Who May Prepare Plans?

Unlicensed Persons

Unless the Building Official deems that an undue risk to the public health, safety, or welfare is involved; unlicensed persons may prepare plans, drawings, and specifications for the following:

• Wood-framed structures, not more than three stories and a basement in height, shown on the plans to comply with the requirements of the current California Residential Code, including:
  • One- and two-family dwellings
  • Garages or other structures appurtenant to one- and two- family dwellings
• Non-structural interior alterations or additions including the installation of fixtures, cabinetwork, furniture, appliances, or equipment

Plans prepared for the following works, except as specifically noted above, shall be deemed as affecting the safety of a building or its occupants and may not be prepared by unlicensed individuals; these types of projects are required to be prepared, stamped, and signed by a registered engineer or architect:

• New buildings, additions to existing buildings
• Projects with structural alterations
• Interior alterations within B, F-1, F-2, S-1, S-2, and M occupancies that require:
  • Walls and partitions over 5'-9" in height
  • Ceiling work which covers a floor area greater than 3,000 square feet
• Storage racks over 6'-0" in height
• Machinery and equipment support and anchorage
• Roof mounted mechanical equipment
• Tanks and vessels
• Remodeling projects with changes to 1-hour rated corridors, fire-rated occupancy separations, or area separation walls
• Projects with mixed occupancies
• Projects which require an occupancy change
• Assembly occupancies A-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
• School and day care occupancy E
• Projects with F-1, F-2, S-1, and S-2 occupancies
• Hazardous occupancies H-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
• Institutional occupancies I-1, 2, 3, and 4
• Hotel, motel, and apartment occupancies R-1 and R-2

Civil Engineers

May design any type of building except hospitals and schools.

Architects

May design any type of building except the structural portion of hospitals.

Structural Engineers

May design any type of building; no limitations apply.

Revised 5/2/2016