The limit
State the limit you found, and where you found it. If you could not find it, say exactly where you looked — that answer is more useful than a guess.
Three kinds of dispute
What a planner is actually disagreeing with
1 · The arithmetic. They have a different total. Almost always because one of you included or excluded a surface the other did not. Resolvable in a minute, by comparing line items rather than totals.
2 · The classification. They agree on the areas but not on what counts — artificial turf, permeable paver, gravel. This is a genuine judgement call and often jurisdiction-specific. Not resolvable by insisting.
3 · The rule itself. They are applying a different limit, or a different code edition, than you are. The most serious, and the one where you must ask them to cite it.
Diagnosing which of the three you are in, before responding, is most of the skill.
Disagreeing with an authority
Language for each dispute type
| Type | Opening move | What you are asking for |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | I have a different total — could we compare line items? | A reconciliation, not a ruling |
| Classification | How does the County treat artificial turf for coverage? | Their rule, so you can design to it |
| The rule itself | Could you point me to the section you are applying? | A citation you can read |
Never open with “I think you are wrong.” Not because it is impolite, but because it is imprecise — you do not yet know which of the three you disagree about, and the three need different conversations. Asking a diagnostic question first costs one sentence and saves a round of corrections.
Diagnose then respond
Rewrite each blunt response as something you could actually say to a plan checker. Use the word given.
Your total is wrong. COMPARE
Artificial turf obviously is not impervious. TREAT
That is not what the code says. SECTION
Fine, I will just redesign it. PROVIDED
The disputed submittal
Three rounds, one per dispute type.
Task card
A Contra Costa County planner who does not accept your impervious surface figure
Diagnose which dispute you are in, respond appropriately, and reach a next step.
- Round 1 — they have 1,800 SF, you have 1,209. Arithmetic or classification? Find out.
- Round 2 — they count artificial turf as impervious. You disagree. Handle it.
- Round 3 — they cite a coverage limit you have never seen. Ask properly.
- Every round ends with an agreed next step, not with who was right.
Concede and hold
In round 2 you should have conceded. Did you? And did conceding there make it harder to hold your ground in round 3? Keeping those separate is the professional skill in this lesson.
Before the unit task
Homework. Assemble everything you need for the memo: both tables, the limit and its citation, and a one-line note on how the County treats artificial turf. Write nothing yet.