General Plan Review Questions

Can I submit plans directly to FSCI?
That depends on our agreement with the municipality or fire district.  Please send an inquiry to [email protected] and we can advise you of the requirements for direct submittals for the specific jurisdiction that you will be working in.

Is there a fee associated with FSCI’s plan review and inspection services?
As a third-party plan review and inspection service, FSCI charges plan review and inspection fees.  Typically, our fees are directly related to the size of the building or system that is being reviewed or inspected.  Normally, these fees are a one-time fee.  As an example, our fee for a fire protection review would include the initial review and any subsequent reviews necessary for FSCI to recommend approval to the jurisdiction we are representing. Please note that our Fee Schedule is available on our website. Click on the location of your project and you will be directed to download the complete Fee Schedule. Our plan review fees include inspections only if the jurisdiction uses FSCI for their inspections or upon special request. For most types of inspections, there are a maximum number of inspections, which are included for the specific discipline.

Why am I being charged for As-Built plans for my fire protection review?
There is additional work to review as-built drawings. When FSCI receives as-builts for additional review, we charge an additional fee to cover the work necessary to compare the as-built drawings to the applicable codes. Please refer to the Fee Schedule on our website to find any applicable fees for as-built plans.

When are fees paid?
Most jurisdictions utilizing FSCI require that we charge the responsible party for our plan review or inspection services. FSCI determines all fees upon receiving the plans for review and will contact the responsible party, usually within 24 hours of plan receipt, with the appropriate fee. When we also perform site inspections in a jurisdiction, an inspection fee is automatically added to the plan review fee. Plans are scheduled for review when fees associated with the project are received in our office.

Certain jurisdictions pay FSCI directly for our services and therefore we do not bill the contractor before beginning the review. In these instances, plans received will be immediately scheduled for review. Once the review is completed, FSCI invoices the jurisdiction.

Please note that our Fee Schedule is available on our website. Click on the location (municipality or fire district) of your project and you will be directed to download the complete Fee Schedule.

When can you expect to receive your completed plan review comments? 
Once complete plans and specifications, and where applicable plan review fees are received, plans are scheduled for review. Our goal is to complete all plan reviews within 10 business days.

An expedited plan review service is available for an additional fee.  Expedited review times are 3-5 business days for fire protection plans and 5-7 business days for building and life safety plans. The expedited fee is 100% of the base plan review fee including inspection fees, if we conduct inspections for that jurisdiction.

Plan review comments are typically returned to the jurisdiction. Where permitted, FSCI will distribute review comments to the responsible party.

As a contractor, I do work in many areas. How can I find out what each AHJ requires? It seems that many towns not only use different code editions, but also adopt their own ordinances.
That is true. Municipal and fire district requirements do differ from one location to the next. Always check the municipal or fire district website, as many of them provide information about what code edition they enforce. Many also have their ordinances available for view. You can also call FSCI and ask a fire or building consultant prior to submitting plans.

I’m the head of a municipal department and manage my own plan review division. Our workload often fluctuates. Some months are steady and other times we can’t seem to keep up. I don’t want to lose any of my staff. Can I use FSCI on an “as needed” basis?
Absolutely! Many of our clients use our services when they are particularly busy or for a large-scale project such as hospitals, large warehouses, or high-rise buildings. We do not require our clients to maintain a certain amount of work to use us as a resource. We’re here when you need us!

When is FSCI going to approve my plans so I can begin work?
The ultimate decision on when work can begin on any project is made by the local code officials.  Most officials will not allow work to begin on a project, or a portion of a project such as the fire sprinkler or fire alarm systems, until plans have been submitted and approved and a formal permit has been issued.  FSCI does not directly control the issuance of construction permits for any work.  FSCI makes code recommendations to our municipal and fire district clients regarding the substantial correctness of plans and specifications sent to our offices for review.  FSCI will either recommend that our client “APPROVE” or “NOT APPROVE” the submittal, but ultimately the final decision to issue a permit so that work can begin is up to the local official(s).

Can I expedite my plan review after they have been submitted and logged in?
Yes.  Upgrading a plan review from a standard review to an expedited review can occur at any time a plan is in our office.  The upgrade can occur on the initial review or any subsequent review.  The expedited fee is 100% of the base plan review fee including inspection fees, if we conduct inspections for that jurisdiction.