What's new
Changelog
Every change that makes CrossBeam better for the cities and builders who use it, written up the night it ships.
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Laguna Beach plugin and new MCP requirements tools
The public Laguna Beach plugin is now generated from CrossBeam's current city rules, with the City's checklists, plan-set kinds and fee math, and is checked for drift. The MCP server adds tools to fetch a permit-drawings skill and a city's review requirements, and drawings can be handed to a city plugin to fill forms.
Laguna site plan scores north arrow and legend separately
Laguna Beach's Planning screener now checks the site plan's north arrow and its legend as two items, so a plan that shows north but lacks a legend no longer fails the north arrow too. Both still mark the same row on the City form.
Marked-application download shows live progress
In the Planning screener's Applicant Email tab, the marked-application button now shows a spinner with its current step and a seconds counter ("Filling the City form... 14s"). A failure turns the button red with the reason until the next try.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
PreCheck assistant answers questions about the whole flow
Applicants on a city's PreCheck page get real answers about submitting, rounds, re-checks, corrections and FastPass instead of "I don't have information". The assistant draws on a built-in guide to the PreCheck flow and opens the relevant help-library page when it needs more detail.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Repeat reviews skip needless plan re-downloads
A second review on an already-prepared workspace no longer re-downloads every plan sheet. A link setup bug created a looping folder that failed the asset check; links are now replaced in place, so back-to-back runs start sooner.
Address suggestions span the full field on phones
The address suggestion list on the PreCheck form now matches the full width of the address field, including the city tag, at every screen size instead of running short on phones.
Friday, October 2, 2026
Email typo check, round numbers and a Re-check button
The PreCheck form now suggests a fix for near-miss email domains like gmial.com, and the Terms step fits phones with the checkbox in a sticky footer. Receipts, status pages and emails show Round 2 of 3 for this address, and results have a Re-check your revised plans button showing free rounds left.
Thursday, October 1, 2026
TIFF scans accepted for review
Applicants can upload TIFF scans on every intake flow. Each multi-page TIFF is converted to a PDF page by page and reviewed like any other plan set, and the file picker and upload copy now list PDF, JPG, PNG or TIFF.
PreCheck intake skips empty files and fits phones
A 0-byte file is now left out as it is added, with a message naming it, so the rest of the plan set submits instead of failing at the upload check. On phones the form fields start on screen, and the page now passes accessibility checks for landmarks, headings and the address list.
PreCheck checks every file as you add it
Each uploaded file is now checked the moment it is added: unreadable files get a red marker and a specific fix, such as plotting DWG drawings to PDF. A summary offers to remove unsupported files, and Submit stays disabled until they are gone.
Tenant improvement and multi-unit sets get dedicated reviews
When the AI review identifies a plan set as a commercial or restaurant tenant improvement or a multi-unit building, it now runs that permit type's dedicated review instead of the residential worksheet. Unlabeled full drawing sets get the full worksheet review rather than a counter-form check.
Project data trimmed to what each viewer needs
Project detail responses now return only the review data a viewer needs. Internal processing details are limited to platform administrators, so owners, applicants and city viewers see a leaner, cleaner payload.
Expired PreCheck sign-in links lead to a fresh link
An applicant who opens an expired or already-used emailed sign-in link now lands on their city's PreCheck intake page with the resend form open, instead of a password login they never set up. If the browser is already signed in, they go straight to their results.
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Laguna Planning letters keep their Missing Information section
Laguna Beach Planning letters now list missing submittals in a dedicated Missing Information section built from the review's findings. Before, the section was improvised and dropped from some letters.
Laguna Beach SB 9 and major remodel rules updated
Laguna Beach SB 9 checks now require an approved, final Coastal Development Permit, not a pending one. Remodel, addition, reroof and demolition reviews follow the June 2026 Major Remodel handout, counting walls per floor and per structure, and staff contacts point to the City contact form.
Building letter export includes missing information and comments
The Building letterhead export now carries Missing Information items and general comments, not just corrections. Following the City's own letters, they share one numbered list with the corrections under the structural and non-structural sections.
Filled Sign Permit Application for Laguna Beach sign filings
When a Laguna Beach sign filing arrives on the retired Planning Application or without signatures, staff can return the City's July 2026 Sign Permit Application pre-filled from the submittal, with each signature the applicant owes highlighted.
Laguna Beach references refreshed from the City site
Laguna Beach reference material now matches the City's current site: new ADU and SB 9 application numbers, three new applications, the latest public hearing notices and CDP exemption list, and recent monthly building reports, so answers and screenings cite current forms.