Plan Review Services

The Building and Safety Department is committed to providing timely and professional review of plans and documents for all building permit applications to assure that the proposed work complies with all state and local codes and requirements.

Additional Information

Types of Plan Review

The review of plans for permit issuance may take place in one of the following ways.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Plan Review:

OTC (Over-the-Counter) submittals are available for minor projects or revisions that do not require more than 15 minutes for review. These submittals will be processed online through our eTrakit Permit Portal, rather than in-person OTC reviews. A digital application and all required documents must be submitted electronically. Please note: paper submissions will not be accepted. For more details, refer to our online plan review requirements.

Note: Every effort will be made for the plan reviewers to be available during the OTC hours; however, due to workload, meetings, emergencies, training/seminars, etc. there may be times that the reviewers may not be available at the time for the OTC review process.

Submittal Requirements

Plan Requirements

All permit applications shall be submitted electronically through the eTRAKIT Permit Portal. If you are having trouble accessing eTRAKIT or need assistance, please call John Williams at (949) 248-3594, submit your information by clicking here, or refer to our How to Create Your Account Guide(PDF, 207KB).

EtrakIT Link.png

For additional requirements, see Plan Check Submittal Requirements for:

Building Codes in Effect

The following codes are applicable beginning January 1, 2023:

  • 2022 California Building Code (CBC)
  • 2022 California Residential Code (CRC)
  • 2022 California Mechanical Code (CMC)
  • 2022 California Electrical Code (CEC)
  • 2022 California Plumbing Code (CPC)
  • 2022 California Green Building Standards Code (CGBC)
  • 2022 California Energy Efficiency Standards (CEES)
  • City of Dana Point Municipal Code

The new California Building Codes are available for review at the Building and Safety permit counter, available for purchase directly from the International Code Council at www.iccsafe.org or you may view and download a pdf. version of the codes from the California Building Standards Commission website.

Design Criteria

  • Climate zone 6
  • Basic Wind speed 110 MPH (Ultimate Design Wind Speed)
  • Seismic zone D or E or by a property specific Soils Report
  • Rain Loads: 3” per hour

Soils Report Requirement

Except for small projects with minor foundation work and/or when a soils report requirement is waived, the foundation shall be designed based on an approved soils report.

Soil Bearing Pressure

  • Allowable Foundation = 1500 psf (for projects without a spoils report)
  • Allowable Lateral = 100 psf (for projects without a spoils report)

Pool Design Requirements

  • Active Pressure = 100 pcf (for projects without a spoils report)

Fire-Sprinkler Requirements

For fire-sprinkler requirements for new structures & additions/remodels see:

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