HCAI Standard Project Process
This page is designed to provide an overview of the HCAI standard project process from project creation to closure.
eSP User Guides
Within each section below there are numbered hyperlinks which will take you directly to each specific eServices Portal (eSP) User Guide. Please visit the eServices Portal information page to access the eSP and to view all available eSP User Guides.
HCAI Report Center
The HCAI Report Center is an excellent resource to track your projects from creation to closure. You can view plan review comments, project invoices, OIL items, field visit reports and more!
Applying for HCAI Projects
HCAI projects must be created through the eServices Portal (eSP). eServices user accounts are available to anyone upon registration. Appropriate permissions are required to view and upload documents to project records. Please see Section 2 – Account Registration and Section 4 – Account Management & Delegation User Guides for more information.
Section 5 – Applications for New Projects User Guide offers step-by-step instructions on how to submit a new project. The Facility PIN must be entered to finalize the submission and the official HCAI number will be assigned at that time. The PIN acts as the owner’s electronic authorization to create project or amendment records and obligates the facility to pay the resulting fees. Please see Section 3 – Facility Authorization User Guide for more information regarding Facility PINs.
Submitting Construction Documents for Review
Construction documents must be uploaded to the eServices Portal within ten days of project creation. Please refer to Section 11 – Electronic Submittal Requirements User Guide for electronic naming conventions and document formatting requirements. Step-by-step instructions for uploading documents may be found in Section 10 – Attaching Plans and Documents User Guide. A plan file must be uploaded in the “Plan” document category to alert HCAI staff that a submittal has been made. Please contact the support staff at LAProjectSupport@hcai.ca.gov or SacProjectSupport@hcai.ca.gov if you are submitting documents for plan review without a “Plan” file.
Triage & Review of Submitted Construction Documents
Once construction documents have been uploaded to the eServices Portal, they will be processed by the support teams and made available for HCAI professional staff to triage and review. HCAI uses the Anticipated Plan Approval Date (APAD) as the plan review turnaround goal. The APAD for each project is based on historical data in several categories: the Kind of Project, Review Type, Managed Project, Office or Field Review, Primary Structure/Lateral Elements and Costs. The goal includes HCAI’s plan review time as well as the design team’s response times.
When Submitted Documents are Returned or Remarked
Projects which are deemed to have incomplete submittals will be returned at triage. An HCAI Return Letter will be sent to the Design Professional of Record and Primary Contact which will include the return comments. These comments must be addressed by submitting the appropriate revisions through the eServices Portal. Review will not begin until the return comments are addressed.
Projects which are deemed deficient during the review process will be remarked with comments. An HCAI Remarks letter will be sent to the Design Professional of Record and the Primary Contact. Remarked plans and an HCAI Comment Report spreadsheet will be made available to download on the eServices Portal. Revised construction documents and a Response to Comments spreadsheet must be uploaded to the eServices Portal. Projects which do not have revised construction documents submitted within 90 days will become Void per the California Administrative Code 7-129. Please refer to Section 11 – Electronic Submittal Requirements User Guide for electronic naming conventions and document formatting requirements. Step-by-step instructions for uploading documents may be found in Section 10 – Attaching Plans and Documents User Guide.
Approval & Approval with Comments
An HCAI Approval letter will be sent to the Design Professional of Record and Primary Contact upon approval. Approved versions of the construction documents with HCAI approval stamps will be made available in the project record Attachments tab: Plans, TIO, and Specifications if applicable. Construction must commence within one year of approval or the project will become Void per the California Administrative Code 7-129.
An HCAI Approved with Comments letter will be sent to the Design Professional of Record and Primary Contact upon approval. Approved versions of the construction documents with HCAI Approved with Comments stamps will be made available in the project record Attachments tab: Plans, TIO, and Specifications if applicable. Comments will be added to the Outstanding Items List. All comments must be resolved by HCAI office or field staff before construction commences in the area relating to the comments. Construction must commence within one year of approval or the project will become Void per the California Administrative Code 7-129.
Post Approval Documents
There are two types of Post Approval Documents (PAD): Amended Construction Documents (ACD) and Deferred Submittal Items (DSI). Each must be submitted through the eServices Portal and may be created after plan approval. Section 6b – Applications for PADs User Guide offers step-by-step instructions for how to create a PAD record. Construction documents must then be submitted to the PAD record through the eServices Portal. Please refer to Section 11 – Electronic Submittal Requirements User Guide for electronic naming conventions and document formatting requirements. Step-by-step instructions for uploading documents may be found in Section 10 – Attaching Plans and Documents User Guide. A plan file must be uploaded in the “Plan” document category to alert HCAI staff that a submittal has been made. Please contact the support staff at LAProjectSupport@hcai.ca.gov or SacProjectSupport@hcai.ca.gov if you are submitting documents for plan review without a “Plan” file. PADs will go through the standard review and approval process.
ACDs must be reviewed and approved to make material changes to the approved plans and specifications. Non-Material Alterations (NMA) are not submitted through the eServices portal and do not receive plan approval, but instead receive Concurrence from HCAI Field Staff. Please review 2022 CAC CAN 1-7-153(b) Amended Construction Documents for the distinctions between material and non-material changes. A sample NMA Change Form and NMA Change Log are available for use.
DSIs are portions of the construction that cannot be detailed fully on the approved drawings because of variations in product design and manufacture. Some examples are low-voltage electrical systems, elevators and other transportation systems, base isolation systems, curtain wall systems, fire sprinklers, and oxygen and medical gas systems. DSIs must be identified during the project’s creation by adding to the “Deferred Items” table and must also be clearly identified on the plan cover sheet of the construction documents.
PAD numbers are assigned sequentially upon entry of Facility PIN regardless of the PAD type and Applicant Tracking Number. For example, if the PIN is entered on an ACD record and then a DSI record, the HCAI project numbers will be S22000-00-ACD0001 and S22000-00-DSI0002, respectively.
Applying for Building Permits
Once a project receives approval, a Building Permit Application may be submitted through the eServices Portal. The Inspector of Record and Contractor of Record are identified at this time. Please see Section 7 – Applications for Building Permits User Guide for step-by-step instructions.
The Regional Compliance Officer will review the building permit application and issue or return the building permit record. An HCAI Return Letter with instructions will be sent to the Design Professional of Record and Primary Contact if the submittal is incomplete, or corrections needed.
A Building Permit Approval letter and Building Permit will be sent to the Design Professional of Record, Primary Contact, and Inspector of Record when the permit is issued. A copy of the building permit will also remain available to download through the eServices Portal. The Building Permit must be posted at the project site and a complete set of the stamped, approved construction documents kept on-site at all times.
Submitting the Notice of Start of Construction
The HCAI-FD-801 Notice of Start of Construction form is required to notify HCAI of the awarding of a project’s contract to a contractor and the planned date of construction start. Please see the Section 23 – Notice of Start of Construction User Guide for step-by-step instructions. Once the NSC has been processed by HCAI staff, the project record will advance to “Field Operations.”
Field Operations during Construction
HCAI field personnel make periodic visits to the construction site to ensure that the seismic, fire and life safety, and other requirements of the building code are being met. These periodic updates are captured in Field Visit Reports and the approximate completion percentage of the project is tracked. The HCAI Facility Detail page lists the assigned field staff for each facility. The Inspector of Record (IOR) for a project is responsible for the continuous inspection of the work. Please see the Hospital Inspection Services and Certification page for more information about IORs.
The HCAI Compliance Officer will issue the 100% Construction Final (CF) once certain requirements have been met. For example, confirmed all test reports have been delivered to the IOR, cleared any remaining Outstanding Items, and ensured the Testing, Inspection and Observation Program has been completed. Once the CF is issued, the project moves forward to “Project Closure” and requests for closure documents are sent to the Design Professional of Record and Primary Contact.
Closing Projects in Compliance
The Design Professional of Record is responsible for the project closure process. All required Final Verified Compliance Reports and the Final Cost Affidavit must be uploaded to the project record in the eServices Portal. Step-by-step instructions for uploading documents may be found in Section 10 – Attaching Plans and Documents User Guide. In addition, all Post Approval Documents must be resolved and the project fees paid in order for the project to Close in Compliance. Please see the Section 24 – Project Closure User Guide for step-by-step instructions. A Closed in Compliance Letter will be sent by HCAI staff to the Design Professional of Record, Primary Contact and Inspector of Record upon project closure.
If you would like to request any information on our website in an alternative format or request any other reasonable accommodation, please contact us at 916-326-3600 or oshpdwebmaster@hcai.ca.gov and provide the URL (web address) or other relevant information on the material you would like to access and your preferred format for accessing the information. We will work with you to make that information accessible to you.