Installation Practices, Plan Review, and Documentation
Installation must follow the manufacturer's instructions and the adopted codes. Know mounting heights for pull stations, detector spacing and clearances, appliance placement, and wiring methods. Know that as-built drawings, record of completion, and sequence of operation are core documentation.
Plan review checks that the design matches code: device locations, circuit classes, power calculations, battery sizing, notification coverage, and sequence of operation. A complete submittal includes drawings, calculations, and manufacturer data. The AHJ reviews and may require changes.
Traps: submitting drawings without battery calculations or sequence of operation; assuming the installer can deviate from listed instructions; forgetting that as-built documentation must reflect actual installation, not the original design.
Rule of thumb: a submittal is complete when it shows what, where, how powered, and how it behaves (sequence of operation). If any of those four is missing, expect a comment.
Worked example: A plan set shows device locations but no battery calculation and no sequence of operation. The reviewer should require both before approval.