To check a permit resubmittal, compare the new set with the previous submittal sheet by sheet, list every change, and match each one to a review comment, so nothing slips through unclouded and nothing changes that the reviewer did not ask about. Drawing Revision Delta does the comparing on Windows: it pairs the two submittals by sheet number, ranks the most changed sheets first, clouds every difference, and lists edited notes and dimensions in words, so the applicant can check before upload and the reviewer can check after.
Many electronic plan review standards ask resubmittals to keep the same sheet numbers, page size and order as the first submittal. That is exactly what makes a sheet-by-sheet comparison reliable.
Compare the resubmittal against the last submittal and see every change, clouded or not.
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What do jurisdictions ask of a resubmittal?
Requirements vary, so always read your jurisdiction’s standard. Two published examples:
| Requirement | Napa County, California | City of Longview, Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet numbers on resubmittal | Bookmarked exactly as the original | Same sheet reference number as the initial submission |
| Page order | No newly inserted, omitted or reordered pages | Page size, orientation and drawing scale the same as before |
| File naming | Versioned names such as PlansVer1, PlansVer2 | Same file name with the submission number incremented, such as Rev001, Rev002 |
| Bookmarks | One per sheet with sheet number and title, not nested | One per sheet with sheet reference number and optional title |
| File limit | One PDF, 250 MB maximum | 250 MB maximum |
Sources: Napa County, Electronic Submittal Standards, and City of Longview, Digital Plan Submission Standards, checked on 17 October 2026.
Stable sheet numbers across submittals are the key. They let both sides line up sheet A2.1 from the first submittal with A2.1 from the second.
Why compare the whole set, not just the clouded sheets?
Clouds are drawn by people, and people miss things. A drafter fixes a comment on one sheet and a referenced detail moves on another. A door schedule updates. A dimension changes because of a coordination fix nobody mentioned. The reviewer then approves a set that differs from what they reviewed.
Comparing the whole set catches:
- Unclouded changes. Edits with no cloud or delta tag.
- Changes outside the comments. Revisions the reviewer did not ask for, which may need their own review.
- Missed responses. A comment the narrative says was addressed, on a sheet that did not change.
- New and removed sheets. Even where the standard says not to add or omit pages, it happens.
See find unclouded changes on drawings for more on why clouds alone are not enough.
How does an applicant check a resubmittal before upload?
- Gather the last submitted PDF exactly as it was uploaded, not a newer working copy.
- Export the resubmittal with the same sheet numbers, page size and order.
- Compare in Drawing Revision Delta. Add the previous submittal as the earlier set and the resubmittal as the later one. Sheets pair by the sheet number in each title block.
- Mask the title block. Choose Mask title block so the new date, revision letter and initials do not flag every sheet.
- Compare all and sort. Most changed first puts the sheets with the most change at the top. Sheets with no change can be set aside with Changed only.
- Match changes to comments. Step through each sheet in Overlay, Blink or Side by side. Red was only in the earlier submittal, blue is new. Edited notes and dimensions are listed in words, such as 2x6 to 2x8.
- Cloud what was missed. Save clouded set writes the resubmittal sheets with an editable revision cloud around every change. Use it to check your own clouds, or as the basis for them.
- Keep the record. changes.csv lists one row per change, which makes a good start on a comment response table.
Check your next resubmittal before upload, free for 15 days.
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How does a plan reviewer use the comparison?
A reviewer’s question is simpler: what changed since I last looked? The same comparison answers it. The change report opens with a ranked changed-sheet list and has a section for each compared sheet, and sheet-summary.csv gives one row per sheet. Sheets that did not change, and were not supposed to, can be confirmed in seconds. Sheets that changed without a matching comment response get a closer look.
Two cautions for reviewers. First, a comparison tool shows differences; it does not judge code compliance. Second, keep using your review platform for comments and approval stamps. Drawing Revision Delta is for finding changes, not for issuing the review.
What should a comment response table include?
Reviewers commonly ask for a written response to each comment, and read it beside the sheets. A clear table saves a round:
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Comment number | S-4 |
| Comment text, short | Header size at grid C/4 |
| Response | Header revised to match calculations |
| Sheet and detail | S2.1, detail 5 |
| Clouded and tagged | Yes, delta 2 |
| Other changes on the sheet | None, or a short note |
The last column is where a set comparison earns its keep. changes.csv gives you every change per sheet, so an honest “other changes” entry takes minutes, not a guess.
What can trip up a comparison?
| Problem | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet numbers changed between submittals | Sheets pair by title or file name, or not at all | Pair selected sets any pair by hand |
| Different plot margins or scale | Everything looks shifted | Alignment corrects shift, rotation and scale, with local stretch correction |
| A scanned earlier submittal | No PDF text for edited words | Changes still show as clouded regions; title block numbers are read with Windows text recognition |
| Title block changes on every sheet | Every sheet looks changed | Mask the title block |
| Tiny hatch or line weight differences | Noise in the list | Set sensitivity to Ignore small differences |
When is a different tool better?
If your team already reviews in a platform with built-in compare and you only need the occasional overlay, that may be enough. Our page on overlay compare for PDF drawings discusses overlays in general. For jurisdictions that run their own e-plan review software, use it for comments, markups and approvals, and use a set comparison for the change check.
Frequently asked questions
Does Drawing Revision Delta check code compliance?
No. It finds and lists differences between two sets. Whether a change complies is for the designer and the reviewer.
Can it compare a resubmittal where pages were reordered?
Yes. Sheets are matched by the sheet number in the title block, in any file or page order, and sheets found in only one submittal are listed as new or removed.
Does it need the CAD files?
No. It compares PDFs, scans and TIFF, PNG, JPEG and BMP images.
Can I give the clouded set to the reviewer?
Yes. clouded-set.pdf contains the later sheets, unchanged, with an editable cloud markup around every change. Check your jurisdiction’s rules before uploading anything other than the official set.
Does it upload the plans?
No. It runs on your PC with no account, no sign-in and no telemetry.
Try Drawing Revision Delta
Drawing Revision Delta is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, with a 15-day free trial. Compare your last two submittals and see what changed. For more, see compare drawing revisions, automatic revision clouds, or the Drawing Revision Delta product page.
Submit a resubmittal that changes what it says it changes.
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Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Other names are trademarks of their owners. Drawing Revision Delta is not affiliated with or endorsed by any jurisdiction or vendor named here.
Last updated 17 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.