Forensic Plan Review & Design Audit Services
Catch design conflicts before they become change orders. Our independent plan review identifies coordination gaps, code issues, and value engineering opportunities across all disciplines.
Technical Precision in Plan Review
Welcome to F&K Estimatings, your independent partner for construction plan review services. Design errors and omissions are the leading cause of construction change orders, costing owners and contractors billions annually in rework and delay. Our forensic plan review provides an objective, third-party assessment of your construction documents before they go to bid, identifying issues while they are still cheap to fix.
Our review team brings combined experience across architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing disciplines. We examine drawing sets for internal consistency, cross-discipline coordination, code compliance, and constructability — producing a ranked findings report that allows your design team to prioritize corrections.
Cross-Discipline Coordination Review
The most common and costly design issues arise from coordination gaps between disciplines. Our reviewers overlay architectural, structural, and MEP drawings to identify spatial conflicts: ductwork and piping clashing with structural beams and columns, conduit pathways blocking lighting and diffuser locations, plumbing chases intersecting with shear walls and lateral bracing, and access panel locations blocked by equipment. Each conflict is documented with sheet references and proposed resolution paths.
For BIM-enabled projects, we review the coordination model for clash detection completeness, ensuring that all MEPF trades have been fully coordinated with structural and architectural elements before fabrication begins.
Code Compliance & Permitting Review
Plan approval delays can push project schedules by weeks. Our code review verifies compliance with the applicable building code edition (IBC, IRC, and local amendments), focusing on egress path width and travel distance, fire-resistance-rated construction and occupancy separations, accessibility compliance per ADA and ANSI A117.1, structural design loads and wind/seismic requirements, and energy code compliance per IECC and ASHRAE 90.1.
The Plan Review Advantage:
- Design Conflict Matrix: Every spatial and coordination issue is logged with sheet references, severity rating, and recommended resolution.
- Value Engineering Opportunities: Material and system alternatives are identified with cost impact estimates and performance equivalency documentation.
- Constructability Assessment: Sequencing, staging, and means-and-methods issues are flagged before they impact the construction schedule.
Value Engineering & Cost Optimization
Beyond error identification, our plan review identifies value engineering opportunities that can reduce project cost without sacrificing program or quality. We evaluate foundation system alternatives, structural bay optimization for reduced steel tonnage, MEP system selection with lifecycle cost analysis, envelope and glazing tradeoffs, and interior finish specification adjustments. Each VE recommendation includes estimated cost impact and performance implications.
Constructability & Sequencing Review
Plans that look correct on paper may present significant construction challenges. Our constructability review evaluates site access and staging area adequacy, crane placement and reach for structural steel and equipment, temporary shoring and bracing requirements, phased construction sequencing logic, and weather-dependent work sequencing. These operational insights help contractors bid with realistic means-and-methods assumptions rather than optimistic productivity estimates.
The Plan Review Protocol
A systematic, multi-disciplinary approach to construction document review — designed to catch errors before they become change orders.
Document Intake
Collection and organization of all drawing sheets, specifications, addenda, and BIM models by discipline for systematic review.
Cross-Discipline Check
Overlay of architectural, structural, and MEP drawings to identify dimensional conflicts, clearance issues, and coordination gaps.
Code & Spec Review
Verification of plans against applicable building codes, accessibility standards, energy codes, and project specifications.
Findings & Reporting
Compilation of all identified issues into a ranked findings report with severity ratings and recommended corrective actions.
Professional Plan Review Deliverables
Our reports give owners, developers, and GCs the actionable intelligence needed to correct issues before going to bid.
Findings Report
Comprehensive report of all identified issues organized by CSI division with severity ratings and sheet reference numbers.
VE Opportunity Matrix
Itemized list of value engineering opportunities with estimated cost savings and performance impact documentation.
Annotated Drawing Set
Marked-up PDF drawing set with cloud annotations, flags, and notes at each issue location for easy designer reference.
Audit-Ready Plans
Plan Review Cost Drivers
Drawing Set Size
Larger projects with more sheets require proportionally more review hours. A 50-sheet set takes 2-3 days; 200+ sheets can take a week.
Design Complexity
BIM Level 2+ projects with clash detection already performed require less manual coordination review than traditional CAD-only drawing sets.
Code Jurisdiction
Projects in jurisdictions with strict local amendments (NYC, Chicago, San Francisco) require additional code verification beyond the base IBC.
VE Request Depth
A comprehensive value engineering analysis with cost modeling and alternatives costs more than a basic code/coordination-only review.
Plan Review Types
Scope-specific review packages for every project phase.
Coordination Review
Cross-discipline overlay audit to identify spatial conflicts between architectural, structural, and MEP systems.
Code Compliance
Verification of plans against IBC, IRC, accessibility, and energy code requirements for permit acceleration.
Value Engineering
Cost optimization analysis with alternative material and system recommendations to reduce project budget.
Constructability
Site logistics, sequencing, and means-and-methods assessment for realistic scheduling and bidding.
Plan Review FAQ
What does a construction plan review include?
Can you review plans for value engineering opportunities?
How do you identify coordination issues between trades?
Do you check for code compliance and permit readiness?
What is the turnaround for a plan review?
Do you provide a written report of findings?
Stop Bidding Blind. Protect Your Margins.
Whether it's an RFI catch, a constructability review, or a massive scope gap, our preconstruction team finds the risks before you sign the contract.
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