For the purposes of clarifying the exemptions to licensing contained in RCW 18.08.410, the following brief summaries and definitions apply:

(1) RCW 18.08.410(5) grants exemption for any person to design and prepare construction documents for any residential building, regardless of area, up to but not greater than four dwelling units; or a farm building; or a structure as described in RCW 18.08.410(5).

(2) RCW 18.08.410(6) grants exemption for any person to design a building of any occupancy for up to a total building size of four thousand square feet.

(3) RCW 18.08.410(7) grants exemption for any person to design and prepare construction documents for alteration of, or repairs to, a project not greater than four thousand square feet in a building greater than four thousand square feet and when the contemplated work does not affect life safety or structural systems. The combined square footage of simultaneous projects allowances under this section shall not exceed four thousand square feet.

(4) Life safety is affected if the work contemplated includes, but is not limited to:

(a) Alteration of any fire rated construction;

(b) Alteration of any means of egress including barrier free provisions defined by the building codes;

(c) Alteration of a building such that the number of occupants in the affected space(s) would be increased.

(5) Project size is defined as the cumulative square footage of all spaces that contain altered construction in the design under consideration.

(6) Simultaneous projects are projects which have an open permit in the same building, designed or prepared by nonarchitects, the total of which may not exceed four thousand square feet.