A fire drawings review before construction is a structured check of the consultant’s drawings, specifications and bill of quantities (BOQ) before the package goes to tender or any equipment is ordered. It confirms that the design is complete and consistent with the Saudi Fire Code SBC 801 and the standards the designer has adopted.
This checklist is written for owners, developers and project managers who receive a design package and want to know what to ask before they sign an installation contract. The AZEIDK drawings and specifications review service provides this review for fire alarm and firefighting systems.
Key takeaways
- A pre-construction review covers the design and tender package. It comes before the contractor’s shop drawings and their approval.
- The 2024 edition of the Saudi Building Code, including SBC 801, has been mandatory since 30 June 2025. Check that the drawings are based on it.
- Chapter 28 of NFPA 13 (2025 edition) sets the content of sprinkler working plans. Chapter 7 of NFPA 72 (2025 edition) sets fire alarm documentation.
- Most comments start with missing input data: the use of each space, hazard classification, storage heights and water supply test results.
- The specifications and BOQ must match the drawings and must require a datasheet and listing or approval status for every item.
In this article
- What does a pre-construction fire drawings review cover?
- Which references are drawings checked against in Saudi Arabia?
- Checklist 1: project data before any layout
- Checklist 2: sprinkler drawings and the water-based network
- Checklist 3: fire pumps and the pump room
- Checklist 4: fire alarm drawings
- Reviewing the specifications and BOQ before tender
- Common mistakes in fire drawings review
- How AZEIDK can help
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
What does a pre-construction fire drawings review cover?
A fire protection project passes through three document stages. First, the design package prepared by the consultant: drawings, specifications, BOQ and calculations. Second, the shop drawings prepared by the contractor after award and approved by the consultant, which we cover in our article on fire protection shop drawings. Third, testing, handover and licensing.
This article is about the first stage. If an incomplete design goes to tender, each contractor prices his own assumptions, and the differences come back later as variation orders or Civil Defense comments. For the approval process itself, see our step-by-step guide to Civil Defense approval.
Which references are drawings checked against in Saudi Arabia?
The mandatory reference is the Saudi Building Code, which includes SBC 801 for fire protection. The National Committee for the Saudi Building Code announced that the 2024 edition became mandatory on 30 June 2025, after a 180-day transition period that started in early January 2025. So the first question is which edition the design was based on; a design prepared to the 2018 edition must be checked against the current one.
NFPA standards are technical references the designer adopts for the details: NFPA 13 for sprinklers, NFPA 20 for fire pumps and NFPA 72 for fire alarm, all in their 2025 editions. The specification should name each standard and its edition explicitly rather than rely on a general phrase. For a summary of requirements by building type, see Civil Defense requirements for buildings and facilities.
On the product side, the Technical Regulation for Fire Control Materials and Equipment issued by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) requires a certificate of conformity for extinguishing equipment, fire pumps, extinguishing agents and their parts before they are placed on the market. Fire alarm systems and firefighting systems, as systems, are excluded from its scope; the Saudi Fire Code applies to them.
Checklist 1: project data before any layout
Most design errors are not in the pipe routes. They are in the data the design was built on. Check that the package includes:
- Use of each space: a clear description of the activity in each part of the building, especially warehouses, plant rooms and kitchens.
- Hazard classification: NFPA 13 Chapter 28 requires the sprinkler plans to show the hazard classification and design criteria for each room or space.
- Storage data: commodity class, storage arrangement, storage height and packaging in storage areas.
- Owner’s certificate: NFPA 13 asks the owner to state the intended use of the building, the materials and the storage. The designer cannot guess this.
- Water supply data: static and residual pressure, flow, test location, test date and source.
If the building use changes after design, the drawings need a new review, not a local mark-up.
Checklist 2: sprinkler drawings and the water-based network
Chapter 28 (Plans and Calculations) of NFPA 13, 2025 edition, sets what working plans must contain. Items to review include:
- Sprinkler legend: manufacturer, model, sprinkler identification number (SIN), K-factor, temperature rating, response type and quantity of each type.
- Locations of risers, fire department connections (FDC), test, drain and flushing points, and the water flow alarm device.
- Hydraulic calculation summary: calculation method, total flow and pressure required, and hose stream allowance.
- Seismic protection components where the design requires them: bracing, flexible couplings and their spacing.
- Pipe sizes, pipe type and joining method, such as grooved couplings, welded or flanged joints.
The hydraulic calculations deserve their own review, because they link the sprinklers to the water supply and the fire pump. We explain the inputs and how to read them in our article on sprinkler hydraulic calculations. At this stage it is enough to confirm the calculations exist, that the hydraulically most remote area is defined, and that the demand curve sits below the water supply curve with a clear margin.
Checklist 3: fire pumps and the pump room
Fire pump design normally refers to NFPA 20 (2025 edition). At design stage, review the following:
- The pump rated duty point (flow and pressure) comes from the hydraulic calculation, not from a figure reused from earlier projects.
- The fire pump set is fully described: main pump, standby pump where required, jockey pump and controllers.
- Listing or approval requirements for the pump and its controller are stated clearly in the specification.
- The pump room drawing shows suction and discharge lines, valves, the test line and maintenance clearances.
A BOQ duty point that does not match the calculations is one of the most common causes of confused pricing, because every supplier will then offer a different pump.
Checklist 4: fire alarm drawings
NFPA 72 (2025 edition) dedicates Chapter 7 to documentation and sets the minimum documentation to be provided when the authority having jurisdiction or the project documents require it. Items you should find in the design package, or ask for, include:
- A written narrative describing the system intent and type, addressable or conventional.
- A riser diagram showing what is connected to the panel on each circuit.
- Floor plans with detector, manual call point (MCP) and notification appliance locations, and the use of each room.
- A sequence of operations, usually as an input/output matrix. It links the fire alarm to lifts, smoke extraction and suppression systems.
- Battery calculations and voltage drop calculations for notification appliance circuits, with the calculation method stated.
- Design sound pressure levels and candela ratings for visual notification appliances.
The sequence of operations is the item most often missing from design packages.
Reviewing the specifications and BOQ before tender
The drawing shows where an item goes, the specification defines what it is, and the BOQ states how many. Any conflict between the three turns into a contractual dispute.
| Document | What to check | Common problem |
|---|---|---|
| Technical specification | Standard and edition, listing and approval requirements, rated working pressure, testing and handover requirements | Text copied from an old project that refers to outdated standards or editions |
| Bill of quantities (BOQ) | Items, sizes and quantities match the drawings; each item is clearly described | Lump items such as “complete fire alarm system” with no device count or panel type |
| Document requirements | Datasheet, installation manual and listing status for each model as part of the submittal | No requirement to submit datasheets before procurement |
| Local conformity | SASO certificate of conformity for products covered by the technical regulation, such as fire pumps and extinguishing equipment | Requirement not stated, so the issue appears at import |
| Scope boundaries | Split between fire, electrical and mechanical works: panel power supply, lift interface, smoke extraction interface | Items no contractor prices because each assumes they belong to someone else |
An “or equal” clause in the specification is acceptable, as long as it defines what equal means: standard, listing, performance and pressure rating.
Common mistakes in fire drawings review
- Reviewing the drawings without comparing them with the specification and BOQ.
- Accepting a design without recent water supply test data.
- Classifying a warehouse as ordinary hazard without stating storage heights and commodities.
- A fire pump in the BOQ with a duty point that does not match the hydraulic calculations.
- No sequence of operations or interface matrix in the fire alarm drawings.
- Listing, approval and acceptance-test requirements left without clear wording in the specification.
Some of these mistakes only surface on site. We collected examples in our article on fire system installation mistakes in Saudi projects.
How AZEIDK can help
Under its drawings and specifications review service, AZEIDK reviews the fire alarm and firefighting design package before tender or before construction: drawings, specifications, BOQ and the completeness of the data behind the design. Comments are delivered in writing so the owner can use them with the consultant before the approval submission. If the owner wishes, the work can continue into technical equipment selection, supply and installation.
Frequently asked questions
When should I ask for a fire drawings review?
The best time is after you receive the design package from the consultant and before tender. Changing a design on paper costs less than changing it after award or during installation.
What is the difference between a design review and a shop drawing review?
A design review checks the consultant’s documents before tender. Shop drawings are prepared by the contractor after award, using the actual models, and are approved by the consultant before installation.
Is NFPA mandatory in Saudi Arabia?
The mandatory reference is the Saudi Building Code, including SBC 801. NFPA standards are technical references for the details the designer adopts or the project documents specify.
What is the most important fire alarm design document?
Besides the device layouts and riser diagram, the sequence of operations as an input/output matrix, together with battery and voltage drop calculations. These are part of the NFPA 72 minimum documentation.
Do fire pumps need a SASO certificate of conformity?
Yes. The Technical Regulation for Fire Control Materials and Equipment covers fire pumps and extinguishing equipment and requires a certificate of conformity before they are placed on the market, so state it in the specification.
Conclusion
A pre-construction fire drawings review starts with the code edition, then the building and water supply data, then the completeness of the sprinkler, fire pump and fire alarm drawings, and finally whether the specification and BOQ match them. This checklist does not replace the designer’s responsibility. It gives the owner specific questions to ask before gaps turn into cost.
Just received the fire protection design package for your project? Send us the drawings, specifications and BOQ, and we will return written comments before tender. Talk to the AZEIDK team
