How to write a plan check response letter
The response letter, also called a plan review response letter or response to comments, is the first thing the plans examiner reads when your resubmittal comes in. A clear one lets them check off each item in minutes. Here's a template you can copy, sample responses for every kind of comment, and the mistakes that start another round.
What the reviewer needs from your letter
A plans examiner checking a resubmittal has one question for each comment: was it resolved, and where can I see that? Your letter should let them answer it without hunting. For every numbered comment, that means three things:
- The comment, restated or summarized, using the reviewer's number.
- What you did, in specific terms: what was added, changed or attached.
- Where to find it: the sheet, detail, note or attachment.
Some departments spell this out. The Town of Danville, for example, treats a resubmittal without a response letter as incomplete, asks for an itemized list showing where each correction is on the plans, specifications or calculations, and says that answers like "Done," "Corrected," "Fixed" or "Checked" aren't enough. It also wants responses about an architect's or engineer's design to come from that licensed professional, and the change itself to be shown on the drawings, not only described in the letter.
If you're still working through the corrections themselves, start with our step-by-step guide to responding to plan check corrections.
A plan check response letter template
Copy this and fill in the brackets. Keep one numbered response for every comment in the letter, in the same order.
[Date] To: [Plans examiner name], [Building department] Re: Response to plan check corrections dated [date of correction letter] Permit / plan check no.: [number] Project address: [address] Scope: [short description of the work] Resubmittal: [1st / 2nd] recheck The plans have been revised to address each comment below. Revisions are clouded and marked with delta [1] on the revised sheets. 1. Comment: [restate the comment] Response: [what was changed, added or attached] Location: [sheet, detail or note number, or attachment] 2. Comment: [restate the comment] Response: [...] Location: [...] Enclosed: [revised sheets or complete set], [calculations], [specification sheets], [other documents] Please contact me with any questions. [Name], [company, license no. if any] [Phone] · [Email]
Many people find a table easier to scan than a list. Either works, as long as every comment has a response and a location.
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Answer my correctionsSample responses for every kind of comment
Most comments fall into one of a few kinds. Here's a model response for each.
You changed the plans
"Added the required 36-inch roof access pathway on the south roof plane, from eave to ridge, and dimensioned it. See sheet PV-2, roof plan."
You attached a document
"Attached the manufacturer's specification sheet and installation instructions for the inverter. See Attachment C."
Someone else made the change
"Header size at the new opening revised to 4x10 DF #1 by the structural engineer. See revised calculations, page 3, and sheet S-1, detail 4."
The information was already on the plans
"The smoke alarm locations are shown on sheet A-1, note 6. A reference to that note was added to the floor plan legend so it is easier to find."
Point to it politely and, where you can, make it easier to find. The reviewer may have missed it because it was hard to see.
You disagree with the comment
"The patio cover is open on three sides and is not a habitable space, so we believe the egress requirements of CRC R310 do not apply. Happy to discuss. Please call [name] at [phone] if you see it differently."
Give the code section and edition behind your position and stay courteous. A quick call with the reviewer before you resubmit often settles it.
The comment doesn't apply to this project
"Not applicable. No gas appliances are included in this scope of work. The scope note on sheet T-1 was revised to say so."
"N/A" alone isn't enough. Say why it doesn't apply, and update the plans so the next reviewer doesn't ask again.
The item will be submitted later
"Truss calculations are a deferred submittal, as listed on sheet T-1. They will be submitted for approval before the trusses are installed."
Only use this when your department allows deferred submittals for that item, and list them on the cover sheet.
Phrases that start another round of corrections
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| "Will comply." | What you changed and where: "Added note 9 on sheet E-1 requiring AFCI protection for all new bedroom circuits." |
| "See plans." / "See revised plans." | The exact sheet, detail and note. |
| "Done." / "Fixed." / "Corrected." | What was done, and the sheet and detail where the reviewer can see it. |
| "Noted." / "Acknowledged." | How the plans now show it. |
| "N/A" | Why it doesn't apply, and the scope note that shows it. |
| "Per code." | The code section and edition, and what you did to meet it. |
| "Contractor to verify in field." | The dimension or detail itself, or a note naming who verifies it and when, if the reviewer accepts that. |
Formatting tips
- Match the reviewer's numbering, including sub-items like 4a and 4b. Don't combine or skip comments.
- Answer the comments from every discipline. Planning, fire, public works and building may each send their own list. Answer each one, or use one letter with a section for each.
- Cloud every change on the sheets and match the delta number to the revision block in the title block. See revision clouds and deltas for how departments differ on this.
- Mention changes the reviewer didn't ask for. Some departments want them in a separate list or narrative, so the reviewer isn't surprised by them.
- List what's enclosed, so the reviewer can tell at a glance that nothing is missing.
- Keep it short. One or two sentences per comment is usually enough.
- Save a copy with the date you resubmitted. Rechecks sometimes go to a different reviewer.
Frequently asked questions
Who should sign the plan check response letter?
Usually the person who prepared the plans: the designer, architect, engineer or contractor. If an engineer made some of the changes, many departments want the engineer to answer those items or stamp the revised sheets. Owner-builders can sign their own.
Does the response letter need to be on letterhead?
No, but it should show the permit or plan check number, the project address, the date of the correction letter you're answering, and your name and contact information so the reviewer can reach you.
What if the department gave me a form for responses?
Use it. Some departments send corrections as a fillable form or spreadsheet, and electronic plan review systems often ask you to reply to each comment or markup in the system. Follow their format, and keep each answer as specific as you would in a letter.
What if the reviewer added new comments on the recheck?
Answer them the same way, using the department's numbering. New comments often come from changes made in the last round, so check that each revision didn't create a conflict somewhere else in the set.