What the code actually says, what the plan reviewer actually checks, and the mistakes that get reports kicked back. Written for contractors, HVAC installers, designers, and owner-builders anywhere in the U.S.
Risers, treads, total run, stringer cut and floor-opening headroom, checked line by line against the 2021 IRC stair limits.
Requirements · 8 minEight statutory document groups, conditional requirements and a free no-upload self-check before you submit.
Code change · 9 minThe 9th edition drops the REScheck printout from the prescriptive path. What Form R402 is, the new R407 efficiency credits, and whether R402, R405, or R406 fits your project.
How-to · 9 minThe four steps before a rebuild permit, whether the City or County can reuse your old plans and foundation, and why a rebuild permits under today's code - including the 2021 WSEC and Manual J sizing.
Requirements · 7 minYes, in most places - the software has no license gate. Whether your building department wants a stamp is a local question, not a national one.
How-to · 9 minFive steps to a compliant REScheck-Web report: code and climate zone, envelope, windows and doors, the compliance summary, the PDF - plus when to stop and get help.
Requirements · 8 minIRC M1401.3 has no exemption for like-for-like replacements. What matching the old tonnage risks, what Manual S tolerances allow, and what a real permit checklist asks for.
Project type · 8 minYes to both, in most jurisdictions. Why sizing has no ductless exemption, which permits apply, and what a plan reviewer wants to see.
Project type · 8 minAn ADU has its own heating and cooling, so it needs its own Manual J - and usually its own energy-code compliance. What differs for detached, attached, and garage conversions.
Common mistake · 7 minThe software takes any number. Plan review, inspection, and the posted certificate do not. And the honest fix is usually one input away.
How-to · 6 minThe two numbers every REScheck and Manual J needs, where they live on the NFRC label, and the substitution that gets reports rejected.
Requirements · 6 minNew construction, additions, and HVAC change-outs - when the code requires it and when departments ask anyway.
Comparison · 6 minThree different reports, three different jobs. Which one your permit needs, and why they're often confused.
Cost · 6 minWhat a Manual J actually costs, why posted tiers beat per-hour, and what drives price on unusual projects.
Common mistake · 5 minFree and app-generated load calcs share the same failure mode at plan review. Here's what examiners actually flag.
Project type · 6 minHow energy code compliance works differently on an addition versus new construction.
Design · 8 minEnvelope decisions made at the compliance-path stage change what your Manual J can size later.
Code change · 5 min100 percent high-efficacy stays. Interior controls change. And the LPD and continuous-dimming rules are commercial, not residential.
Requirements · 8 minWhy the review stopped, how to read the comment number, sheet reference, and code section, and what gets a response rejected a second time.
Requirements · 7 minWhich corrections are a table lookup in the prescriptive code and which need a licensed design professional's stamp - and the wording that tells you which one you're looking at.
Which code edition your state enforces, whether REScheck is the compliance document there, and the local wrinkles. All states →
Travis Smith, ICC-Certified Residential Plans Examiner. The same certification your building department's plan reviewer holds - working for you.