To check that the sheet index on the cover sheet matches the plan set, compare two lists: the sheets the index claims, and the sheets actually in the PDF as read from each title block. Every index entry should have a sheet, and every sheet should have an index entry with the same number and title. SheetStamp, a Windows app from Automata Labs, builds the second list for you by reading each page’s sheet number, title and revision from the title block, flags duplicates and odd numbers, and then writes matching bookmarks and page labels.
Read every title block into one table, then bookmark the set to match.
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Why do permit offices care whether the index matches?
Because reviewers use the index to find sheets and to confirm the set is complete. Several published electronic plan check guides spell it out:
| Jurisdiction | What the guide says |
|---|---|
| City of Sacramento, California | ”This index should only bear sheets which are included in the submitted set, and all sheets included in the set should be shown in this index.” It also asks for each sheet to be bookmarked. |
| City of Gilroy, California | ”A sheet index shall be included on the cover sheet. Make sure the bookmarks in the document matches the sheet index.” |
| City of San Mateo, California | Index and bookmark and label the pages; “The index and page labels should note the sheet number as well as the title/description of each sheet.” |
Sources: City of Sacramento, EPC Submittal Guide; City of Gilroy, Electronic Plan Check Guide; City of San Mateo, eReview Submittal Requirements. Checked 22 October 2026. Always read your own jurisdiction’s current guide.
Notice that Gilroy ties the bookmarks to the index, and San Mateo ties page labels to it too. So the index, the bookmarks, the page labels and the title blocks all have to agree. Our guide to permit plan set bookmark requirements covers the bookmark rules themselves; this post is about making the index honest.
How do index and set drift apart?
Almost never through carelessness on the cover sheet itself. Usually something changed later:
- A sheet was added late, such as a new detail sheet, and the index on the cover was not updated.
- A sheet was removed from this submittal, for example a deferred submittal item, but stays listed.
- A sheet was renumbered, so the index says S-201 and the title block now says S-202.
- A title changed, such as FOUNDATION PLAN becoming FOUNDATION AND FRAMING PLAN.
- Consultant sheets were merged in from another firm’s PDF with their own numbering.
- Two files were combined and a sheet appears twice.
What is the fastest way to cross-check?
- Get the index as a list. Copy the index from the drawing file, or type it into a spreadsheet: sheet number in one column, title in the next.
- Get the set as a list. Open the combined PDF in SheetStamp and draw one rectangle around the title block on page 1. SheetStamp reads each page’s sheet number, title and revision with the text recognition built into Windows and shows them in a table.
- Fix the reads. Rows SheetStamp is unsure of come first: sheet numbers not found, low-confidence reads, duplicates, and numbers written unlike the rest of their discipline, each with the reason and the title block crop. Type over anything wrong.
- Compare the two lists side by side. Walk down the index and tick each number found in the table. Then walk down the table and tick each number found in the index. Anything unticked on either side is a mismatch.
- Compare titles too. A matching number with a different title usually means one of them is out of date.
- Fix the source, not just the PDF. Update the cover sheet index in the drawing file, or the sheets, and re-export.
- Write the bookmarks and labels. Once the lists agree, have SheetStamp write a new PDF with bookmarks such as “A-101 - FIRST FLOOR PLAN” and page labels, so they match the index too.
SheetStamp does not read the index on your cover sheet or compare the lists automatically, and it has no CSV or spreadsheet export of the sheet list. Steps 1, 4 and 5 are yours. What it removes is paging through the set to build the second list, which is the slow part on a large set.
Turn title blocks into a checked list in minutes, not a page-by-page read.
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What does a mismatch look like?
Here is a small example from a cross-check:
| Index says | Set contains | Result |
|---|---|---|
| A-101 FIRST FLOOR PLAN | A-101 FIRST FLOOR PLAN | Match |
| A-102 SECOND FLOOR PLAN | A-102 SECOND FLOOR PLAN | Match |
| A-501 DETAILS | (not in set) | Listed but missing: add the sheet or remove the entry |
| (not listed) | A-502 DETAILS | In set but unlisted: add it to the index |
| S-201 FOUNDATION PLAN | S-201 FOUNDATION AND FRAMING PLAN | Title out of date on one side |
| E-101 LIGHTING PLAN | E-101 on two pages | Duplicate page: SheetStamp flags it |
Duplicates are the one case SheetStamp flags without your index, because the same sheet number appearing twice is wrong in any set.
What about sheet numbering itself?
A cross-check is easier when numbers follow one pattern per discipline. SheetStamp flags numbers written unlike the rest of their discipline, such as A101 among A-1xx sheets, which often points to a sheet pulled in from an older set. Our explainer on construction drawing sheet numbers covers common schemes, and plan set page labels explains why the viewer’s page box should show the sheet number.
What will SheetStamp not do?
- It does not edit your cover sheet or regenerate the index.
- It reads one title block zone per set; a sheet with its title block elsewhere is flagged for you to type.
- Text recognition can miss very short marks, such as a one-letter revision or a sheet number like T1. A missed sheet number is flagged; a missed letter revision is not.
- Page labels show in Adobe Acrobat; some viewers, including browser viewers, ignore page labels but still show the bookmarks.
Your original PDF is never changed, nothing is uploaded, and there is no account or sign-in.
Frequently asked questions
Do all permit offices require the index to match?
We cannot speak for every jurisdiction. The three guides above say so plainly, and a reviewer anywhere will notice a missing sheet. Check your own office’s guide.
Should the index include sheets that are deferred submittals?
Follow your jurisdiction’s guidance. Sacramento’s wording is that the index should only bear sheets included in the submitted set.
Can SheetStamp read scanned sets?
Yes. It reads the title block as an image, so scans and PDFs exported from drawing software are read the same way.
Does it need Acrobat?
No. It runs on Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) and Windows 11, on x64 and Arm64.
Try SheetStamp
SheetStamp is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store with a free trial, so you can read your current set before you buy. More detail is on the SheetStamp product page.
Check the set against its index, then bookmark it the way reviewers expect.
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Last updated 22 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.