Occupant load
- Use and occupancy determined for each space
- Load calculated from the areas on the plan
- Mixed uses handled room by room
- Numbers the reviewer can follow
Services
Life safety and egress plans.
Life safety plans show how people can exit a building and how the layout supports its intended use. We document occupancy, occupant loads, exit routes, travel distances, and door requirements as part of the permit set.
Exit access and travel
- Exit paths drawn from every occupied area
- Travel distance measured and marked
- Common path and dead-end checks
- Exit signs and lighting notes
Doors and openings
- Swing direction and clear width
- Hardware requirements where they apply
- Panic hardware for the spaces that need it
- Doors that cannot be blocked or locked against exit
Separation and protection
- Corridor and occupancy separation notes
- Fire-rated assemblies where the plan calls them out
- Openings shown through rated walls
- Coordination with the architectural sheets
Change of use
- New occupancy compared against the old one
- Requirements that did not apply before
- Upgrades needed for the new use
- Documentation for the record
Submittal support
- Life safety sheets added to the permit set
- Code summary for the project
- Responses to review comments on occupancy or egress
- Revisions as the layout changes
When you need this
Plan for life safety before changing the space.
Life safety work shows up whenever a space starts doing something it did not do before. It is much easier to handle in the drawings than in the final inspection.
Projects that usually need life safety sheets
- A retail or office space becoming a restaurant, salon, or gym
- A build-out that adds walls or rooms, or changes exit routes
- A renovation that changes how many people the space holds
- Any project where the reviewer asks for an occupant load
- Spaces where the exit path now runs through a room that it did not before
- Older buildings where the current layout has never been reviewed
The drawings needed depend on the use, layout, and extent of the work. Send your proposed scope and we will review what needs to be included.
How it goes
Occupancy drives everything else.
Once the occupancy and the occupant load are settled, most other numbers follow from them. That is why we start there instead of drawing the exits first.
01
Describe how the space is used
Tell us about seating, treatment rooms, workstations, storage, and other activities that affect how the space is used.
02
We set the occupancy and the load
We identify the occupancy classification and calculate the occupant load, with the basis shown on the plans.
03
Exits get checked against the load
If the existing exits cannot handle the new use, that is better to know before the tenant signs anything.
04
The sheets go in the set
Life safety drawings and the code summary are issued with the rest of the permit documents.
Common questions
Questions about use, exits, and plan requirements.
Who decides the occupancy?
We identify the proposed occupancy from the building code and the intended use, then explain the basis on the plans. The building department reviews that classification, and we address any questions during review.
Can you use the plans I already have?
Often yes. Send the current set and we will tell you what needs to be added or corrected for the life safety review.
What if the space cannot support the new use?
We discuss the constraints and possible changes, such as revising the layout or proposed use. Some spaces cannot accommodate the intended use without substantial changes, so it helps to review this early.
Who prepares these sheets, and who signs them?
We prepare life safety sheets as part of our coordinated permit work and confirm signing and sealing requirements at intake. Some jurisdictions, including Orange County for certain occupancies, may require a registered architect. We identify that need early so the appropriate professional is involved from the start.
Start a project
Tell us how the space will be used.
A floor plan helps, even a rough one. With the address and a description of the business, we can tell you whether life safety drawings are needed and what they will cover.