Phased Occupancy and Construction Best Practices

When designing your project, it is important to involve Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement as early as possible so that everyone will have an understanding of the phasing strategy for Occupancy and Construction. Typically, this is done by the Design Professional (Architect, Engineer, Owners, Developer and Contractors) who requests a preliminary review. This meeting is most productive when plan review staff and Inspections team Project Managers (PMs) are present.  An important aspect of the preliminary meeting is to make sure all parties understand the concept of phasing and how the phasing plan will be implemented through the project schedule. If the design team has a particular request for an inspection team member to be present during the meeting;  the lead design professional must request that trade inspector on the preliminary application.  Note the attendance  of a specific inspector will be subjet to their inspection work load. and time availability. The initial preliminary review is free of charge. Additionional preliminary reviews or project scope meetings will be subject to a nominal fee.  The fee charges are based on the number of the inspections team members who are required or requested to be present in the follow-up  meeting(s).  At the conclusion of each Preliminary Review meeting, the Design Team will submit meeting minutes, through their EPM Dashboard, to plan review staff for approval.  To start the process, please click here​ to see how the Preliminary Plan Review process works and benefits your project.

Key Points for the Preliminary Review meeting:

The design team (Architects and Engineers) is required to take all meeting minutes and distribute them via email and in the Electronic Plan Management system (EPM).

• Appendix B / code summary of the project and overall
• Key plans reflecting the Construction and Occupancy phasing plan and strategy for occupancy
• How life safety systems and egress will be maintained
• How construction activity and staging will be handled during the phasing strategy
• Permits that will be required for each phasing and building
• Site impact issues for egress and accessibility

When the project is submitted to our Electronic Plan Management System (EPM), the construction drawings should include all the Building, Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical systems, as well as the life safety components.  These must be in place for the building and for each Occupancy and Construction phasing area.  The design team is responsible (Architects and Engineers) for having their construction documents coordinated to reflect all aspects of the Occupancy and Construction phasing plan areas and any life safety systems necessary for occupancy. 

Also, the plans should reflect all the key points discussed and covered in the Preliminary Plan Review meeting, as well as the phased construction plan strategy.  The design team should have at least one permit  application included in the submittal package. A permitting meeting will be scheduled  with the construction team once the plan review has been approved.  The permitting meeting will provide the construction team  with the necessary information to complete and submit additional permit applications to support phased construction.   

For more information about the EPM system please click here.

Once the construction documents have been approved by Mecklenburg County and the other agencies, a permitting  meeting will be required.  This meeting will verify the overall concept of the phasing plan, permit applications, and safe guards of the construction process with the Senior Code Official(s); facilitation coordinator; and construction team.  This will insure that all parties have an understanding of the Occupancy and Construction phasing plan, along with their roles and responsibilities as outlined in the construction documents.  This will be an opportunity for any addition concerns or specific considerations to be discussed before permitting.

If everyone agrees, the permit applications will go through a final check.  At the time of permit issuance, the contractor's account will be charged for services.  Any additional services required during the construction process will be a separate charge.  A Pre-Construction meeting should be held with the field inspectors and contractors to make sure all have an understanding of the expectations of how the Occupancy and Construction phasing will be done. 

For requirements for TCO for phased Occupancy and Construction please click here. 

Construction Phasing

Inspections of construction phases that do not require occupancy prior to completion of the entire project will be conducted in the same manner as any other non-phased construction.  (Ex. Footing phase, Foundation phase, Shell phase, etc.)

Occupancy Phasing

When occupancy of one phase is needed prior to the completion of the entire project, a phased occupancy plan is required.  A phased occupancy plan must be submitted and approved by the Department prior to any request for a phased occupancy inspection.  The following minimum information must be included for each phase of the project:

1. 1. A phasing plan showing the areas to be phased and how the required exiting system for each area is to be maintained, including all pertinent information (see below).
   2. Each completed phase must be independently code-compliant, including the requirements for exiting, accessibility requirements, lighting,  ventilation, parking, emergency response, and etc.
   3. Access to and within the completed phase must be separated from the construction areas, without requiring the occupants to enter or exit through the construction areas.
   4. Any construction staging areas must be shown on the plan. and must not be co-mingled with the occupied areas.
   5. Phase boundaries must be clearly identified on the phasing plan.
   6. Phase boundaries and any materials used to create physical barriers must be clearly identified on the phasing plan.
   7. Electrical and gas services provided to the completed phase must be completed to the point of service.  In addition, these services must be secured in such a manner that construction areas are not also serviced, thereby putting workers at unexpected risk.
   8. Mechanical systems serving the completed phase must be completed to the points of service and discharge.
   9. Plumbing systems serving the completed phase must be completed to the points of service and discharge.
   10. All Life Safety systems for the entire project must be completed and tested, as required, unless the completed phase is separated from any other areas and approved by both the fire and building officials.  Emergency and Required Standby System Generators require a load test witnessed by the electrical inspector.
   11. Fire Suppression systems for the entire project must be completed and tested, as required, unless the completed phase is separated from any other areas and approved by both the fire and building officials.
   12. All agency occupancy holds including Fire, Utilities, Planning, Engineering etc. must be released prior to a request for a phased occupancy inspection.
   13. Once the phasing plan is approved by the Department and all required work is completed to satisfy the phasing plan, an application for Temporary Certificate of Occupancy may be submitted.
   14. Following satisfactory completion of all above items, an inspection will be conducted and occupancy of the phased area will be granted. 
   15. Fire - All fire and life systems, including, but not limited to, fire sprinkler, fire alarm, and other fire suppression systems are required to be 100% complete in the shell building, and in all up-fitted space prior to a certificate of occupancy.  The fire department is required to perform an acceptance test prior to occupancy.  Vacant spaces within a shell building are allowed to install a single notification device (horn/strobe) to comply with the shell building fire alarm requirements.
   16. For requirements for TCO for phased Occupancy and Construction, please click here.

5.1 Changes to an Initial Occupancy and Construction Phasing Plan 

If changes are made to the original Occupancy and Construction phasing plan, it will be necessary for the customer to review the changes with the inspection team and possibly submit a Revision to Approved Plans (RTAP) to outline the changes and the new proposal for delivery. This will have to be verified with the inspectors and team representatives first.  This plan must be reviewed for code compliance an additional phasing meeting  be necessary to verify the overall concept of the phasing plan, permit applications and safe guards of the construction process with the inspection team and project managers to make sure all have an understanding of the revised phasing plan, their new roles and responsibilities as outlined in the revised construction documents.  This will be an opportunity for any addition concerns or specific considerations to be discussed before permitting.

It will also be necessary for the inspection division to verify how the change will affect inspections that have already been performed and if adjustments need to be made to existing permits if new permits are required.

5.2 Implementing an Occupancy and Construction phasing plan if one was not done prior to permitting

If the owner’s team fails to identify phased occupancy as a project characteristic during the permit review, but changes to such a phased occupancy strategy during construction, the process is the same as described above in item 5.1.  However, customers should take care to initiate review and approval of the phasing plan at the earliest time possible.  These proposals are typically handled as a Revision to Approved Plans (RTAP) review process.  The approved phasing plan must be available for inspector reference before or no later than at the time the initial TCO or CO inspection is requested. Again, the owner’s team should take care to consider the time required in advance of calling for a phased occupancy TCO inspection, and plan accordingly.