…understand the process.
Building projects in the state of Texas whose cost of construction are in excess of $50,000 are required by state law to be not only registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), but undergo the Plan Review and Final Inspection processes as well. These services are performed through an independent, licensed contractor: a Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS).
The Plan Review process is intended as a pre-construction review of building drawings for possible violations of the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS). The Plan Review report often identifies areas of the design that are or might be subject to non-conformance to TAS. With this report the designer can make directed changes to thwart possible Violations upon Final Inspection of the project.
The Final Inspection is the onsite follow-up to the Plan Review. A RAS inspects the completed building, including parking and parking-to-building access, for TAS compliance.
…register your project with TDLR.
In order to use the Texas Architectural Barriers online System (TABS), you must first create a new account on the Register webpage. Be sure to select “Others associated with the project” as the User Type.
Once an account is created, project registration is accomplished at your Project Dashboard.
Other training videos can be found on the Texas Architectural Barriers online System (TABS) YouTube channel.
Please be sure to fill out all forms completely.
…submit your project for Plan Review.
In order to engage Development Associates in the Plan Review process, the following items must be submitted*:
- One (1) set of building drawing (a PDF set or a cloud link to download)
- Original, TDLR registration page (see above step) and request to register
- Original, signed Proof of Submission (POS) form (completed by design professional) if desired.
- Original, signed Owner Agent Designation (OAD) form (Optional)
*The pertinent definition of “submission” may be found below.
…understand what comes after the Plan Review.
After your project’s Plan Review is complete, you and other relevant persons to the project will be notified by email of the results of the review.
Revisions are encouraged to address identified Plan Review issues and are accepted prior to the completion of the project. Failure to formally address identified Plan Review issues may result in their incorporation into the finished construction, possibly resulting in unnecessary and expensive remedial work.
…schedule your project’s Final Inspection.
In order to schedule your project’s Final Inspection with Development Associates, the following items must be submitted:
- Original, signed Request For Inspection (RFI) form from the Owner submitted via email.
- Request or suggest a time/date for the Inspection and who would be the point of contact for the inspection, with a mobile phone number.
…understand what comes after Final Inspection scheduling.
During the Final Inspection visitation, Development Associates will request that you sign a Proof of Inspection (POI) form; this activity is required by TDLR. As with the Plan Review process, you and other relevant persons to the project will be notified by email of the results of the Final Inspection.
…submit Corrective Modifications.
IF Violations are noted during the Final Inspection, they must by state law, be corrected and an Inspection Response form must be filled-out, signed and returned to Development Associates by the owner, within 270 days upon issue of the Final Inspection report. This form will be provided with the Final Inspection report. Upon receipt of the Inspection Response form by Development Associates, a Corrective Modifications report will be generated and a No-Violations final report will be submitted to TDLR and project closure will be requested by us to close out this registration. There are no further inspections or fees if Violations are identified during the Final Inspection.
…define relevant terms and actions.
68.10. Definitions. (Effective June 1, 1994, 19 TexReg 3485; amended effective December 5, 1999, 24 TexReg 10855; amended effective June 26, 2000, 25 TexReg 6122; repealed effective November 5, 2001, 26 TexReg 8807, new rule section effective November 5, 2001, 26 TexReg 8807; amended effective February 1, 2005, 30 TexReg 382; amended effective March 1, 2007, 32 TexReg 884)
(15) Issue – To mail, email, deliver, transmit, or otherwise release plans or specifications to an owner, lessee, contractor, subcontractor, or any other person acting for an owner or lessee for the purpose of construction, applying for a building permit, or obtaining regulatory approval after such plans have been sealed by an architect, interior designer, landscape architect, or engineer. In the case of a state-funded or other public works project, it is the time at which plans or specifications are publicly posted for bids, after such plans or specifications have been sealed by an architect, interior designer, landscape architect, or engineer.
68.50. Submission of Construction Documents.(New rule section effective November 5, 2001, 26 TexReg 8807; amended effective February 1, 2005, 30 TexReg 382; amended effective March 1, 2007, 32 TexReg 884)
(a) An architect, interior designer, landscape architect, or engineer with overall responsibility for the design of a building or facility subject to §469.101 of the Act, shall mail, ship, or hand-deliver the construction documents along with a Proof of Submission form to the department, a registered accessibility specialist, or a contract provider not later than the fifth day after the plans and specifications are issued. In computing time under this subsection, a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday is not included.
(b) In instances when there is not a design professional with overall responsibility, the owner of a building or facility subject to §469.101 of the Act, shall mail, ship, or hand-deliver construction documents to the department, a registered accessibility specialist, or a contract provider prior to filing an application for building permit or commencement of construction.
(c) An Elimination of Architectural Barriers Project Registration form or Architectural Barriers Project Registration Confirmation Page must be completed for each subject building or facility and submitted along with the applicable fees when the design professional or owner submits the construction documents.