Prince George's County, Maryland, USA
Interior Nat Harbor

Third-Party Plan & Peer Review Programs

Third-Party Plan Review Program

Prince George’s County mandates a Third-Party Plan Review Program for the review and approval of building plans and documents through the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE). This program allows owners and applicants to select a DPIE authorized Third-Party Plan Review Agency (TPPRA) at their own cost to review and approve drawings of building projects in lieu of County staff. TPPRAs may be used on multifamily residential and commercial buildings. TPPRAs must be retained for building plan review on:

  • All commercial buildings valued at over $50 million;
  • Swimming Pools and Spas — Except for one- and two-family dwelling units or townhouses not more than 3 stories;
  • All design-build commercial buildings;
  • All government (e.g., school) buildings;
  • All fire protection systems (see DPIE's "Third-Party Plan Review Program (TPPRP) Manual for Fire Protection Systems"); and
  • All multifamily (apartment/condominium) residential buildings at over $50 million
  • Other structures determined by the Building Code Official, or their representative, to be of unusual design or where code reference standards require special architectural or engineering inspections.
  • The Building Code Official, or their representative, may include or exclude a project from the TPPRP due to its simplicity or complexity upon request from the property owner and recommendation from the Deputy Building Code Official, Building Plan Review Division (BPRD).

All revisions to Third-Party Plan Review projects must also be reviewed and approved by Third-Party Plan Reviewers. All Third-Party Plan Review projects must go through DPIE’s Third-Party Inspections Program (TPIP).

For more information, please refer to the following resources:

 

Peer Review Program

Prince George’s County offers a Peer Review Program (PRP) through the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) to provide an optional tool for applicants to expedite and ensure quality control in the County’s Plan Review and Permit processes, while also ensuring the safety of citizens in and visitors to the County. The purpose of the PRP is to reduce review times associated with review and approval of submitted construction plans.

DPIE’s Peer Review Program allows owners and applicants to select DPIE-certified peer reviewers at their own cost to expedite the plan review process in lieu of County staff. Peer reviewers can be retained for various types of building and site development projects. The results of their efforts are reviewed and approved by County staff. Using peer reviewers can reduce the plan review and approval timeframe by up to 50%. For more details, access the "DPIE Peer Review Program Manual," which describes the certification requirements for prospective candidates, peer reviewer responsibilities, steps in the peer review process, documentation requirements, performance criteria, disciplinary actions, and various forms to be used by peer reviewers in carrying out their responsibilities.

Approved Peer Reviewers