What is Precheck?
CodeComply Advanced Applicant Precheck is an optional, AI-powered tool. It lets permit applicants check their plans for common readiness issues before they formally submit them to a building department. The tool helps applicants identify and address potential issues early. This can lead to cleaner, more complete submissions.
Applicant Precheck is a standalone tool. It is not part of the official plan review process. A precheck result is not an approval or denial from the building department. Applicants can choose to include their Applicant Precheck report with a formal submission. The building department may consider the report during its review. However, the official plan review and final decision always remain with the building department.
Automated compliance checks are informational and do not replace professional review or constitute legal advice. Final compliance determinations remain the responsibility of qualified reviewers.
How Applicant Precheck Works
Applicant Precheck guides the applicant through reviewing plan readiness before submitting a permit application. During the process, the applicant uploads the plans and reviews the results. If needed, the applicant can make improvements and run the review again. The applicant can repeat the review as many times as needed before generating the final report.
Open Applicant Precheck: Select the Applicant Precheck link on the city's building department website. This opens the CodeComply platform.
Create a profile and upload your plans: Create a CodeComply profile, then upload the plan set to start a new project.
Review your Plan Score: Applicant Precheck analyzes the plans using the checks configured by the city. It then generates a Plan Score based on the uploaded plans.
Add comments and improve your Submission Score: Review any failed checks and add comments or explanations where needed. The Submission Score updates as the applicant provides additional context.
Upload revised plans (optional): If the applicant makes changes to the plans, they can upload a new version to the same project and run Applicant Precheck again. The applicant can repeat this process as many times as needed before finalizing the project.
Generate your final report: When the applicant is satisfied with the results, generate the final Applicant Precheck report. After the report is generated, the project is complete. The applicant can download, print, save, or share the report.
Submit your permit application: Upload the plans and, if desired, the Applicant Precheck report to the city's permit portal. Applicant Precheck does not automatically submit documents to the city.
Applicant Precheck Scores
Applicant Precheck uses two scores to help the applicant understand the results throughout the review process.
Plan Score: The initial score based on the AI analysis of the uploaded plans. This score reflects the plans before the applicant adds comments or explanations for failed checks.
Submission Score: The updated score after the applicant adds comments or explanations to failed checks. This score reflects both the AI analysis and the additional context provided.
Building departments can set a minimum Submission Score that applicants must meet before submitting a permit application. For example, a city may require a Submission Score of 85% or higher before an application can be submitted.
Key Information
Before using Applicant Precheck, keep the following in mind:
Applicant Precheck is optional and provided for informational purposes only. It is not part of the official permit review process.
The applicant can upload multiple versions of plans before generating a final report.
The applicant can add comments or explanations to any check before finalizing the report.
The applicant decides whether to share the final Applicant Precheck report with the city.
Note:
The report format can be configured by each city. A final report may include pass-or-fail results, applicant comments or explanations, a scoring summary, and any required disclaimer language.
Available Checks
There are currently more than 100 residential tests and about 150 commercial tests. During setup, the building department chooses which tests are available to applicants for each permit type.
Suggested Disclaimer Language
Precheck is an optional, informational tool. It is not part of the official review process, and does not constitute an approval or denial by the building department. Applicants may choose to include their Precheck report with a formal submission, and the department may consider it, but the official review process remains with the department. Automated compliance checks are informational and do not replace professional review or constitute legal advice. Final compliance determinations remain the responsibility of qualified reviewers.
Benefits for Building Departments
Applicant Precheck provides several benefits for building departments, including:
Easy implementation: Applicant Precheck complements the existing permitting process. Simply add a webpage section and a link to get started.
Cleaner submissions: Applicants can identify and address issues before formally submitting their plans.
Less back-and-forth: Early feedback can reduce repetitive corrections and resubmissions.
Better use of reviewer time: Reviewers can spend more time on code review instead of correcting avoidable issues.
Improved applicant experience: Applicants gain a clearer understanding of potential issues before submitting their plans.