Trace the way out. Check what protects it.

Start with the people and the use

Document the use and occupant-load basis for each relevant space. Check whether the applicable calculation uses gross or net area, fixed seating, or another method. Keep the area and factor with the result so another reviewer can reproduce it. Changing a room’s intended use can change the basis even when its walls do not move.

Follow the complete means of egress

The IBC organizes the means of egress into exit access, exit, and exit discharge. Review the full sequence rather than stopping at a stair door. The location and arrangement of exits, travel paths, component capacity, and the discharge condition need to work together under the applicable provisions.

Do not collapse different measurements into one

Common path of egress travel, exit access travel distance, and dead-end conditions answer different questions. Mark the relevant paths and endpoints clearly. A straight line across furniture or through a wall is not a usable travel path. Keep the measurement method with the drawing so it can be checked after a layout revision.

Coordinate the protective systems

Egress requirements work alongside protection of openings, interior finishes, and fire suppression and detection systems. Review the dependencies across disciplines. If a design assumption relies on a protected enclosure or a sprinkler system, confirm that the architectural and engineering documents describe the same condition.

• Reconcile life-safety plans with door and wall schedules.
• Locate the relevant fire-resistance and opening-protection details.
• Check that the protection assumptions used in calculations match the design.
• Track changes to use, layout, and discharge through the review record.

Work a complete finding

Hypothetical drawing-review record: a life-safety plan shows an exit discharging to an exterior court, but the site plan does not show a continuous route from that court to the public way. Use the adopted code’s exit-discharge provisions as the review basis; 2024 IBC §1028 is a reference example, not a claim about the project’s adopted edition. The available drawings establish an exit location but not the complete discharge condition. Record the result as insufficient information. Request a coordinated site-plan route with dimensions and any relevant gates, changes in level, or obstructions, then evaluate it under the actual applicable provisions. Do not infer a compliant path from the empty space on a drawing.

Write a finding that can be acted on

Separate a measured conflict from an incomplete drawing. Identify the criterion, the evidence available, and the specific condition needing a response. A useful issue might request the missing discharge-path dimension; it should not invent one. Software-assisted review supports design QA and does not replace the responsible professionals or the jurisdiction’s approval process.