termite: Slight
Decay: Slight
Winter Design Temperature: 20 degrees Fahrenheit
Ice Shield Underlayment Required: Yes
Air Freezing Index: ~1250
Mean Annual Temperature: 47.2 degrees Fahrenheit
See BUILD-21 Engineering Design Standards for more information.
A Pre-Development Conference is an optional meeting between an applicant and representatives of appropriate City departments and other governmental agencies. It is conducted prior to the submission of a detailed application for a Building Permit. These meetings are intended to provide an overview of the City, County, and State regulatory requirements, application process and procedural submission requirements. No approvals are given at this meeting. See GEN-06 Pre-Development Conference General Information for more information.
As part of an ongoing effort to improve permitting processes, the City of Spokane’s Building Department uses an Intake Meeting for submitting commercial project plans for new construction, additions, and/or change of use that offers immediate feedback and greater predictability for developers.
Under the new submittal process for all such commercial projects, customers will be asked to schedule an Intake appointment to turn in their plans. A commercial project is defined as any project that is not a single-family, duplex, or townhouse and that is for new construction, addition(s) or change of use.
At the appointment, staff from all necessary departments will review the plans with the customer to ensure that the submission is complete. If information is missing, the applicant will get that feedback at the meeting and be asked to provide it before the plans can be accepted by the City.
See the Commercial Project Intake Process for more information.
If you do not have a Certificate of Occupancy for a new change of occupancy, change of use, or an existing business that does not have a Certificate of Occupancy, you will be required to make application for this Occupancy/Use Change. It is recommended that prior to making application for this change, you attend a Pre-Development Conference. A scheduled Intake Meeting is required for submittal of documents with permit application and fees for a Change of Occupancy/Change of Use. After departmental Plan Review is complete and Certificate of Occupancy inspections are complete, a Certificate of Occupancy will be issued.