Organize by Discipline
Use discipline folders — Structural, Architectural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Civil — and upload only the drawings for that trade to each folder. PermitGuard runs a separate specialist review per discipline, so each agent focuses on the exact code sections relevant to that trade.
- Structural drawings go in the Structural folder only
- MEP sheets stay separated — Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing each get their own folder
- Mixed-discipline sets force the AI to guess which code applies to which sheet
A monolithic PDF with all drawings in a single upload prevents discipline-specific reviewers from operating. This is the single biggest source of missed findings.
Avoid Monolithic PDF Files
Submitting one large PDF containing every sheet in the set — architectural, structural, MEP, civil — significantly reduces review accuracy. Each discipline's reviewer only has context for its own trade and cannot meaningfully cross-reference sheets from unrelated disciplines.
- Split your drawing set by trade before uploading
- A 300-page combined PDF is analyzed as a single unit — nuances in later sheets may be missed
- Smaller, focused uploads also reduce per-analysis cost
Annotate Your Floor Plans
Room annotations are how PermitGuard knows which room each outlet, fixture, and detector lives in. Open any sheet in the annotation tool, draw around each room, and label it (Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom 1). The analysis engine then correlates every electrical, mechanical, and plumbing symbol to the correct room — enabling deterministic code checks like GFCI-near-sinks, bathroom exhaust, and smoke-alarm coverage that otherwise can't fire.
- Annotate each room once on the architectural plan — label it with the room type
- On E, M, and P sheets, use the "Copy from sheet…" button to clone the architectural layout in one click — no need to redraw
- For multi-story projects, annotations can be projected across floors of the same plan
- Without room annotations the engine cannot tell whether an outlet is in a kitchen or a hallway, which disables the strongest room-aware code checks
Room annotations are the highest-leverage user input in the product. Two minutes of annotating on A101 is cloned across every trade sheet and unlocks an entire class of deterministic findings the AI would otherwise have to guess at.
Use Project Context for Permit Comments
The Project Context field is one of PermitGuard's most powerful features. Paste in prior permit comments from the building department and the AI will explicitly cross-reference your drawings against each comment to verify it has been addressed — before you resubmit.
- Copy comments verbatim from your plan check correction letter
- Reference correction numbers directly (e.g. "Correction 14: Provide exit width calculations per IBC 1005.1")
- The report will flag any comment that cannot be verified as resolved
This workflow dramatically reduces back-and-forth with the building department and positions PermitGuard as your pre-submittal checklist.
Surface Project Nuances in Context
Every project has details that aren't visible in the drawings alone. Use the Project Context field to provide the information the AI needs to make accurate, project-specific assessments.
- Zoning variances, conditional use permits, or special exceptions granted
- Historical building designations or preservation constraints
- Deferred submittals (e.g. "shop drawings for pre-engineered steel deferred per IBC 107.3.4.1")
- Occupancy or use changes that aren't clear from the drawings
- Any known local amendments not captured in the standard code
Include Cover and Title Sheets
Title sheets, cover sheets, and general notes are the starting point for jurisdiction resolution. Include them in every upload — especially for the architectural or general discipline set. They help the AI confirm the project address, occupancy classification, applicable codes, and design professional information.
- Project title sheet with address, occupancy, and construction type
- Code compliance summaries or design criteria sheets
- General notes that reference specific code editions being applied
Submit Clean, Legible PDFs
PermitGuard uses AI vision to read every page of your drawings. Scanned PDFs with low contrast, skewed pages, or overlapping text reduce the accuracy of dimension and annotation extraction. Use exported PDFs directly from your CAD or BIM software where possible.
- Vector PDFs from Revit, AutoCAD, or Bluebeam are ideal
- Avoid scans of printed drawings unless there is no alternative
- Text-based PDFs allow more precise code reference extraction
The Permit Comment Workflow
Turn your correction letter into a pre-submittal checklist
Receive correction letter
Building department returns your application with a list of plan check corrections.
Paste comments into Project Context
Copy the correction items verbatim into the Project Context field on your project.
Run analysis — get a verified report
PermitGuard cross-references each comment against your revised drawings and flags anything not yet resolved.
Quick Reference
| Scenario | Impact on analysis | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| All drawings in one PDF | Discipline-specific agents cannot operate independently | Split by trade into discipline folders |
| No disciplines created | Single general-purpose review only | Add at least Structural, Architectural, MEP disciplines |
| Floor plans not annotated | Room-aware code checks (GFCI, exhaust, smoke alarms) stay deterministic-lite | Annotate rooms once on A-sheets; copy to E/M/P sheets in one click |
| No Project Context added | AI may miss project-specific constraints | Add zoning notes, variances, permit comments |
| Scanned PDFs (low DPI) | Reduced dimension and annotation accuracy | Use vector PDFs exported from CAD/BIM |
| Title sheet included | Improved jurisdiction and code resolution | Keep including — makes a real difference |
| Disciplines + context + split files | Maximum specialist coverage across all trades | Ideal setup — run the full review |
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