Construction drawings are the bridge between your home’s design and its production. Along with your Construction Agreement, the construction drawings are both a written and graphic record of the decisions made during the project design phase. They consist of final drawings, specifications, and details and convey your home’s design intent to the contractor. They are the most concrete representation of what we mean when we say we turn your “dream into a reality.” Without a good set of construction drawings you
A Standard Set of Construction Drawings
The main purpose of construction drawings (also known as blueprints or plans) is to show what is to be built, along with the specifications that focus on materials, quality standards and installation techniques. On the other side of the spectrum when building a new home a basic set of construction drawings is all that is needed as the type of construction, the materials utilized, and installation methods are more common practice and less detail is required.
What is required to get A Permit
If anyone has told you that a permit set of drawings is all you need for a construction project, they are incorrect and have now passed that misinformation on to you.
A permit set is the minimal set of drawings and information that your local jurisdiction requires to issue a permit. They contain far less detail and information and, in most cases, no specifications for anything over and above what is required for a permit.
Benefits of A Premium Set of Construction Drawings
It is both time and cost-effective for you to be able to identify a good set of construction drawings. Getting the drawings done right the first time will save you hours in construction time and potentially thousands in avoided change orders and cost overruns.
Comprehensive construction drawings include all the basics, like floor plans, elevations, and a site plan, but also add on items such as full specifications, lighting layouts, and any additional design work, including built-ins, interior elevations, fireplace design, cabinetry and more. Without these drawings, your builder cannot know exactly what you want your home to look like, nor can he or she provide you with an accurate price. Lacking this information you’ll likely be faced with expensive change orders and costly budget overruns.
A good set of drawings will be drawn to scale, contain accurate and concise information, and will avoid duplicate or unnecessary details, which only serve to confuse the scope of work. The whole goal is to avoid misunderstandings and construction delays. Here’s what you should look for in a good set of construction drawings:
For a complete list of plan views, construction drawings, & other information please see our Plans & Drawings page.