If you’re building out an office or a shop in an existing space, two topics drive most of the plan reviewer’s questions: how many people the space is designed for, and whether everyone can use it.
Occupant load: the number everything else depends on
The building code gives each kind of space a factor in square feet per person (IBC Table 1004.5). Divide each room’s area by its factor, add the rooms up, and you have the occupant load.
That number then decides:
- how many exits you need and how far apart they must be
- how wide doors and corridors must be
- how many toilets and sinks are required
- sometimes, whether a fire sprinkler or alarm system is required
What reviewers look for:
- every room labeled with its real use, not “open area” or “flex”
- an occupant load table on the code sheet showing the area, factor and result for each room
- exit and plumbing-fixture counts that match the total
A common surprise: a retail sales floor, a stockroom and a private office each use a different factor, so the same square footage can give very different totals depending on how the plan labels it. Label the rooms the way you’ll really use them.
Accessibility: drawn, not just noted
A note that says all work will comply with accessibility rules won’t satisfy a reviewer. They want the accessible route and the restroom clearances drawn on the plans, following ICC A117.1 as your city has adopted it.
On the enlarged restroom plan, show:
- the wheelchair turning space
- clear floor space at the toilet, sink and door
- grab bar locations and lengths
- the door swing, and that it doesn’t cut into required clear space
- mounting heights for accessories
Along the route, show the accessible path from parking or the public sidewalk to the entrance, the door hardware, thresholds and any level changes, and accessible counters where they apply.
The required turning-space size differs between editions of A117.1, so check which edition your city has adopted before you lay out the room. Where the plan usually gets tight: a door that swings into the turning space, a fixture drawn into the clear area, or an old single restroom whose walls can’t move.
Before you sign a lease
If you can, have the space checked before you sign. An existing restroom that can’t fit the required clearances, or a single exit in a space that needs two, can change the budget a lot.
We draw tenant improvements for offices and shops up to 3,000 sf with no structural change, and every set opens with a code-analysis sheet. Ask for a quote; we reply within one business day.