Are AHJs Allowed to Share Plans & Calculations?

6/11/2026

What are the laws regarding an AHJ sharing plans and calculations?

This may vary by state. Does having a seal change anything?

In CA, plans must have an Engineer's seal, but there is the "Industrial Exception" that says a Contractor can draw and submit his own plans as long as he also does the install. I had a city refuse to let me have a copy unless I had permission from the Contractor, but the Contractor went out of business a decade earlier.

Are AHJs allowed to share prior plan submissions?

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11 Comments

Pete H

6/11/2026 06:12:28 am

Usually covered by the Freedom of Information Act that they're allowed to share approved plans.

It's typically called a "FOIL" request here. That doesn't mean you'll actually get anything though.

Anthony

6/11/2026 07:32:49 am

If the plans have been filed with the city then its a public document.

I regularly ask for asbuilts from a city records office if a building management team does not have them.

Dan Wilder

6/11/2026 08:11:38 am

FoIA pertains to Federal Governmental entities typically. State and local entities fall under state specific information acts (typically structured very similar to the FoIA wording but not always).

California looks to have the California Public Records Act that would apply here.

The caveat is that non-publicly funded records can fall under copyright/IP rights and may not qualify or be specifically exempted from a request. Some AHJ's provide viewing access only to "comply" with the ability to access the records, but they won't allow distribution. I have an AHJ that will allow review of plans, but you'll need to go to their public records office, be very specific about what you're looking for, and then only be provided viewing (via microfiche or more current documents are in a TIFF type format). There is no ability to save in most cases so you're either taking pictures of a screen or redrawing things on the spot.

Even my company's title block includes language concerning Copyright and Usage...how enforceable is it, I'm not sure, but it's there and I see similar language on other title blocks as well.

Example of the limitations
https://aiacalifornia.org/news/advocacy-update-governor-signs-aia-member-inspired-legislation/

Darin

6/11/2026 09:45:51 am

What Dan said is accurate. I work for an AHJ in CA and what he detailed is exactly what we do (offer viewing ability of the public record, however since the design is property, we cannot and do not provide a copy

Josh

6/11/2026 10:10:47 am

Tagging on to what others have said, minus FOIA because I don't think it applies here necessarily because it's a steeper step with typically more effort required than should be in this case.

It would be one thing if the AHJ was meting out electronic model files to people, but PDFs of approved plans should not be an issue no matter what the state is. There may be an official process to go through that's a headache.

Obligatory obvious for the world - when you get any kind of design document or calcs, don't take them at face value. You should do your own calculations to confirm a design meets today's environment. First thing would be to see where the flow test values are compared to what is on file. If you're adding onto anything or retrofitting, you will definitely want to know these things.

Robert

6/11/2026 11:40:42 am

Contact the city clerk for public records requests.

Chad

6/11/2026 01:34:47 pm

100% public records unless its a site security risk, and thats hard to justify in commercial non-defense work.

Jack G

6/11/2026 01:45:43 pm

Generally speaking the original calculations are not prohibited from disclosure.
The author of the calls has limited legal recourse to prevent an agency from releasing them
FIOA and Open Records, any documents submitted to an agency to secure a building permit or fire permit is considered a public record. Unless documents contain specific trade secrets or Critical Infrastructure vulnerabilites protected by law, the county is obligated to share them.
Lack of copyright protection for Facts protects the expression of free works but does not protect raw data( e.g Hazen Williams formulas water supply data rooted in the physics of fluid mechanics) which contain figures that cannot be copy righted.
Building codes requirement ( and nfpa 13) mandate that calculations and layout records remain available at the property and / or the AHJ for the lifespan of the system.
Thus open access requirements supercedes most restrictions that the original installer or engineering firm might try to enforce.

Brian Gerdwagen FPE

6/12/2026 04:48:17 am

The way it would typically work is for the building owner to request the plans as they have a right to them. Sprinkler company B can not request and receive plans that sprinkler company A submitted. Go measure the building yourself. The only reason company B wants the plans is to steal the work and dimensions.

Ivan

6/16/2026 09:36:33 am

This is the best way. The building owner not only has a right to the plans, but is required by the model codes to maintain copies of the plans. (Which very often does not happen.) At any rate, the building owner has a right to the plans, and whether or not they share a copy is up to them and their legal advisors.

James Art, FPE

6/17/2026 02:54:32 pm

Duplication of plans:
Could take 30 to 60 days to either get building owner's, and Professional's permission or have refusal or failure to respond deemed “Unreasonable.”

1. In California,
AHJ’s are Required to maintain copies available “as long as the building exists”, with certain exceptions such as dwellings (not more than 2 stories and a basement), private garages, and agricultural buildings. Some of those must be retained 3 to 5 years.

2. HSC § 19851
For the complete text of the Ca laws for sharing SEE:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=19851

Here are some Excerpts: (CAPS added)
"(a) The official copy of the plans maintained by the building department of the city or county provided for under Section 19850 shall be open for inspection only on the premises of the building department as a public record. The copy may not be duplicated in whole or in part EXCEPT (1) with the written permission, which permission shall not be unreasonably withheld as specified in subdivision (f), of the certified, licensed or registered professional or his or her successor, if any, who signed the original documents AND the written permission of the original or current owner of the building, or, if the building is part if a common interest development, with the written permission of the board of directors or governing body of the association established to manage the common interest development, OR (2) by order,of a proper court or upon request of any state agency."

“...the plans shall only be used for the maintenance, operation, and use of the building”

"(f) The certified, licensed, or registered professional's refusal to permit the duplication of the plans is unreasonable if upon request from the building department, the professional does either of the following:

(1) Fails to respond to the local building department within 30 days of receipt by the professional of the request. However, if the building department determines that professional is unavailable to respond within 30 days of receipt of the request due to serious illness, travel, or other extenuating circumstances, the time period shall be extended by the building department to allow the professional adequate time to respond, ... , but not to exceed 60 days.
(2) Refuses to give or her permission for the duplication of the plans after receiving the signed affidavit and registered letter specified in subdivisions (c) and (d)."

Are AHJs Allowed to Share Plans & Calculations?

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