Revit Error Explained6 min read

Revit Plan Region errors: overlapping, nested and invalid sketches

What each Plan Region error means, how to redraw the boundary so Revit accepts it, and why a valid region sometimes changes nothing in the plan.

Updated: October 2026·Revit 2023 - 2027

Revit warning

The boundaries of the highlighted Plan Regions overlap.

Revit error

Cannot have nested Plan Regions.

Revit error

Plan region is invalid. The sketch of a plan region may not contain intersecting, overlapping or nested loops.

Revit warning

Deleted level was used to define plan region's view range. Replace deleted level by level of parent view and adjust offset?

Quick answer

Rules Revit enforces: plan regions in one view may touch but not overlap, one region may not sit inside another, and the sketch of a single region may not contain loops that cross, overlap or sit inside each other. Shared (coincident) edges are allowed.

Fastest fix: select the highlighted regions, Edit Boundary on one of them and pull its edge back to the neighbour's edge. If two regions need the same View Range, delete one and draw a single region with several separate loops.

01Overlapping Regions

"The boundaries of the highlighted Plan Regions overlap."

Each point of a plan can have only one local View Range, so two plan regions in the same view may not cover the same area. The warning usually appears after copying a region, after Edit Boundary on one of two neighbours, or when a view template or duplicate view brings in regions that were drawn separately.

Fix

Edit the boundary of one region and snap its edge to the edge of the other so they share a line instead of crossing. If both regions use the same View Range, delete one and extend the other.

Quick Check

Regions that only touch along an edge are fine. Any shared area, even a sliver from an unsnapped line, triggers the warning.

02Nested Regions

"Cannot have nested Plan Regions."

A plan region drawn completely inside another one would create a View Range inside a View Range, which Revit does not support. This is common when a mezzanine region is drawn first and a larger split-level region later.

Fix

Redraw the outer region so its boundary goes around the inner one, leaving the inner area as its own region with a shared edge. Alternatively give the inner area the parent view's View Range and only use one region.

Quick Check

If one region's outline is entirely inside the other's, it is nested even if their edges never cross.

03Invalid Sketch

"Plan region is invalid": crossing or nested loops in one sketch

One plan region can contain several separate closed loops, but those loops may not cross each other, overlap or sit inside one another. A duplicate line on top of another, a tiny overlap at a corner, or a loop drawn inside a larger loop all make the sketch invalid when you click Finish.

Fix

In Edit Boundary, zoom into the corners Revit highlights. Delete duplicate lines, close corners with Trim/Extend to Corner (TR), and move any inner loop into its own region.

Quick Check

Revit highlights the problem lines in the sketch. If nothing is visible, window-select the corner: two lines selected means a duplicate.

04Deleted Levels

A deleted level was used in the plan region's View Range

A plan region's View Range can reference other levels, for example Level Above as Top. When that level is deleted, Revit offers to replace it with the level of the parent view and keep an offset. Accepting is safe, but the resulting offsets are rarely what you want.

Fix

Accept the replacement, then select the region, open its View Range and set the planes again against the remaining levels.

Quick Check

After deleting or renaming levels, check every plan region in the affected plans, not only the views.

05Region Has No Effect

The region is valid but the plan does not change

A plan region changes the view range only for the area it covers. Users frequently report that a stair or ramp only cuts correctly when the region covers the whole element, not part of it. A region whose own View Range equals the parent view's also changes nothing, and a hidden region boundary keeps working while you cannot see it.

Fix

Extend the region to cover the whole element, then open the region's View Range (select the region > View Range > Edit) and compare it with the view's. Use Reveal Hidden Elements to find regions whose boundary was hidden.

Quick Check

Plan Region is an annotation category in Visibility/Graphics. Turning it off hides the boundary, not the effect.

For the plane order inside a region (Top, Cut Plane, Bottom, View Depth) and the reflected ceiling plan rules, see the Revit view range guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can two Revit plan regions share an edge?

Yes. Plan regions may touch along a shared edge. They may not overlap or sit inside each other, which is what the overlap and nested errors report.

Can one plan region have several separate areas?

Yes. One plan region can contain several closed loops as long as they do not cross, overlap or sit inside each other. This is the cleanest way to apply the same View Range to several separate areas.

Do plan regions work in reflected ceiling plans?

Yes. Plan regions can be used in ceiling plans as well. In a ceiling plan the region's View Range follows the ceiling plan rules, so View Depth has to be at or above Top.

How do I find a plan region I cannot see?

Turn on Reveal Hidden Elements in the View Control Bar and check Visibility/Graphics > Annotation Categories > Plan Region. A hidden region keeps changing the view range even though its boundary is not drawn.

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