Texas Administrative Code
Title 26 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Part 1 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
Chapter 551 - INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY OR RELATED CONDITIONS
Subchapter D - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITY CONSTRUCTION
Section 551.60 - Construction and Initial Survey of Completed Construction

(1) The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) in Austin, Texas, must be notified in writing of construction start.

(2) All construction must be done in accordance with minimum licensing requirements. It is the sponsor's responsibility to employ qualified personnel to prepare the contract documents for construction of a new facility or remodeling of an existing facility. Contract documents for additions and remodeling and for the construction of an entirely new facility must be prepared by an architect licensed by the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE). Drawings must bear the seal of the architect. Certain parts of final plans, designs, and specifications must bear the seal of a registered professional engineer approved by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers to operate in Texas. These certain parts include sheets and sections covering structural, electrical, mechanical, and sanitary engineering.

(1) Site plan documents must include grade contours; streets (with names); north arrow; fire hydrants; fire lanes; utilities, public or private; fences; unusual site conditions, such as ditches, low water levels, other buildings on-site; and indications of buildings five feet or less beyond site property lines.

(2) Foundation plan documents must include general foundation design and details.

(3) Floor plan documents must include room names, numbers, and usages; doors (numbered) including swing; windows; legend or clarification of wall types; dimensions; fixed equipment; plumbing fixtures; and kitchen basic layout; and identification of all smoke barrier walls (outside wall to outside wall) or fire walls.

(4) For both new construction and additions or remodeling to existing buildings, an overall plan of the entire building must be drawn or reduced to fit on an 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch sheet; submit two reduced plans for file record, as described in § 551.60(c)(3) of this subchapter (relating to Construction and Initial Survey of Completed Construction).

(5) Schedules must include door materials, widths, and types; window materials, sizes, and types; room finishes; and special hardware.

(6) Elevations and roof plan must include exterior elevations, including material note indications and any roof top equipment; roof slopes, drains, and gas piping; and interior elevations where needed for special conditions.

(7) Details must include wall sections as needed (especially for special conditions); cabinet and built-in work, basic design only; cross sections through buildings as needed; and miscellaneous details and enlargements as needed.

(8) Building structure documents must include structural framing layout and details (primarily for column, beam, joist, and structural frame building); roof framing layout (when this cannot be adequately shown on cross section); cross sections in quantity and detail to show sufficient structural design and structural details as necessary to assure adequate structural design, also calculated design loads.

(9) Electrical documents must include electrical layout, including lights, convenience outlets, equipment outlets, switches, and other electrical outlets and devices; service, circuiting, distribution, and panel diagrams; exit light system (exit signs and emergency egress lighting); emergency electrical provisions (such as generators and panels); fire alarm and similar systems (such as control panel, devices, and alarms); sizes and details sufficient to assure safe and properly operating systems; and a staff communication system.

(10) Plumbing documents must include plumbing layout with pipe sizes and details sufficient to assure safe and properly operating systems, water systems, sanitary systems, gas systems, other systems normally considered under the scope of plumbing, fixtures, and provisions for combustion air supply.

(11) Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) documents must include sufficient details of HVAC systems and components to assure a safe and properly operating installation including heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning layout, ducts, protection of duct inlets and outlets, combustion air, piping, exhausts, and duct smoke or fire dampers; and equipment types, sizes, and locations.

(12) Sprinkler system documents must include plans and details of NFPA designed systems; plans and details of partial systems provided only for hazardous areas; electrical devices interconnected to the alarm system.

(13) Other layouts, plans, or details as may be necessary for a clear understanding of the design and scope of the project; including plans covering private water or sewer systems must be reviewed by the local health or wastewater authority having jurisdiction. If no local authority, then the plans will be reviewed by HHSC.

(14) Specifications must include installation techniques, quality standards, manufacturers, references to specific codes and standards, design criteria, special equipment, hardware, painting, and any others as needed to amplify drawings and notes.

(1) Upon completion of construction, including grounds and basic equipment and furnishings, a final construction inspection (initial survey) of the facility, including additions or remodeled areas, is required to be performed by HHSC prior to occupancy. The completed construction must have the written approval of the local authorities having jurisdiction, including the fire marshal, and building inspector.

(2) After the completed construction has been surveyed by a representative of the architectural section of HHSC and found acceptable, this information will be conveyed to the licensing specialist as part of the information needed to issue a license to the facility. In the case of additions or remodeling of existing facilities, a revision or modification to an existing license may be necessary. Note that the building, grades, drives, parking and grounds must be essentially 100 percent complete at the time of this initial survey visit for occupancy approval and licensing, including basic furnishings and operational needs.

(3) A copy of the following documents must be available to HHSC's surveyor at the time of the survey of the completed building:

(1) If, during the initial on-site survey of completed construction, the surveyor finds certain basic requirements not met, he or she may recommend to HHSC that the facility not yet be licensed and approved for occupancy. Such basic items may include the following:

(2) If the surveyor encounters deficiencies that do not affect the health and safety of the residents, licensure may be recommended based on an approved written plan of correction by the facility's administrator.

(3) Copies of reduced size floor plan on an 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch sheet must be submitted in duplicate to HHSC for record/file use and for such uses by the facility as evacuation planning and fire alarm zone identification. The plan must contain basic legible information such as overall dimensions, room usage names, actual bedroom numbers, doors, windows, and any other pertinent information.