CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
Permit-Ready Drawings & Specifications
Embedded Files
Need Building Plans?
Working Drawings for Construction
Working Drawings for Construction
What's Included
Construction details — enlarged drawings of assemblies
Schedules — doors, windows, finishes, and equipment
Code compliance — ADA accessibility, fire safety, energy code information
When You Need Construction Documents
When You Need Construction Documents
Ready to pull building permits
Seeking accurate contractor bids on a defined scope
Converting building use (residential to commercial, retail to restaurant)
Planning additions, renovations, or new construction
About Construction Drawings
About Construction Drawings
Construction drawings or construction documents also called a permit set is a package of scaled, dimensioned drawings submitted to a building department to obtain a building permit and guide contractors with construction.
A Typical Construction Document Set Includes:
A Typical Construction Document Set Includes:
Cover Sheet
Architectural Site Plan
Floor Plans
Elevations
Building Sections
Wall Sections
Details
Foundation Plan
Roof Framing Plans
Engineers are required.
Structural and MEP
Mechanical Plans
Electrical Plans
Plumbing Plans
Cover Sheet
Cover Sheet
The architectural cover sheet is the first drawing in a construction set. For the building department its purpose is identification, organization, and code reference for the entire drawing package.
Site Plan
Site Plan
Architectural Site Plan drawing is a top-down, scaled, bird's-eye view map detailing the entire property layout, including existing features and proposed structures.
Floor Plans
Floor Plans
The Architectural floor plans are detailed, scaled, top-down diagrams (typically cut 4-5 feet above the floor) that illustrate the layout of a building's interior spaces.
Elevations
Elevations
Architectural elevations are 2D, orthographic, scaled drawings showing the vertical, exterior faces of a building—North, South, East, and West—from a straight-on perspective.
Building Sections
Building Sections
Architectural building sections are drawings that represent a vertical cut through a building, revealing its internal structure, materials, and vertical dimensions from foundation to roof.
Wall Details
Wall Details
Wall details are scale, vertical cut-through drawings that illustrate the precise assembly, material layers, structural connections, and waterproofing of a wall from foundation to roof.
Window / Door Details
Window / Door Details
Window and door details provide essential technical specifications—dimensions, materials, glazing, hardware, and installation methods.
Foundation Plans
Foundation Plans
Architectural foundation plans provide a top-down, bird's-eye view of a building's sub-grade structural support system.
Roof Framing Plan
Roof Framing Plan
Roof framing drawings provide a top-down, structural view of a building’s roof system, showing the layout, sizing, spacing, and materials for trusses, rafters, joists, and beams.
Schematic Electric Plans
Schematic Electric Plans
Electric Plans are preliminary, 2D layout drawings that define the general location of electrical components (outlets, switches, fixtures) within a building's floor plan.
Mechanical Plans
Mechanical Plans
Mechanical Plans (often labeled M-series) is a technical drawing outlining a building's Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. It shows the layout of ductwork, vents, pipes, and equipment (e.g., air handlers) for contractors to install.
Plumbing Plans
Plumbing Plans
Plumbing Plans a technical, bird's-eye view drawing (often part of a larger MEP - Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing - set) that dictates the location, layout, and sizing of pipes, fixtures, and appliances for water supply and waste drainage.
Landscape Plan
Landscape Plan
Landscape Plan a scaled, top-down (aerial) technical drawing detailing the layout of outdoor spaces, including both softscape (plants, trees, grass) and hardscape (patios, walkways, walls, pools) elements.
Landscape Details
Landscape Details
Landscape Details technical, large-scale drawings or sections that define the construction, materials, and installation methods for outdoor, non-structural elements.
Structural Plan
Structural Plan
Structural Plan a technical, engineering-driven drawing that defines a building's framework, focusing on safety, stability, and load-bearing elements like foundations, columns, and beams.
Parking Plan
Parking Plan
Parking Plan is a detailed, scaled site drawing that outlines the designated layout of parking bays, drive aisles, and traffic circulation.
FAQ
FAQ
Q12: Why might soffit depths be missing from construction documents?
A: Soffits conceal structure and MEP that directly affect ceiling height and renovation scope. We physically probe all soffit conditions and produce a section through each unique type showing dimensions to finished ceiling and any structural or MEP elements inside.
Q14: Why might electrical service panel locations be missing from construction documents?
A: Panels in mechanical rooms or concealed corridors are frequently omitted from renovation drawings, creating code violation risk when new work blocks required clearances. We conduct a full electrical walkthrough with a circuit tracer, locate every panel and subpanel, and dimension working clearance zones on the floor plan.
Q17: Why might door opening widths be documented incorrectly on construction drawings?
A: Nominal door sizes and actual rough opening dimensions differ based on frame type, wall thickness, and in-place conditions. We measure each opening at three heights to capture any racking, record rough opening width, jamb depth, and head height, and reflect those field-verified dimensions in the door schedule.
Q19: Why might fireplace chase dimensions be documented incorrectly?
A: Chase dimensions change from firebox to smoke chamber to flue and are rarely captured in full by original plans. We use laser instruments to take full-height sections through the entire assembly, recording firebox opening, damper location, smoke chamber taper, and flue liner size for renovation and relining permits.
Q21: Why might ceiling heights at stair locations be documented incorrectly?
A: Stair headroom changes continuously along the run as the floor above descends, and a single measurement misses the minimum code-required clearance. We measure ceiling height at each tread nosing and produce a stair section showing the full headroom profile and all bulkhead obstructions relative to IRC and IBC minimums.
Q22: Why might gutter and drainage locations be missing from construction documents?
A: Roof drainage systems are commonly omitted from architectural drawings despite being required for roof replacement permits and addition design. We produce roof-to-grade drainage sections showing all gutter profiles, leader sizes, and discharge points, with gutter locations dimensioned on exterior elevations.
Q23: Why might bay window projections be documented incorrectly on construction drawings?
A: Bay window projection involves a compound condition — floor cantilever or foundation offset, framing depth, and window rough opening — that cannot be taken from a single measurement. We produce a full bay window section with seat depth, glass-to-glass width, exterior projection, and foundation offset, all field-verified before CAD production.
Q24: Why might knee wall heights be missing from construction documents?
A: Knee wall heights in attic conversion spaces vary along their length due to roof framing irregularities and are critical for usable floor area and egress compliance. We measure top-of-plate to ceiling at three locations per knee wall run, note any variation, and produce a photo-referenced section through each unique condition.
Q25: Why might eave and soffit conditions be documented incorrectly?
A: Eave and soffit conditions vary by roof section and include overhang projection, vent type, fascia profile, and bird block — all of which affect roofing and exterior finish specification. We document all conditions from attic access and exterior elevation views, capturing overhang dimensions, vent spacing, and fascia profiles on all exterior elevations.
Q42: Why might fire door ratings be missing from construction documents?
A: Replacing or modifying a rated door without matching the tested assembly voids the fire rating. We walk all fire-rated door locations, verify the listed label on each assembly, record hardware configurations and frame conditions, and produce a hardware schedule showing rated assemblies and required hardware sets.
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