814 Issues Found in Multi-Building Residential Development
Fire protection conflicts, structural coordination gaps, accessibility violations, and MEP issues—all surfaced before permit submission.
The Project
A multi-building residential development in California comprising multiple structures with shared parking, amenities, and site infrastructure. InspectMind performed a comprehensive QA/QC review across all disciplines, identifying critical coordination gaps between fire protection, structural, architectural, MEP, and civil systems that would have caused permit delays and costly field modifications.
Issues by Discipline
Fire Protection
187 issues • Sprinkler coverage, alarms, FDC access
Structural & Seismic
142 issues • Seismic joints, hold-downs, connections
Architectural
156 issues • Egress, door hardware, headroom
MEP Systems
198 issues • HVAC, plumbing, electrical coordination
Accessibility
89 issues • ADA clearances, routes, Type A/B units
Site & Civil
42 issues • Grading, drainage, fire lane access
Sample Findings
Fire sprinkler main routing through attic conflicts with 24\" o.c. prefab wood trusses. No deflector clearance or truss penetration details provided—sprinkler spray pattern potentially obstructed.
Notification Appliance Circuit extends 340 feet from FACP—at this distance, typical #14 AWG would exceed 10% voltage drop, causing horn/strobes to underperform during emergencies.
Architectural shows 4\" seismic joint between buildings while structural shows 6\" at same location. This 2\" discrepancy affects joint covers, waterproofing, and building separation during earthquakes.
200 kW generator with 185 kW emergency load schedule doesn't include 50 HP fire pump (~40 kW). Combined load exceeds generator capacity—fire pump won't operate during power outage.
32\" door swinging into 5'x8' bathroom reduces clear floor space below 60\" turning diameter requirement—unit fails Fair Housing accessibility requirements.
Simpson HDU14 hold-down location conflicts with 4\" drain line—only 3\" clearance where anchor bolts and drain penetration both need space in foundation.
Semi-recessed fire extinguisher cabinet projects 4\" into 44\" corridor, reducing clear width to 40\"—below CBC minimum for occupant load served.
4\" drain running 45 feet requires 5-5/8\" drop at minimum pitch, but only 4\" depth available in floor slab—pipe cannot achieve required slope.
Issue Categories
Fire Protection
Sprinkler coverage, alarm circuits, FDC access, stair pressurization, firestopping
Structural & Seismic
Seismic joints, hold-downs, shear walls, moment frames, pile capacity
Architectural
Egress paths, door hardware, stair dimensions, headroom, finishes
Mechanical (HVAC)
Equipment support, duct sizing, makeup air, condensate routing
Plumbing
Combustion air, drain pitch, roof drains, gas piping
Electrical
Generator sizing, fault current, conductor sizing, GFCI protection
Accessibility
Parking, elevators, routes, Type A/B units, grab bars
Site & Civil
Accessible routes, storm drainage, fire lanes, retaining walls
Value Delivered
"The fire alarm voltage drop issue and generator undersizing would have caused major problems during commissioning. Catching these coordination gaps before permit saved us months of redesign and hundreds of thousands in change orders."
— Development Team