Tips on producing shop drawings for existing dwellings/commercial buildings

Creating a set of shop drawings for an existing dwelling or commercial building could be otherwise summed up as an exercise in patience and understanding. The process involves a whole team of people such as the fabricator, supplier, detailer, engineer and architect, with each one looking to analyse it from their particular perspective. Ensuring accurate and quality shop drawings is high on our priority list, and these tips will help make sure it happens.

Keep the communication chain open

It is important that the chain of communication is kept open on all sides, so that information is being fed freely up and down the line. Regardless of who is involved in the drawing process, communication must be clear from the start of the project until the end. If you have any concerns or fail to understand a particular issue, then you must ask questions. Never presume that a piece of information has been passed along without double checking. There should always be someone involved in the process with excellent and up to date fabrication knowledge whose job it is to check that everything is accurate and according to plan.

Try to source the original drawings or As-Built drawings

If the building has quite a lengthy history, then you may need to determine what is original and what has been added over the years. Sourcing the original drawings is helpful as it will allow you to clear up many issues. Quite often historic buildings don’t have floor plan drawings available so it may be a case of starting from scratch in some cases. Also, check for As-Built drawings which are produced in response to circumstances and issues which crop up on the building site. The changes will reflect what has actually been built as opposed to what was planned to be built and they may differ entirely from any original floor plans or drawings.

Maintain clutter free drawings

 As we know from experience, it is crucial that the shop drawings remain as clutter free as possible particularly from the point of view of the fabricator. Do not double up on information such as dimensions and make sure that all details are referenced using extension lines to show what is being indicated. All drawings should be clear and super easy to read at a glance without the need to resort to over-dimensioning.

Keep a thorough checklist

A checklist is an ideal reference tool to ensure that nothing is left off the to-do list or forgotten in its entirety. Anything that seems redundant or ambiguous should be noted and then checked and double checked with the specific parties in question. The checklist should always be referred to during each stage of the process and added to as issues crop up.