For structural steel, shop drawings and fabrication drawings usually mean the same thing: detailed drawings of each piece the shop will build, showing every cut, hole, plate and weld. The difference is mostly in who is using the word. "Shop drawings" is the contract term for the drawings a fabricator submits for review. "Fabrication drawings" emphasizes their use on the shop floor, and people often use it for the reviewed set issued for fabrication, or for the part drawings and machine files that never go out for review. Both sit between the engineer's design drawings and the steel on site.
This post sorts out the vocabulary so you know what you are being asked for, or what you are getting. For the process of producing and reviewing the drawings, see our guide to steel detailing and shop drawing services.
How the industry defines the terms
The clearest published definitions are in AISC 303, the US Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges, and Canadian practice uses the words in much the same way:
- Design drawings show the design, location and dimensions of the work: plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules and notes, prepared by the engineer of record.
- Shop drawings are drawings of the individual structural steel shipping pieces that are to be produced in the fabrication shop.
- Erection drawings are field installation or member placement drawings, showing where each shipping piece goes and how it attaches.
- Embedment drawings show anchor rods and other items set in concrete or masonry to receive the steel.
- Fabrication documents are the shop drawings, a fabrication model, or both.
- Approval documents are the shop, erection and embedment drawings (or the models) that go to the design team for review.
Notice that "fabrication drawings" is not a separate category in those definitions. It is a plain-language name for what the shop builds from, which is why it overlaps so completely with shop drawings.
In general contracting, "shop drawings" has a wider meaning too. Every trade submits shop drawings for review: doors, windows, millwork, mechanical equipment. For steel, the term means the detailing package.
The full drawing set, from design to erection
| Drawing | Prepared by | Purpose | Usually submitted for review? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural (design) drawings | Engineer of record | Show member sizes, grades, loads, elevations and typical connections | Issued for construction |
| Anchor bolt or embedment drawings | Steel detailer | Locate anchor bolts and embeds for the concrete trade | Yes, and often first |
| Erection drawings | Steel detailer | Show where each piece mark goes and how it connects | Yes |
| Assembly (shop) drawings | Steel detailer | Show each shipping piece with all plates, holes, welds and dimensions | Yes |
| Single-part drawings | Steel detailer | Show individual plates and fittings for cutting and drilling | Not usually; shop use |
| Machine files | Detailing software | Drive automated cutting, drilling or punching where the shop uses it | No; shop use |
| Bolt and material lists | Steel detailer | Quantities for purchasing, shipping and erection | Sometimes, with the drawings |
| Erection bracing drawings | Erector | Erection sequence, temporary supports and bracing | Depends on the project |
The submittal set is what the engineer and architect review. The full fabrication set is what the shop uses, and it includes the reviewed drawings plus the shop-only documents generated from the same model.
Shop drawings vs design drawings
The more useful distinction is not between shop drawings and fabrication drawings but between both of them and the design drawings.
Design drawings tell you what is needed. A W250x45 beam between grids B and C, top of steel at a given elevation, a shear connection for a stated reaction, camber of a set amount.
Shop drawings tell the shop how to make it. The exact cut length allowing for the column flange and clearances, the shear tab thickness and bolt pattern, the hole sizes, the weld symbols, the camber, the piece mark, and the paint or galvanizing note.
That is why a fabricator cannot build accurately from design drawings alone, and why the design team reviews the shop drawings: the review checks that the detailer has interpreted the design correctly. The review is not the same as an engineer sealing the shop drawings; our post on whether shop drawings need an engineer's stamp in Ontario explains the difference.
Drawing status: from submittal to fabrication
The same drawing changes status as it moves through review, and this is where "fabrication drawings" is most often used:
- Issued for review (or approval). The detailer's first submission.
- Reviewed, reviewed as noted, or revise and resubmit. The design team's response, stamped on the drawing.
- Issued for fabrication. Comments picked up, revision updated, and the drawing released to the shop. Many fabricators call this the fabrication drawing set.
- Revised for field changes. Later changes are clouded and numbered so the shop and erector always know which version is current.
The practical rule for everyone: the shop builds only from the current issued-for-fabrication revision, and old prints come off the floor. Most fabrication errors that trace back to drawings are really revision control errors.
What to check before you return a shop drawing
If you are the contractor or owner passing shop drawings to the design team, a quick check before they go saves a review cycle. You are not checking the engineering; you are checking that the drawings match the job:
- Revision references. The drawings should name the structural and architectural revisions they were detailed from. If a newer revision has come out, say so now.
- Field dimensions. Where the steel meets existing construction or work by other trades, confirm the detailer used measured dimensions, not just the drawing numbers.
- Elevations and bearing. Top of steel, bearing plates and anchor bolt projections should match the concrete and masonry you are building.
- Openings and attachments. Holes, clips and plates for other trades (mechanical supports, cladding, railings) are cheaper in the shop than drilled on site.
- Finish. Primer, paint or galvanizing should match the specification for each area.
- Open questions. Detailers flag assumptions with notes or clouds. Answer them, or the drawing will come back with the same hold.
Steel drawings vs rebar drawings
The words shift again in reinforcing steel. Rebar detailers produce placing drawings and bar lists, not shop drawings in the steel sense: the placing drawing shows where every bar goes, and the bar list tells the shop what to cut and bend. Contractors still call them rebar shop drawings. Our guide on how to read rebar shop drawings covers that side.
Small jobs and residential steel
On a house, a formal shop drawing submittal is less common. The designer's drawing may give the beam size, posts and bearing, and the building department reviews that for the permit. The fabricator still needs a drawing of what it is building: beam length, end conditions, plates, holes, any camber and the post details. On a small job that might be a single sheet prepared from the permit drawing and site measurements.
If the permit drawing is light on detail, send what you have along with photos and measurements. Our guide on how to request a steel beam quote lists what helps. Measure on site before the steel is cut, because existing houses rarely match their drawings exactly.
In-house shop drawings at Procut
We prepare shop drawings in-house from your structural or architectural drawings, then cut, fit, weld and mark every piece to match them so it goes up quickly on site. Engineering services are available for projects that need them. Take-offs and quotes are free.
Send your drawings for a quote, or see our shop drawing, fabrication and installation services.
Frequently asked questions
Are shop drawings and fabrication drawings the same thing?
For structural steel they usually refer to the same drawings: detailed drawings of each piece the shop will make. Shop drawings is the contract and submittal term; fabrication drawings stresses their use on the shop floor, and is often used for the reviewed set issued for fabrication or for part drawings that are never submitted.
What is included in steel shop drawings?
Each shipping piece with its member size, length, cuts, holes, plates, welds, camber and piece mark, plus erection drawings showing where every piece goes and anchor bolt drawings for the concrete trade. Bolt and material lists usually come with them.
What is the difference between shop drawings and erection drawings?
Shop drawings show how each piece is built. Erection drawings show where each piece goes on site and how it attaches, using the piece marks painted or tagged on the steel. Both are part of the same detailing package.
Who prepares steel fabrication drawings?
A steel detailer, either on the fabricator's staff or hired by the fabricator, working from the engineer's design drawings. The engineer of record and architect review them before fabrication starts.
Does a house steel beam need shop drawings?
Not always as a formal submittal, but the fabricator still needs a drawing of the beam with its length, plates, holes and any camber. On small jobs that is often one sheet, prepared from the designer's drawings and site measurements.
