What Happens After We Receive Your Submittal

Requesting An Overtime Inspection Or Plan Review

Checking Permit Status

PLEASE DO NOT contact our Plan Checkers/Deputies to check status, as new plans do not receive a plan checker until they are reviewed. These interruptions are time consuming and slow your plan check process. Our clerical staff will be happy to assist you with your request.

Have your Plan Check number ready (we must have this number to identify your project) and either call (408) 341-4420 or e-mail us (see list of email addresses on Staff Contact page.
It is not possible to promise an exact date of plan check, but he/she can tell you:

Whether we have received your submittal sent by mail, courier, or over the counter.
How many plans are to be reviewed before your submittal. Our office takes plan in first come, first serve order. NOTE: For requirements to expedite your submittal in hardship situations see, "Requesting An Overtime Inspection Or Plan Review" below.
If your plans have been reviewed, whether they were approved or not. NOTE: Allow a minimum of 30 days for a new submittal plan review, in most cases, and 15 days for a re-submittal/revision.
Once you receive Plan Review Comments you may contact your plan checker regarding any question about these comments. See "Contacting Your Plan Checker" below.

Plan Review Comments & Mailing

When the assigned Deputy has completed his/her plan check, IF APPROVED the plans, plan review comments and permit will be mailed back to the applicant of record on your permit application, unless the plans are too large to mail.

If plans are too large to mail, they will be placed in our will-call cabinet and you (the applicant) will be notified that they are ready to be picked up. Once notified it is your responsibility to arrange for these plans to be picked up.
If plans are NOT APPROVED only the plan review comments will be mailed.
This does not apply to Residential Fire Protection Water Systems.

Contacting Your Plan Checker

To ask questions about plan review comments you need to contact your plan checker directly. Located on the bottom of the plan review comments page you'll find the name of the Deputy that reviewed your plans.

NOTE: Deputies do not schedule inspections. See, "Scheduling Inspections", below. (Exception: When scheduler is absent, Deputy on coverage duty for the day will schedule inspections.)

For Rob Campbell, Sr. FPE call (408) 299-5761
For Sean Mitchell, FPE call (408) 299-5765
For David Williams, DFM call (408) 299-5764

Scheduling Inspections

Request for scheduling must be made by your project's contractor of record with our office. For some types of projects this may be a sub-contractor or owner/builder.

BEFORE YOU PICK UP THE PHONE to call have the following required information:

The Fire Marshal's Office plan check number OR for Building Inspection Office (BIO) submittals the BIO plan check number, NOT the BIO permit number.
The name of your on-site contact person for the inspection being scheduled and his/her on-site phone number, often this is a cell phone number.
An estimate of the date (or date time is good after) and how much time is needed to complete the inspection.

Call our scheduler(s) at County Fire Headquarters (408) 378-4010 a minimum of 72 hours in advance to schedule inspections. If you get their voicemail please leave as much of the above information as possible, especially the Plan Check number from your FMO Comments. This will save time when they do finally contact to schedule. Please let them know you are scheduling for the "County Fire Marshal's Office," as they also schedule projects in the incorporated areas of the county.

If your project requires that Stanford University Fire Marshal's Office (SUFMO) personnel or HMCD/DEH be present for the inspection, it is your responsibility to contact them and coordinate their attendance.

Inspections will not be scheduled before the permit has been approved.
Exception: Weld inspections

Additional for Tent Inspections:

The on-site contact person you select will be responsible for both the tent and its interior setup. If modifications need to be made to either during the inspection this person must be able to make those changes.

All furniture, appliances, and equipment (e.g.: fire extinguishers) shall be in place at the time of inspection.

Procedure/Requirements For Overtime Plan Check Or Inspection

It is the policy of the Fire Marshal's Office to perform work during normal business hours whenever possible. However, it is acknowledged that there are some situations that warrant an expedited plan review turnaround or where the nature of an inspection requires overtime scheduling; such as an emergency lighting inspection at night or when disturbances to normal building operations must be minimized.

When such a situation occurs, a written request for an overtime inspection or plan review may be submitted. If approved, payment of overtime fees shall be made in advance.

Unfortunately not all requests can be granted due to available staffing and the volume of requests. Any requests not conforming to the guidelines listed below will be denied.

Plan Review Overtime Request Guidelines:

Requests shall be made in writing, addressed to: Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention, J. Justice.
- When your letter is completed E-mail your SIGNED LETTER IN PDF FORM (this is the only format that will be accepted for e-mail requests)to both: [email protected] or fax to 1-408-378-9342
- Include the Fire Marshal or Building Inspections Office's plan check number and site address of the project.
- Include a phone number the requestor can be reached at weekdays between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Your request should indicate the latest date desirable for a plan check or inspection.
Requests shall be made by the property owner; not by a third party contractor or developer.
The special need or rationale for the overtime plan check or inspection must be detailed in your request, including the hardship your unforeseen delay will cause.

NOTE: Delays due to scheduling mix-ups, submittal of plans to the wrong jurisdiction, failure to obtain turnaround time information from this office prior to submittal, the general lack of planning, and/or inconvenience to the owner or occupant are typically not considered to be adequate reasons for granting overtime, regardless of the financial consequences of such action or inaction on the part of the contractor or owner.

Inspection Overtime Request Guidelines:

Include the same information as above, however you may send an email instead of a letter and it may come from the Contractor of Record for the project. Email both: [email protected] or fax to 1-408-378-9342
Overtime inspection requests must be made at least 24 hours in advance.

After We Receive Your Request:

After your letter (or email) is received you will be informed, as soon as possible, whether or not your request is granted. If granted, we will make every effort to conform to your desired schedule, however this is subject to available staffing, and may not be possible.
If your request is approved you will also be informed of the amount of the overtime fee. Once this fee is paid your overtime will be scheduled.
RECEIVING AN OVERTIME PLAN CHECK OR INSPECTION DOES NOT MEAN YOUR PLAN CHECK OR INSPECTION WILL BE APPROVED.

The Fire Marshal's Office is committed to provide the best possible service to our customers. However, in order to conserve our resources and treat everyone in a fair and impartial manner, work outside of normal business hours must be limited to those projects that truly warrant assistance due to unforeseeable hardship.

Thank you for your understanding.

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