Cal. Code Regs. tit. 21 § 18

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 44, November 1, 2024

Section 18 - Procedure for Approval of Application and Voidance of Application

(a) General. After the Office has made its check of the documents submitted with the application, the checked prints of the plans and specifications, with the requests for corrections and/or additional information noted thereon, shall be returned to the responsible architect or registered engineer. When plans and/or specifications require extensive corrections, a corrected set of prints of the plans and specifications shall be submitted for rechecking if requested by the Office.

When the requested corrections have been made and/or the additional information has been provided by the responsible architect or registered engineer, an employee representative of the architect or registered engineer shall return the check set of plans and specifications along with the original plan tracings, the corrected specification pages and specification master cover sheet to the Office for backchecking. The backcheck is a comparison of the corrected plans and specifications with the check set of plans and specifications and shall be accomplished by either an Office conference between the employee representative of the architect or registered engineer and the checking engineer or by mail in the case of minor corrections to which all parties have agreed.

Changes in plans and specifications, other than changes necessary for correction,made after submission for approval, shall be brought to the attention of the Office in writing or by submission of revised plans identifying those changes clearly at the time of backchecking. Failure to give such notice automatically voids any subsequent approval given to the plans and specifications.

All requested corrections shall be made, additional requested information furnished or original design justified prior to or at the time of the backcheck. When the Office deems that the corrected plans and specifications comply with these regulations and the State Building Standards that pertain to public school construction, it shall place its stamp on the reproducible sheets of drawings and master cover sheet of the specifications. This stamp is affixed for purposes of identification only and shall not be construed as authorization to let the construction contracts. See Section 18(b). One set of prints of the stamped plans and one set of prints of the stamped specifications shall be submitted to the Office before the written approval of the application is issued.

(b) Approval of Application. The office shall issue to the school district a letter approving the application for the project upon receipt of the stamped copies of the approved plans and specifications. This letter shall constitute the "written approval of the plans, as to safety of design and construction" required by Sections 39144 and 81134, Education Code, before letting any contract and the approval thereof in writing which must be "had and obtained" before any valid contract may be made or executed. (See Section 30 for time limitations.)

(c) Voidance of Application. Any change, erasure, alteration or modification of any plans or specification bearing the stamp of the office automatically voids the approval of the application. However, the "written approval of plans" may be extended to include revised plans and specifications after submission for review. (See Section 23 for revised plans and Section 38 for addenda and change orders.)

The procedures leading to written approval of plans shall be carried to conclusion without suspension or unnecessary delay. The application shall be void where either (1) prints from corrected plans or corrected original plans are not filed for backcheck within 6 months after the date of return of checked plans to the architect or engineer, or, (2) prints of the stamped plans and one set of stamped specifications are not submitted for office files within 2 months after the date shown on the stamp of identification.

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 21, § 18

Note: Authority cited: Sections 39152 and 81142, Education Code. Reference: Sections 39143, 39144, 39150, 81133, 81134 and 81140, Education Code.