Building Permits

This attachment is designed to inform you, the Customer, of the time and requirements of the permitting process from the drawing phase, through permitting, to final occupancy.

The Uniform Building Code (UBC) which is the standard followed in California requires that any type of pallet rack or storage shelving over 8'-0" high to be seismically engineered and permitted.

As part of our scope of services in connection with the sale of the rack and its installation, we also provide, at additional expense, all the drawings and engineering required to obtain the building permit, and will take it through the building department and obtain the permit, and schedule the required inspections. Our scope of work does not include fire, electircal, and mechanical, which are usually submitted under a seperate permit. The following is a chronological list of events in the permitting process:

1.) Gathering of information required for permit drawings (this information is generally available on the building shell drawings or from the building architect and/or structural engineer):

Property Legal Description, Assessor's Parcel No.(APN), Development Zone, Building Occupancy, Pallet Rack Use (what's stored), Building Construction Type, Clear Interior Building Height, Sprinklered (what coverage), Slab Thickness & Reinforcing, Slab Compression Strength, Soil Bearing Pressure, Soils Report Author Number & Date, Building Owner, Address, Phone & Contact Name.

Also required are:

- Hazardous materials & high piled stock information or copies of forms completed for building shell permit with any modifications noted and signed by Customer's responsible party.
- Building shell plans indicating area of work, exit doors, illuminated exit sign locations and restrooms - in AutoCAD format (preferred) or blueprints with drawings to scale. Or field measurements will need to be taken for plan preparation, at additional cost.
- Building site plan which indicates parking (of primary interest is handicap accessible parking) and accessible path of travel to (hopefully handicap accessible) restrooms and area of work. (Per building department requirements.) If site plan is not available, field measurements will need to be taken for plan preparation, at additional cost.

2a.) Once we have all the necessary information we can complete assembly of our portion of the permit drawings. Generally the permit drawings include:

Title sheet - Includes the site plan with handicap accessible parking and a statement of accessibility signed by a responsible party, project data which is most of the information requested above, a project directory, a statement of the scope of work, and general notes required by the building department.

Floor plan sheet(s) - Indicating layout of rack and/or shelving, with dimensions, key to rack types (if multiple types in layout), and any applicable notes.

Structural engineering sheet(s) - Includes details, elevations, sections and notes.

The structural engineering sheet(s) are prepared by the structural engineer based on the slab and soils data we get from the Customer and the rack specifications we provide him. In addition to the drawings he provides, he also prepares required structural calculations which support the use of the components we are providing.

2b.) The structural engineering can happen concurrent to the preparation of our portion of the permit drawings if we have the required slab and soils data.

Once our portion of the drawings is finished, we send them to the structural engineer for review to ensure they conform with his drawings and with the Uniform Building Code. He then will stamp and sign them as official and return them to us with the structural drawings and calculations.

3.) We are then ready to submit plans to the building department. In some cities it works best to use a permit service familiar with the procedures of that building department to expedite the process. Generally we are required to submit (3) sets of original stamped plans and (2) sets of structural calculations and the hazardous materials and high-piled stock questionnaires and provide a valuation of the project to determine the plan check and permit fees. Building department plan check times vary widely within a particular building department depending on their workload. It could be a few days (rarely) to a month or more. That is something we won't really know until we submit the plans, and then it is only an estimate. Some cities offer express plan check where generally you pay additional fees for the plan checkers to work overtime as a way to expedite the time in plan check.

Plan check on rack and shelving jobs consists of structural plan check, which includes the obvious structural & seismic integrity of the components used. Any corrections required in this area are generally clarifications by the structural engineer. One problem correction we have encountered is the requirement for special inspections on any special on-site fabrication or anchoring of the racks. Also checked are the handicap accessibility compliance issues required by code. If it is a building permitted or updated in accordance with the 1994 U.B.C. it should sail through as long as we show all the required information. If the areas of concern don't meet current requirements, we could have some corrections which will need to be addressed.

The next major area which plan check is required is the fire department. Our plans do not include sprinkler work to be done, which will be under a separate permit by others. But the fire department will review the hazardous materials and high-piled stock questionnaires and see if they conform to the approved building occupancy type and determine if additional sprinklers (in-rack) are required, and will also ensure that exiting code requirements are met on items such as aisle way widths, correct number and locations of exit doors and illuminated exit signs. Any deficiencies on the plans will result in corrections for these items.

Zoning is the other area that is checked, to ensure that the type of business you are operating is acceptable within the zone the building is located.

Most of the above items, with the exception of those dealing specifically with the rack, will have been checked when the original building was permitted (the more recent the better, as far as current code compliance), the building department is checking to make sure nothing has changed, and to make sure you are up-to-date with your handicap accessibility issues. If not, this is their chance to have you make changes to bring items into compliance. (We can give you more information on this area if it becomes an issue).

4.) Once the plans are through plan check we will either have no corrections, and pay permit fees and the permit will be issued, or we will receive corrections. If we receive corrections, we will determine who needs to address them (Customer, structural engineer or us) and will go about getting them answered, and make changes to plans as required. Once plan corrections are made we resubmit to the building department for plan correction review. Generally this portion can be done by making appointments with the various plan checkers and be reviewed and (usually) approved at that time, or we may receive more corrections. Once the plans approved we then pay permit fees and the permit will be issued.

5.) At that point we can begin rack assembly. We use to begin rack assembly concurrent to building department approval, but recent changes in building codes has forced us to wait until plans are approved, so we aren't hit with field changes which could cost additional time and money.

If Customer wants us to proceed with rack installation prior to final permit approval, Customer accepts responsibility for any items resulting from that decision (i.e. any aisle size changes required, special inspection requirements, etc.)

6.) Once racks are assembled, we can call for fire department inspection (again, separate from sprinkler issues) and structural inspection for rack anchorage to floor. Once inspections have been conducted and inspectors have signed off on inspection card, permit process is complete, and final occupancy of the area will be granted.

As you can see, there is a lot that goes into this process. Since we do it regularly we can do it efficiently, as long as we have full cooperation of all parties in getting the information and answers we need in a timely manner. We provide the service because we recognize that it is an integral part of the rack sale and installation. Our wish is for the process to proceed quickly and smoothly so the end result, installation of the rack, can happen within the time frame required. We are well aware that there are deadlines to be met, and believe that your understanding of the permitting process and the information required will save you from unforeseen surprises and delays.

Since permitting is an integral part of the rack installation, it is important that this process is understood by the Customer.

Thank you.