Preliminary drawings

Permit drawings

Every draft of preliminary plans will include a floor plan for each level of the house and exterior elevations for all sides of the house.  These drawings will have basic dimensions on them so that you can see room sizes.  Elevations will have a basic level of detail and patterns shown to depict exterior finishes.  Sometimes we will do partial drafts if there is something about the design that needs your review before proceeding.  These partial drafts do not count towards the three drafts included in the contract. 

Concept drawings

Occasionally, a client asks us to do concept drawings to help them to determine what direction they want to take with their project.  Concept drawings are preliminary drawings with architectural notations added to the floor plans and elevations.  In some cases, clients have also requested a site plan in the concept.

Bid set

We frequently get requests from clients for a set just finished enough to get estimates from contractors.  This is called a bid set.  A bid set will include floor plans, elevations, and at least one section.  All of these will be noted and detailed as they would be in a construction set.  If the need arises, we will speak with any contractor preparing a bid for you and answer any questions they may have.  Limiting the drawings in this way is in your best interest because making changes after all the details are added is very time consuming and costly.  By doing only what is needed to allow the contractor to create an accurate estimate, it will cost you less to complete the set and turn it into a construction set.

Permit drawings are a finished set of drawings that you can submit with your permit application.  Most permit offices require only floor plans, elevations and a section showing the construction materials you plan to use to construct the home.  Some offices also require a site plan.  This is the minimum you would need to build.  In addition to this, we always include general construction notes, a roof plan and window and door schedules even though they are not required.  Your contractor can build your home with only this level of detail.  But sometimes clients want more detail than just the basics.  Permit drawings differ from a bid set in that a thorough code review has been completed and we have verified that the design meets those requirements.

Construction drawings

Construction drawings are a step above permit drawings.  This set includes everything required in a permit set plus additional sections showing every unique condition in the design.  Additionally, you can opt to add other items such as framing plans, interior elevations, cabinet details, details showing special features and a finish schedule.

Our recommendation

What we always recommend to our clients is a set that exceeds the permit drawing requirements.  The better detailed your drawings are the fewer problems you will have during the build.  At a minimum we suggest that we do the additional sections to be sure to convey the design intent properly to your contractor.