Plan Review
The local building department's examination of submitted construction documents against applicable [[concept-building-code|building code]] before a [[concept-building-permit|building permit]] is issued, the point where a design gets independently checked for code compliance before construction ever starts.
Why it matters
Catching a code compliance problem during plan review, on paper, is far cheaper and faster than catching the same problem after it's built: plan review exists as a gatekeeping step specifically to push that discovery as early as possible in the project timeline.
On a real project
A plan review identifies that a proposed stairwell doesn't meet the required egress width for the building's occupancy classification, sending the design back for revision weeks before construction would otherwise have started on that area.
Who this matters most to
An Preconstruction Manager tracks plan review timelines as a real schedule risk, since a project can't legally start construction until the permit clears review. A Project Engineer often helps assemble and respond to plan review comments, coordinating between the design team and the building department.
Where this goes wrong
A project team submits for plan review without first checking the design against common local plan review comments from past projects. Preventable review comments come back that a quick internal check beforehand would have caught, extending the permit timeline the project's schedule was counting on.