Drawings returned with comments mean extra weeks before the building permit, imported equipment waiting at the port, and a delayed operating schedule. Most MODON comments on factory drawings are not about complex engineering errors but recurring causes that can be avoided by reviewing the file against MODON's guides before upload. This guide sets out six categories of common comments, the site plan, safety, special activities, coordination, energy efficiency and details, with a practical method to reduce them and a checklist before upload.
1. The Site Plan
Non-compliant setbacks, entrances unsuited to truck movement, or insufficient parking. Solution: start the design from the building requirements guide. Read: Building requirements in industrial cities and Factory internal roads.
2. Safety
Incomplete alarm and fire-fighting systems, or inadequate escape routes for production halls. Because the operating licence later requires a safety drawing approved by MODON, addressing safety early is essential. See our safety systems design review service, and read: Civil defense requirements for factories.
3. Activities With Special Requirements
MODON's conditions list facilities that manufacture or store flammable compressed gases, facilities with smelting and high-temperature activities, and facilities with industrial boilers. Not showing what these activities need in the drawings is a recurring cause of comments. MODON also has a special guide to compressed gas cylinder requirements.
4. Coordination Between Disciplines
Clashes between the structure and AC routes, cranes or pipes. Read: Clashes between drawings.
5. Energy Efficiency
Overlooking the energy efficiency requirements for factories that MODON has included in its guides, especially insulation, lighting and air conditioning. See our energy efficiency design service.
6. Missing Details
Insufficient sections and details for industrial floors, foundations or connections, or structural calculations that do not include crane and equipment loads. Read: Why are structural drawings rejected?.
Table: The Comment and Its Source in the File
| Comment category | Discipline concerned | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Setbacks, entrances and parking | Site plan | Building requirements guide |
| Alarm, fire-fighting and escape | Safety | Safety guides and SBC 801 |
| Gases, smelting and boilers | Safety and mechanical | MODON's special conditions |
| Structure and services clashes | Structural and MEP | Coordination between disciplines |
| Insulation and lighting | Architectural and electrical | Energy efficiency requirements |
A Method That Reduces Comments
- An internal checklist based on MODON's guides.
- A coordination review between disciplines.
- Addressing all comments in one go and documenting them.
- A written response to each comment indicating where the change is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who addresses the comments?
The engineering office that prepared the drawings and submitted them for approval.
Do comments affect the schedule?
Yes, every round adds time. Read: MODON building permit duration.
Do comments differ by type of industry?
Yes, food and chemical factories, for example, have their own comments. Read: Food factory requirements.
What if the same comment keeps recurring?
It usually means the fix was partial; review the root of the problem, not just the symptom.
Do the comments apply to expansions?
Yes, expansions are reviewed against the same requirements. Read: Factory expansion in MODON.
How Abak Engineering Consultancy Helps
Abak is an accredited engineering office that prepares factory drawings for MODON with a checklist based on the authority's guides, a coordination review between disciplines, and quick handling of comments. See our MODON drawings review and approval service, or contact us.
Regulatory information is based on the Balady platform and the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, and procedures may be updated by the competent authority. Last reviewed: October 2026.
