Architectural drawings are the primary medium for communication in construction projects. Architects and other designers use them to work out both general concepts and details of the design. Plans enable you to visualize approaches to your remodeling goals and solutions to whatever problems the project may need to solve. They help you test ideas and envision the consequences of design decisions. Drawings enable you to spot design problems before anyone wastes time, money or materials.

 

A complete set of plans helps to reduce guesswork in the cost estimating process. It is usually necessary to present detailed plans to lenders so that they can assess the validity of the cost estimate and, ultimately, the value of the finished project. Plans stamped with a certified design professional’s seal are necessary for obtaining building permits and other required permissions that are prerequisites to construction.

 

Architectural plans provide technical and aesthetic guidance to carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other skilled workers throughout the project. They set the standard by which compliance with approved practice and quality of workmanship can be measured. A full set of plans should be developed for any remodeling project that consists of more than a facelift.

 

The nature and complexity of a remodeling project dictates the number and type of drawings that will make up a complete set. Major additions that involve foundation and site work require a site plan (sometimes called a plot or plat plan) that shows site features, including boundaries, existing pavements, structures and utilities serving the site. Certain projects in some localities may also require a topographical plan that represents surface features of the lot pertinent to stormwater drainage. In many cases, topography can be represented on the site plan.

 

Any project that involves demolition requires a demolition plan drawing that indicates structures and fixtures to be removed and what is to be left intact. The key drawings for most remodeling projects are floor plans, which represent the layout of rooms, transitional elements like stairs, and the positions of doors and windows as if one were looking down from above on the house with its roof torn off. Floor plans also provide key dimensions from which parametric cost estimates can be derived.

 

If the remodeling project will involve construction of a new foundation, a foundation plan will be needed. Additional structural plans may be required, including framing plans and section views that cut through layers of an assembly to show how things are to be put together. Section views may include details prescribing fastening methods for structural members. Other drawings might include installation details for insulation, doors, windows and roofing.

 

Elevation views are two-dimensional drawings of objects shown as if one were standing directly in front of them. Elevations are most often used to indicate how visually important features of a house will look - exterior walls with doors, windows and trim, built-in cabinets or a fireplace mantel, for a few examples.

 

Architect often do not supply all of the information that plumbers; electricians; and heating, cooling and ventilation contractors may need to complete their work successfully without modification. For this reason, it’s a good idea to encourage the designer to mark up plans in consultation with the mechanicals tradespeople to show the positions of outlets, switches, lighting fixtures and air-handling registers along with routes for wiring, water supply and drainage lines and ductwork. Formalizing mechanical plans will enable the carpenters to provide for fastening the fixtures and fittings during framing.

 

Because of their complexity and expense, kitchens and bathrooms often require a complete set of drawings unto themselves. You may wish to have floor plans, elevation views or each wall, mechanical plans and detail renderings of tile patterns and other decorative features prepared. If you work with a certified kitchen or bath designer, it’s likely you’ll get a full set of plans. But architects don’t customarily provide detailed plans for kitchens and baths without being asked to. It might be worth the extra expense to request the architect to flesh out kitchen and bath plans if details are spare or unclear.