Help

Everything you need to get beams on your drawings checked and sealed: how to set up your drawings, what to upload, and what each step and question means. Can't find it? Ask us or call 705-704-9393.

The steps at a glance

Create a project for the permit set: a name or job number and the site address.
Upload the drawing set as one PDF, exported from your drawing program.
Choose the beams to be sealed from the list of beams found on the drawings.
Check what was read and answer the questions. Each value shows the sheet it came from. Anything unclear comes back as a plain question.
Choose who seals it (BCIN qualified designer or P.Eng.), pay and submit.
A sealer reviews, calculates and seals the beams. You get an email and download the sealed drawings and reports.

The better the drawings, the better the read. Clear tags, labels, dimensions and load notes mean fewer questions and a faster review. The detailing checklist covers what we look for. Every question also tells you what to change on the drawings so it isn't asked next time.

Your account and team

Create an account with your email and confirm it from the email we send you. Your account belongs to your company, so everyone on your team sees the same projects.

To add a teammate, open Account (your name, top right of the app) and invite them by email. They get a link to set their own password.

Detail for a clean read

The reader works the way a designer reads a framing plan: it finds the beam's tag, follows the beam to its supports, and reads the joists, dimensions and load notes around it. Each of these helps:

Beam tags and labels

Start every beam label with a tag: B-1 3-PLY 2X10 SPF#2 (DP, 1-SP). Tags are 1 to 3 letters, a dash and a number (B-1, FB-2, LB-10).
Give the size, species and grade: 2-PLY 1 3/4"X11 7/8" LVL, W150X37 for steel.
End the label with the span count: (DP, 1-SP) for one span, (DP, 2-SP) for continuous over one post.
Put the label on or right beside its beam, not off to the side with a leader.
If you use a beam schedule, keep the sizes in it the same as the labels.

Beams and supports

Draw beams at their real width (two lines). Single lines are read too, but bearing can't be checked.
Draw every post and column at its real size, with a label: 6X6 POST, 3-PLY 2X6 BUILT-UP POST, 3 1/2" STEEL COL.
Stop the beam line at the post unless it really overhangs. A line that runs past the post is read as a cantilever.
Label posts from the floor above differently (for example POST ABOVE) so they are not taken as supports.

Joists

Show the joists landing on each side of the beam, or a joist note with a span arrow: 2X10 SPF#2 @ 16" O.C.
Dimension from the beam to the next bearing on each side. These dimensions give the joist spans when joists are not drawn.
Draw what the joists bear on at their far end: a wall, beam or ledger.
The reader never guesses joists from stray lines. If it can't read them, it asks you.

Loads

Wall loads: LINE LOAD D=200 L=0 S=350 PLF with a leader to the wall line.
Posts from above: POINT LOAD D=1200 L=800 S=2400 LBS with a leader ending where the post lands.
Keep the climatic & design load table on the set (location, snow, wind). Type it rather than pasting a picture.

Scale, dimensions and revisions

Print a scale under every plan view, directly below its title: 1/4" = 1'-0", 3/16" = 1'.
If you resize a view on the sheet, update its scale label. Lengths are measured with it and checked against your dimensions.
Dimension the beam spans, post to post.
Fill in the revision table on every sheet, and write dates so they can't be misread: 2026-10-19 or Oct 19, 2026.

Export the PDF

Upload the whole set as one PDF, exported straight from your drawing program. An exported PDF keeps every line and word as drawing data that can be measured. Printing to a "PDF printer" often turns sheets into pictures, which can't be measured.

Program	How to export
Chief Architect	From the layout: File › Export › Export PDF. Not File › Print to a PDF printer.
AutoCAD	Plot each layout with the DWG To PDF.pc3 plotter, or use Export › PDF. Publish to combine the sheets into one file.
Revit	File › Export › PDF, with Vector processing, and combine the sheets into one file.
SketchUp LayOut	Set the model viewports to Vector or Hybrid rendering, then File › Export › PDF.
Vectorworks	File › Export › Export PDF.
Other programs	Use the program's own Export or Save as PDF command, not a printer.

After you upload, the Drawing set card shows framing sheets are vector when the set can be measured. If any framing sheet is partly images, re-export it and upload again. Site plans and renderings that are pictures don't matter.

Hand drawings and scans can't be measured. Talk to us first.
Up to 120 MB. Don't password-protect the file.
We read PDF only for now, not DWG or DXF.

Upload the set

On Your projects, enter a project name or job number and the site address, and press New project.
In the Drawing set card, drag the PDF onto the box or choose the file, and press Upload drawing set.
The whole set is read: sheets, dates, revision tables, schedules and notes. Pictures with text in them (pasted schedules, tables) take a minute or two longer. The page refreshes by itself.

Changed the drawings? Upload the corrected PDF the same way. The beams you chose are measured again on it, your answers carry over where the same question comes up, and values you typed in are kept. If the new drawing says something different from a value you typed, you're asked which is right.

Choose the beams

Open Choose beams from the drawings in the Members card. It lists every tagged beam found on the set, with its label and sheet. Tick the beams you want sealed and press the button to add them. Each beam is found on its sheet and measured.

Don't see a beam? It probably has no tag, or its label doesn't start with one. The Questions about the set list shows labels found without a tag. Tag them and upload again.

Check what was read

Click a beam to open it. On the left is the input schedule: every value used in the calculation (size, span, supports, joist spans, tributary width, loads), each with the sheet and spot it came from. On the right is the sheet, with the beam outlined in red. Click a row to show where that value came from (orange).

To correct a value, press edit on its row. Lengths are entered in feet and inches, the way they read on the drawing: 11'-9", 5'-8 1/2". A plain number is read as millimetres. Saying why is optional.
Values you type in are marked entered, so your sealer knows to check them.
A value marked not measured couldn't be read. Enter it by hand.
If several values are wrong, it's usually quicker to fix the drawing and upload it again.

Answer the questions

When something on the drawings is unclear, you get a question instead of a guess. Questions come in three kinds:

must answer Without it, the beam can't be calculated, so you can't submit until it's answered.
please check Something to check. Your sealer sees your answer.
for your information Nothing to decide. Answer "Noted".

Many questions have one-tap answers. Otherwise, type your answer and press Answer & close. If you answered by correcting a value in the input schedule, you can leave the box blank. The record then lists the values you entered.

Under each question, What does this mean? explains it and tells you what to change on the drawings so it doesn't come up again.

Every question explained

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Climatic data and revision

Climatic data. Snow and wind loads come from the climatic & design load table on your drawings. Press Read from the drawings in the Climatic data card. If the drawings don't show it, choose the location and the values come from OBC Supplementary Standard SB-1. You're asked if your table differs from SB-1.

Set date and revision. The print date and revision are read from your title blocks and revision tables. Check them in the Drawing set card. The sealed documents name the revision they cover, so they must be right.

Pay and submit

Choose who seals it: a BCIN qualified designer (Building Structural category) or a professional engineer (P.Eng.). The price is shown before you pay.
Tick that you've read the terms. The independent sealer who takes the project is responsible for what they seal.
Add a note for the sealer if you like, and press Pay and submit. You pay by card on a secure Stripe page and come back to the project.

Prices: BCIN $195 for the first beam and $95 for each additional beam. P.Eng. $295 for the first beam and $175 for each additional beam. Plus HST. The first-member price is the minimum per submission. Submitting locks the project while it is reviewed.

After you submit

Submitted	Waiting for a sealer to take it. You get an email when one does.
In review	A sealer has it and is checking every value against your drawings. The project page shows who and when it's due.
More information needed	The sealer has a question. You get an email. Answer it, correct the values or upload corrected drawings, and press Resubmit to your sealer. The same sealer carries on.
Approved / sealing	The beams passed and the seal is being applied.
Issued	Your sealed documents are ready. You get an email.

Need a change after submitting? Press Start a new revision on the project page. What you submitted stays on record. A beam sealed on an earlier revision of the same project is re-sealed at 50% of its price.

Sealed documents

When the project is issued, download from the project page:

Drawings (stamped): your drawing set with the seal on the sheets of the sealed beams, each beam marked.
Full report: the calculation for every sealed beam, every input cited to its sheet.
Reduced report: one page per beam, for the permit package.

Every seal carries a verification code and QR code. The building department can scan it to see which beams, which address and which revision it covers, and check that the file hasn't been changed. Send the files exactly as downloaded. Any change shows when the seal is checked.

Questions and answers

What files can I upload?

One PDF of the whole drawing set, exported from your drawing program, up to 120 MB. We don't read DWG or DXF files yet. See Export the PDF.

Can I upload scanned or hand-drawn plans?

Scans are pictures, so nothing can be measured from them. Call 705-704-9393 and we'll talk about your options.

What can be checked and sealed?

Beams and lintels: wood (sawn lumber, built-up plies, LVL and other engineered wood) and steel wide-flange (W) beams. Joists, posts and footings are not sealed through this service. Ask us if you need them.

Should I choose a BCIN designer or a P.Eng.?

For a house or small building under Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code, a BCIN qualified designer with the Building Structural category can seal the beams. Choose a P.Eng. if your building department asks for an engineer, or if the building is outside Part 9. If you're not sure, ask your building department.

Why wasn't my beam found?

Its label needs to start with a tag like B-1, and sit on or right beside the beam. Beams without tags are listed under Questions about the set. See Detail for a clean read.

A value is wrong. What do I do?

Press edit on the row and enter the right value, in feet and inches. If the drawing itself is unclear or wrong, fix it and upload it again. That's usually better, because the sealed drawings show what you uploaded.

Do I enter feet and inches or millimetres?

Feet and inches: 11'-9", 5'-8 1/2", 16". A plain number is read as millimetres. Calculations are done in metric, and both are shown.

Why can't I submit?

The message tells you what's missing: usually a must answer question still open, a drawing set not uploaded, no beams chosen, or the terms box not ticked.

What if a member doesn't pass the sealer's review?

The sealer tells you what fails and why. Revise the drawings, upload the set again and resubmit: that member is re-checked once free. Other members on the new revision are priced as usual.

How long does it take?

Sealed within 24 working hours of a sealer accepting your project. Most projects are accepted the same working day. The project page shows when your sealed documents are due, and you get an email when a sealer accepts it, at each question, and when it is sealed. The clock pauses while a question waits for your answer, and resumes when you answer. Working hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern, not counting Ontario statutory holidays.

What if a beam doesn't pass?

The sealer won't seal a beam that fails. They tell you why, so you can change the beam on the drawings and resubmit.

Can I change something after I submit?

While a sealer is reviewing it, the project is locked. If the sealer asks you a question, it opens for your answer. Otherwise, press Start a new revision once it's back with you. A beam sealed on an earlier revision is re-sealed at 50% of its price.

How do I pay? Can I get a receipt?

By card on a secure Stripe page when you submit. Stripe emails your receipt. Prices are fixed per beam and shown before you pay.

What if a beam doesn't pass? Is there a refund?

The app checks every beam before you pay and shows whether it passes, so you know ahead of time. The price pays for the review, whatever the result, so it is not refunded when a beam fails review. Change the size on the drawings and upload the set again. If no sealer takes your project for review, you get a full refund.

Who is responsible for the seal?

The sealer who takes your project: an independent P.Eng. or BCIN qualified designer, checked by us against the public registry. They review every value and seal under their own name. See the terms.

How does the building department know the seal is real?

Every seal has a verification code and QR code. Anyone can check it at /verify and see the address, revision and beams it covers. If your copy shows a different address, revision or beams, the code does not cover it.

Can my team work on the same projects?

Yes. Invite them from your Account page. Everyone in your company sees the same projects.

Who sees my drawings?

Your team, the sealer who takes your project, and our staff. Building officials see only what the verification page shows. See the privacy policy.

Ask us

Didn't find your answer? Send us your question and we'll reply by email. Or call 705-704-9393.