The shop drawing process runs in a loop: issued-for-construction (IFC) drawings go to the fabricator, the detailer asks questions and prepares shop drawings, the contractor checks and forwards them, the engineer and architect review and return them with a status, and once corrections are picked up the drawings are released for fabrication. Every step has an owner and a clock. Most delays come not from drawing time but from drawings and questions sitting with someone, which is why a simple shop drawing log is the most useful tool in the process.
This post covers the process from the general contractor's and owner's side, for structural steel and rebar. For the detailing work itself, see steel detailing services and rebar placement drawings.
The stages at a glance
| Stage | Who has it | What happens | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. IFC handover | Contractor to fabricator | Current structural and architectural sets, specification, addenda | Complete document package |
| 2. Questions | Detailer to design team | Missing dimensions and conflicts sent as RFIs | Answered RFIs |
| 3. Detailing | Fabricator | Model built, shop drawings or placing drawings and bar lists produced | Draft drawings |
| 4. Internal check | Fabricator | Drawings checked by someone other than the detailer | Submittal package |
| 5. Contractor check | General contractor | Site conditions and coordination checked, then forwarded | Transmittal to consultants |
| 6. Consultant review | Engineer and architect | Reviewed for conformance with the design | Stamped drawings with status |
| 7. Resubmittal | Fabricator | Comments picked up, drawings revised | Revised submittal or release |
| 8. Release | Fabricator | Drawings issued for fabrication | Shop starts work |
| 9. Changes | All | Later changes clouded, revised and re-released | Current revision on the floor |
On Canadian projects, the rules for how submittals move are usually in Section 01 33 00, Submittal Procedures, of the specification, with trade-specific requirements in the steel and reinforcing sections. Read them before the first submittal goes out, because they set the number of copies or electronic format, the review period and what each status means.
Stage 1 and 2: handover and questions
Shop drawings can only be as current as the documents they are detailed from. At handover, give the fabricator:
- The full IFC structural set, not just the plans that look relevant
- The architectural drawings, because elevations, openings and slab edges are often dimensioned there
- The specification sections for the trade
- Every addendum, bulletin and site instruction issued so far
- The construction schedule and pour or erection sequence, so drawings are produced in the order you need them
- CAD or model files where the design team will release them
Then expect questions. A detailer who sends RFIs in the first days is doing the job properly. Each unanswered question becomes either a hold on the drawing or an assumption, and assumptions are where errors come from. Agree who answers RFIs and how quickly.
Stage 3 and 4: preparing the shop drawings
For the contractor, the important point about this stage is sequence. Drawings should be prepared in the order the work is built:
- Structural steel: anchor bolt and embed drawings first, then columns, then framing by area, then miscellaneous steel.
- Rebar: footings first, then walls and columns, then slabs, each grouped into releases that match pours.
For rebar, the RSIC Manual of Standard Practice uses fifteen working days from receipt of IFC drawings for the fabricator to prepare placing drawings and bar lists, in an order that follows the schedule. That is a standard practice figure, not a promise for every job; ask your fabricator what they can do for yours.
A good fabricator checks its own drawings before they leave the shop. Ask how that is done. Drawings that arrive full of errors cost a review cycle you did not need to spend.
Stage 5 to 7: checking, review and resubmittal
When drawings arrive, the contractor checks them before forwarding. You are checking the job, not the engineering: site dimensions, elevations as built, coordination with other trades, and the detailer's open questions. Our checklists for reviewing steel shop drawings and reviewing rebar shop drawings go item by item.
The engineer and architect then review for conformance with the design and return each drawing with a status, usually one of:
- Reviewed (or no exceptions taken): proceed.
- Reviewed as noted: proceed with the marked corrections.
- Revise and resubmit: correct and send back for another review before fabrication.
- Rejected or not reviewed: the submittal does not meet the requirements.
Review is not the same as an engineer sealing the drawings, and it does not shift responsibility for dimensions and fit away from the fabricator. Our post on whether shop drawings need an engineer's stamp in Ontario explains the difference.
Stage 8 and 9: release and changes
Once drawings are reviewed and corrections picked up, they are issued for fabrication. From here the rule is simple: the shop builds only from the current released revision. Superseded prints come off the floor.
Changes after release follow the same loop in miniature: the design team issues a revision, the detailer clouds and numbers the change, the revised drawing goes for review if required, and it is re-released. If material is already cut or delivered, the fabricator needs to know straight away. A verbal change to a foreman never reaches the shop.
If the schedule forces fabrication before approval, make it a deliberate decision. Under RSIC standard practice, if the contractor asks for rebar to be shipped from unapproved drawings, the contractor carries responsibility for errors in them.
How to set up a shop drawing log
A shop drawing log (also called a submittal register or tracker) does not need special software. A shared spreadsheet works if someone keeps it current. Useful columns:
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Submittal number | 05 12 00-003 |
| Spec section | 05 12 00 Structural Steel |
| Description | Erection drawings, Level 2 framing |
| Drawing numbers | E-201 to E-206 |
| Revision | Rev 1 |
| Date received from fabricator | |
| Date sent to consultant | |
| Date due back | Based on the review period in the contract |
| Date returned | |
| Status | Reviewed as noted |
| Ball in court | Fabricator, contractor or consultant |
| Required for fabrication by | Driven by the schedule |
| Notes | Open RFIs, linked submittals |
Two columns do most of the work. Ball in court shows at a glance who is holding each item. Required by is worked backwards from the date the steel or rebar is needed on site, less fabrication and delivery time, so you can see which reviews are on the critical path. Sort by that column every week and chase the top of the list.
A few habits keep the log honest:
- Log every resubmittal as a new revision, not a new line, so history stays together.
- Record the date items are returned, not just the status.
- Link RFIs to the submittals they hold up.
- Share the log with the fabricator; it is their schedule too.
Start the process with us
Procut prepares shop drawings in-house for structural steel, and bar lists and placing drawings for rebar, from your structural and architectural drawings, then fabricates and delivers to match, with phased deliveries across the GTA and Ontario. Engineering services are available for projects that need them.
Send your drawings for a free take-off and quote, or see our services for detailing, fabrication, delivery and installation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shop drawing process?
The fabricator receives the issued-for-construction drawings, asks questions, prepares shop drawings, checks them internally and submits them. The contractor checks and forwards them, the engineer and architect review and return them with a status, and once corrections are picked up the drawings are released for fabrication.
What is a shop drawing log?
A shop drawing log, also called a submittal register or tracker, is a list of every shop drawing submittal on a project with its number, description, revision, dates sent and returned, reviewer, status and who currently holds it. It is how a contractor keeps reviews from stalling fabrication.
How long does the shop drawing process take?
It depends on the size of the job and how quickly reviews come back. For rebar, the RSIC Manual of Standard Practice uses fifteen working days from receipt of issued-for-construction drawings for the fabricator to prepare placing drawings and bar lists, before review time is added. Ask your fabricator for the timing on your project.
Who prepares shop drawings?
The trade that builds the work. For structural steel it is the fabricator's detailer, in-house or contracted; for rebar it is the reinforcing steel detailer. The design team reviews them but does not prepare them.
