Design & documentation · Nationwide
Building Code and Use Assessment
A change in how a building is used can affect much more than the floor plan. True North coordinates an early review of the proposed operation, existing records and technical questions that shape the design and approval path.
For owners, project teams and delivery partners nationwide. The written scope identifies True North’s work, the responsible professionals and any separately contracted construction.
Request a project reviewWhat the scope can include
Select the work and handoff your project needs. The agreement identifies the included deliverables and responsibilities.
Establish the review basis
Document the intended activities, occupant characteristics, existing building information and the applicable review framework with the responsible professionals. Identify the need for existing-building, change-of-use, alteration or new-construction analysis.
Connect life safety and building function
Coordinate occupancy, occupant load, exits, fire separation, accessibility and building-system implications. Resolve conflicts between the business description and the actual equipment, storage or activities proposed.
Turn findings into next actions
Separate confirmed information from items requiring investigation or authority interpretation. Assign technical decisions, drawing changes and supporting documents before the project relies on an unresolved assumption.
Prepare for the assignment
You can start with incomplete records. Tell us what is available and what still needs to be established.
Information to bring
The actual business or residential use, plans, area and occupancy records, proposed equipment and alterations, prior approvals and any notices or review comments.
The agreed handoff
A documented code/use basis and issue register identifying the professional analyses, site information and approval decisions needed for the agreed next stage.
Decisions, fees and timing
Scope and dependencies determine the proposal. No universal price or approval date is assumed.
Confirm the basis and responsibility
Review the available records, intended endpoint and authority to use the information. Assign missing inputs, technical decisions and the parties who can authorize changes.
Coordinate and review the work
Prepare the included documents from agreed inputs, resolve interfaces with responsible specialists and track revisions. Record external decisions and conditions separately from work prepared for review.
Account for project-specific dependencies
Changes in occupancy, missing records, concealed conditions, specialist analyses and interpretation or review by the relevant authority.
Deliver the defined milestone
Provide the controlling documents and remaining-action record. Identify what is accepted, what still requires a decision and what belongs to a separately contracted next stage.
Adaptive reuse and conversions between uses
Adaptive reuse adapts an existing building for a new function. Establish the actual activities and occupants before deciding whether the proposal is feasible, even when little construction is planned.
House to restaurant or other commercial use
For a residential-to-commercial conversion, describe customer/staff areas, seating, food preparation, hours and equipment. A house-to-restaurant proposal needs coordinated land-use, access, parking, exits, accessibility, exhaust, grease-waste and utility questions. Bring a survey, existing plans and equipment/menu information. The output is a feasibility issue list and discipline/approval scope, with restaurant-specific design developed separately.
Commercial space to housing
A commercial-to-residential conversion starts with the proposed dwelling arrangement and existing building/site records. Coordinate lawful land use, light and ventilation, sanitation, sleeping areas, fire separation, egress, accessibility and utility distribution with the responsible specialists. Identify retained-system limits and required investigations before laying out units. Private consent and an existing commercial permit do not establish permission for residential occupancy.
Before you begin
Common questions
Is a use assessment a permit?
No. It helps establish a design and application basis. Permit issuance and occupancy authorization remain separate decisions by the applicable authorities.
Can a small change still affect other systems?
Yes. Describe the actual activity and equipment, even when the physical work looks limited. The responsible reviewers determine which connected systems and approvals need attention.
Can I convert a house to a restaurant without major construction?
The size of the construction does not determine the entire review. The proposed operation can affect land use, occupancy, access, fire safety, utilities, ventilation and grease handling. Start with the property records, menu, equipment and layout to identify feasibility questions and the approval scope.
Your next step
A project in mind?
Let’s give it direction.
Start with what you know. We’ll help define the path ahead.