Commercial Building Glossary
Approval Expiration Date
Date that Conditional Approval of original building, building system, or building component expires. The Approval Expiration Date for a new building or addition has two timeframes associated with it; the first being 2 years after approval to enclose the building or construct the shell, the second being 1 additional year, for a total of 3 years from Conditional Approval, to complete the interior aspects of the building and occupy it. Building or building system alterations are limited to 1 year to complete and occupy the facility.
Building Area
The total area of the building or structure, including all floor levels, that is being built, altered, added on to, or undergoing a change of occupancy or use. Note that the definition differs slightly depending if it is applied to fee determination vs. work area. Fees relating to the submittal of building plans, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) plans, and fire protection system plans shall be computed on the basis of the total gross square footage of each building or affected area. This includes those floor areas associated with mezzanines, equipment platforms, penthouses, vaults, pits, or porches that may be located under the roof of the building. Additionally, this includes those floor areas under roofs or overhangs greater than 2 ft and canopy or pavilion type structures that may have a “floor area” defined by the supporting columns or the projection of the roof area. Note that mezzanines, equipment platforms, penthouses, vaults, and pits are included in the gross building area for fee calculation and determining fire area but are typically not included in building footprint calculations.
Building Shell Only Submittal
Submittal for a “vanilla box” building envelope would be typical for a strip mall or other multitenant occupied space allowing for the building to be constructed and the individual tenant spaces to be designed and submitted at a future date.
Building Volume
The total building volume shall be determined by calculating the cubic footage of space enclosed within the outer surfaces of the building's outside or enclosing walls and the space between the upper most surface of the roof and the underside of the lowest floor of a building. The outer surface of structures or portions of structures without enclosed walls shall be established by projecting vertical planes from the outer surface of exterior supports or columns. The total building volume shall be calculated on structures with interior supports by establishing a vertical plane projected from the farthest roof projection. Roof overhangs less than 24 inches from a vertical wall may not be included in the calculation. Total building volume shall include the cubic footage of space in dormers, penthouses, vaults, pits, enclosed porches, and other enclosed appendages to the building.
Footing and Foundation Submittal
Submittal for a limited scope of below grade work on a project.
Grade Plane
A reference plane representing the average of the finished ground level adjoining the building at the exterior walls. Where the finished ground level slopes away from the exterior walls, the reference plane shall be established by the lowest point within the area between the building and the lot line or, where the lot line is more than 6 feet from the building, between the building and a point 6 feet from the building.
Health Care Facility
A building or facility that is regulated by the Department of Health Services (DHS) and is not subject to review by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). There are some instances where both Departments may be required to review the portion of the facility that falls within their respective authority. This distinction should be clarified by the submitter prior to submitting for review so as to avoid any confusion or delay. DHS Website Page.
Permit to Start (PTS)
At-risk permission granted by DSPS to begin work on a new project or addition prior to Conditional Approval being granted. The work performed is limited to below, and up to, grade level construction work and requires a complete submittal package be submitted to the Department prior to it being issued.
Plan Review Extension
A one-time extension granted for the original approval deadline for completion of a project interior. Plan Review Extensions must be submitted in time to be reviewed and approved prior to the expiration of the original Conditional Approval.
Priority Review
Special circumstance submittal for review granted on a project-by-project basis that may be requested by a submitter. A Priority Review requires approval from the Department Section Chief prior to submittal. The review fee is double the standard fee plus the $100 submittal fee. Turnaround times for Priority Reviews vary slightly depending on workload and reviewer availability but typically are within 10 business days of the submittal.
Project or Work Area
The portion of the building area that is actually affected by the project being submitted.
Stand-Alone Submittal
A component submittal that has no associated building submittal. An example is an existing building HVAC system being redesigned that does not require any building or building system alterations to accomplish. Fire suppression and fire alarm submittals might also be submitted as stand-alone. Note that stand-alone submittals have a 1-year expiration date.
Stories Above Grade Plane
Any story with a finished floor surface entirely above the Grade Plane adjacent to the building or where the finished floor level of the next floor above it is greater than 6 feet above this same grade plane or 12 feet above the finished ground level at any point. Also see definition for Grade Plane.
Structural Component Submittal/Component Submittal
Submittal of a building component that is not covered under standard submittals and is typically not available at the time the building and its primary systems are reviewed, e.g. wood roof or floor trusses, pre-engineered metal building packages, precast plank and wall panels, structural steel, or laminated wood members. Structural Component Submittals are typically submitted according to instructions included in the Conditional Approval Letter. Component submittals can include Fire Alarm Systems, Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems, HVAC, Plumbing, and potentially others depending on the timing of the submittal.
Supervising Professional
Licensed individual who is responsible for project oversight and compliance. This individual may or may not be the same as the project Architect, Engineer, or Designer.