General Notes In California


builtright3
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This question is more for California Architects and Designers,

 

I have been doing drawing for several years and have always posted the general notes in the plan specific for the city I'm in. It has been so long since I have seen another set of plans besides my own. So my question is; is it typical to do it that way or do some go thru and combine notes so they work in every city?

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Every city around these parts has their own set of requirements. There is no "one size fits all" possible. For example, the County of San Mateo requires cast iron waste lines; no plastic pipe is acceptable. Hillsborough requires metal electrical boxes and flex cable, no Romex. San Francisco requires EMT. How are you going to write generic notes with requirements like this?

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Yea its kind of a passing thought to generalize my notes. It's one of those come and go I ideas. It's not hard to cut and paste the notes specific for each city into the library so I will continue going with the way I'm doing it.

 

Thank you for your input.

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Every city around these parts has their own set of requirements. There is no "one size fits all" possible. For example, the County of San Mateo requires cast iron waste lines; no plastic pipe is acceptable. Hillsborough requires metal electrical boxes and flex cable, no Romex. San Francisco requires EMT. How are you going to write generic notes with requirements like this?

Yep,   I agree with Richard.   I wish each city would give us a list of their "boiler plate" requirements so we can slap those on the plans and everybody from plan checker,  the contractor,  sub contractors etc. can find them.

 

I have resorted to leaving all boiler plate notes off plans and letting the different cities plan check a list of notes and then I am labeling the requirements of such and such city to keep things straight.

 

I have had the same boiler plate notes on my plans for 15 years I don't even know what they are anymore,  so I am starting over.

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1. Do not scale drawings.

 

I still have this on my general notes. This is the most ignored note and is really a throw back to hand drawn plans and ammonia blue prints that would often stretch slightly. But still, if there is a dimension that is needed to build the project I put the dimension on the plan. The other (blank dimension zone) is the remainder. Besides, printing is often failed by the pdf printed with a "Fit" factor.

 

I have a section on my title page with "Code Notes" that are fairly universal for California and this is where I add in the ridiculous notes required on the first plan check. I do divide out my Electrical notes on the electrical page and put specific plumbing notes on the floor plan page. I do a fair amount of redundant notes within the plan so even though I have stated it on the title page I point to it with a note on the area where the actual item is located. This is the case for things like shower enclosures, toilet clearances, dryer venting...

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Most general notes still apply, if it's not general, then I usually try to place any specific note on the plan it applies to, foundation, electrical, framing. I want the sub to see those in particular. Electrical is special and has the most notes just b/c of the title 24 requirements.

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Every city that I'm working in provides me with the plan review list and general notes that apply to their city specific and some of them are just straight out of code so most of them work from city to city.

 

After my first post and processing this think I will continue to cut and paste their notes on the front page because if they are familiar with the general notes they don't have to study them to closely so it makes it easier for them to review. Everything on my front page will be city specific requirements and I will label that page as such.

 

I agree with other suggestions that I should add the notes (even if its in their twice) to floor plan, electrical plan, foundation plan.......

 

Now that code has changed so much around here the last couple of years I find myself rebuilding my boiler plates so this discussion really helps me.

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