Structural Drawings for a Building Permit: When You Need Engineered Plans
A building permit needs structural drawings whenever the work changes how loads travel through the building: new beams or headers, a removed load-bearing wall, an addition or second story, a new foundation, or a deck or patio cover beyond the simple prescriptive tables. Permit-ready structural drawings show the foundation, framing, member sizes and connections, backed by calculations, so the plan checker can confirm the structure will safely carry gravity, wind, snow and seismic loads.
Projects that usually need structural drawings
Plan checkers almost always ask for structural drawings on:
- Removing or altering a load-bearing wall
- New beams, headers, posts or columns
- Home additions and second-story additions
- New foundations, including garages and ADUs
- Decks with hot tubs, roofs or tall posts
- Retaining walls over the local height limit
- Roof changes that add weight, such as solar arrays or new roof framing
What engineered structural drawings include
Engineered structural drawings for permits turn calculations into sheets a reviewer and a builder can follow. A typical structural set includes a foundation plan with footing sizes, floor and roof framing plans with member sizes and spacing, beam and header schedules, shear wall or braced wall layouts, connection and hold-down details, and general structural notes listing design loads and material grades. See how foundation design and roof framing and truss calculations fit in.
The loads structural drawings must account for
Every structural permit set is checked against the design loads for your location: dead and live loads, roof snow load, wind speed and exposure, and seismic design category. The same deck can need very different footings in Florida, Colorado and California. Our guide to wind, seismic and snow load calculations explains how these numbers show up on the drawings.
Prescriptive vs. engineered structural plans
The residential code includes prescriptive tables for common conditions, such as standard deck joist spans or header sizes. If your project fits those tables, many cities accept prescriptive drawings without separate engineering. Once the design goes beyond the tables, with longer spans, heavy point loads, unusual soils or high wind and snow zones, the city will ask for engineered structural drawings and calculations.
Do structural drawings need an engineer's stamp?
It depends on the jurisdiction and the project. Many cities require a licensed professional engineer's seal on engineered structural plans; some accept unsealed prescriptive drawings for simple residential work. When a seal is required, it must come from an engineer licensed in the state where the project is built. We explain the rules in when residential plans need an engineer's stamp.
Getting permit-ready structural drawings
ArchPermits prepares structural drawings and calculations for permits, including foundation plans, framing plans, beam and header sizing and connection details, coordinated with the architectural set so dimensions match from sheet to sheet. See our structural engineering drawings service.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need structural drawings for a building permit?
You need structural drawings when the work adds, removes or changes load-carrying members, such as beams, load-bearing walls, foundations, additions, second stories, or decks beyond the prescriptive code tables.
What do structural drawings include?
Foundation plans, floor and roof framing plans, beam and header sizes, shear wall layouts, connection and hold-down details, structural notes with design loads, and supporting calculations.
Can I get structural drawings for a deck?
Yes. Many simple decks can use prescriptive drawings, but decks with hot tubs, roofs, long spans or tall posts usually need engineered structural drawings showing footing, beam, joist and ledger design.
Does ArchPermits stamp structural drawings?
No. We prepare the structural drawings and calculations. If your city requires an engineer's seal, the set is ready for a licensed engineer in your state to review and seal.
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