Plain English: Plain English Breakdown
Permit & duration (110.1): Temporary uses/equipment/systems require a permit and are time-limited (max 180 days); extensions allowed for cause.
Conformance (110.2): "Temporary" ≠ "anything goes." Installations must meet the IMC to the extent needed for health, safety, and welfare.
Temporary utilities (110.3): AHJ may authorize temporary service utilities (see Section 109).
Termination (110.4): AHJ can terminate and order discontinuance if unsafe, noncompliant, or beyond scope/time.
On Plans: Why It Matters in Design & Construction
Temp heat/cool, negative air, construction dehumidification, temp boilers/chillers, or generators are often critical to schedule - but the AHJ can pull the plug if they're not permitted, safe, or properly vented. Plan the temporary system like you would a permanent one: combustion air and venting/clearances, electrical capacity and OCPD, fuel storage and CO/NOx control, make-up air for negative pressure, and removal/restore at the end.
Field Tip: Field Tip
Submit a 1-page temporary plan with your permit request:
1. Purpose & duration (start/end, requested extension trigger).
2. Equipment & fuel (models, input, listing, MI pages).
3. Life safety (venting path, clearances, CO monitors, make-up air, spill/containment).
4. Power (source, feeder/OCPD, GFCI where required).
5. Controls & supervision (lockout/tagout, daily check log, shutdown criteria).
6. Decommissioning (removal, patching, firestop restoration, cleaning).
Coordinate temporary utility authorization with the AHJ before energizing.
If you'd like my Temporary Systems Playbook (1-page) for submittals and site checks, comment "TEMP" and I'll share it.
Masterbuild QA Lens
Treat administration sections as permit-risk control. The code path, AHJ authority, construction document limits, inspection basis, and revision trail need to be clear before the team is under deadline pressure.
Drawing / Submittal Check
Verify the permit set explains scope, discipline responsibility, applicable code edition, deferred items, existing-condition assumptions, and any AHJ coordination that affects the work.
Common Review Risk
Many delays come from process ambiguity, not engineering complexity. If the reviewer cannot tell what is new, existing, deferred, or outside scope, the response cycle gets longer.
When To Escalate
Escalate when an AHJ comment changes scope, when field work has moved ahead of approved documents, or when the requested response could create design responsibility outside the current agreement.
Kitchen Exhaust Coordination
For kitchen exhaust, tie the hood schedule, appliance lineup, grease duct route, cleanouts, fan discharge, fire suppression interface, and make-up air strategy into one reviewable story.