## NA4.2 The Plan Check Process

The Division of the State Architect is the enforcement agency for relocatable public school buildings. Since relocatables are manufactured in batches, like cars or other manufactured products, the plan check and approval process occurs in two phases. The first phase is when the relocatable manufacturer completes design of a model or modifies a model. At this point, complete plans and specifications are submitted to the DSA; DSA reviews the plans for compliance with the energy standards and other California Building Code (CBC) requirements; and a “pre-check” (PC) design approval is granted. Once the PC design is approved, a school district or the manufacturer may file an “over-the-counter” application with DSA to construct one or more relocatables. The over-the-counter application is intended to be reviewed quickly, since the PC design has already been pre-checked. The over-the-counter application is the building permit application for construction and installation of a relocatable at a specific site, and includes the approved PC design drawings as well as site development plans for the proposed site where the relocatable will be installed. An over-the-counter application also is required for the construction of a stockpile of one or more relocatables based on the approved PC design drawings. Stockpiled relocatables are stored typically at the manufacturer’s yard until the actual school site is determined where the relocatable will be installed. Another over-the-counter application is required to install a previously stockpiled relocatable at which time site development plans for the proposed site are checked.

The effective date for all buildings subject to the energy standards is the date of permit application. If a building permit application is submitted on or after the effective date, then the new energy standards apply. For relocatable classrooms, the date of the permit application is the date of the over-the-counter application, not the date of the application for PC design approval. The PC design is only valid until the code changes.