Construction drawings fall into three broad families: design (contract) drawings prepared by the architect and engineers, shop drawings prepared by the trades and suppliers who make things, and record or as-built drawings that show what was actually built. Within those families, drawings are split by discipline (architectural, structural, mechanical and so on) and drawn as a few basic views: plans, elevations, sections and details. Working drawings is the traditional name for the set you build from.
This post maps the drawing types you will meet on a project and shows where each one comes from. If your question is specifically how shop drawings relate to the contract drawings, our comparison of shop drawings vs construction drawings goes deeper on that.
The three families of construction drawings
| Family | Prepared by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Design or contract drawings | Architect, engineers, other designers | Define what is to be built; form part of the contract |
| Shop drawings | Fabricators, suppliers and trade contractors | Show how a specific component will be made and installed |
| Record (as-built) drawings | Contractor, then often updated by the designer | Show what was actually built, including changes |
A useful way to remember the difference: design drawings say what, shop drawings say how, and record drawings say what happened.
Construction drawings by discipline
A full design set is split into discipline sections. On many North American projects each sheet number starts with a discipline letter, though offices vary.
| Prefix (common) | Discipline | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| G | General | Cover sheet, drawing list, code matrix, general notes |
| C | Civil | Grading, servicing, site drainage, parking |
| L | Landscape | Planting, hardscape, site features |
| A | Architectural | Floor plans, elevations, building sections, wall types, door and window schedules |
| S | Structural | Foundations, framing plans, member sizes, reinforcement, connections, general structural notes |
| M | Mechanical | Heating, ventilation, air conditioning |
| P | Plumbing | Drainage, water supply, fixtures |
| E | Electrical | Power, lighting, fire alarm, low voltage |
| FP | Fire protection | Sprinklers and standpipes |
For steel and rebar, the S drawings are the core: foundation plans, framing plans, sections, typical details and the general notes that set materials, grades and standards. The architectural set supplies dimensions the structural set often leaves out, such as slab edges, openings and finished floor elevations. A detailer needs both. Our guide on how to read structural steel drawings walks through a typical S set.
Construction drawings by project stage
The same project produces several issues of drawings as the design develops. Each issue is labelled in the title block.
| Stage | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Schematic or concept design | Layout, massing and early pricing |
| Design development | Systems chosen, sizes firmed up |
| Permit drawings | Submitted to the municipal building department with the permit application |
| Tender or bid drawings | Issued to contractors for pricing |
| Issued for construction (IFC) | The set the work is built from, the working drawings |
| Revisions, addenda, bulletins and site instructions | Changes issued after tender or during construction |
| Shop drawings | Prepared by trades from the IFC set, reviewed by the designers |
| Record or as-built drawings | Final set showing the work as constructed |
Pricing and building from the wrong issue is one of the most common and expensive mistakes on a job. A quote on tender drawings needs to be checked against the IFC set, and shop drawings need to be updated when revisions come out. Our post on the shop drawing process from IFC to fabrication shows how fabricators track this.
Construction drawings by view
Every discipline uses the same handful of views:
- Plans: looking down on the building at a level. Floor plans, foundation plans, framing plans, roof plans and site plans.
- Elevations: looking straight at a face of the building or a wall, showing heights.
- Sections: an imaginary cut through the building or an element, showing what is inside. Building sections, wall sections, footing sections.
- Details: enlarged views of a small area, such as a beam bearing, a base plate or a lintel at a window.
- Schedules: tables that list repeated items, such as doors, windows, footings, columns, lintels or beams, with their sizes.
- Notes: general notes and specifications printed on the sheets, which often carry as much weight as the drawings.
This is where the question "what are the three types of working drawings?" usually comes from. Plans, elevations and sections are the three views a building cannot be described without. Details and schedules fill in the rest. In mechanical drafting, the same phrase is sometimes answered as detail drawings, assembly drawings and a bill of materials, which maps neatly onto steel shop drawings, as you will see below.
Types of shop drawings
Shop drawings are prepared by whoever makes a component. On a typical building you might see:
| Trade | Shop drawing types |
|---|---|
| Structural steel | Anchor bolt layouts, erection drawings, assembly (piece) drawings, single part drawings, bolt and material lists |
| Reinforcing steel | Placing drawings and bar lists |
| Miscellaneous metals | Stairs, railings, ladders, lintels, embeds |
| Precast concrete | Panel and member layouts, connection details |
| Curtain wall and windows | Elevations, anchors, sections |
| Millwork | Cabinet elevations and sections |
| Mechanical and electrical | Coordinated layouts, duct and pipe spool drawings, equipment data |
For structural steel, the set breaks down further: erection drawings show where each piece goes, assembly drawings show each shipping piece with its plates, holes and welds, and single part drawings show the individual plates and fittings. Our post on shop drawings vs fabrication drawings lays out that full set and who uses each sheet. For rebar, the equivalent is the placing drawing and bar list, covered in rebar placement drawings.
Shop drawings go to the designers for review before fabrication. The review checks that the trade has understood the design. It does not move design responsibility to the trade, and it does not replace the contract drawings.
Record drawings and as-builts
As the work goes in, things change: a footing steps down further than drawn, a beam is moved to clear a duct, an opening grows. The contractor marks these changes on a set as the job progresses, and at the end the marked-up set becomes the as-built or record drawings.
Owners rely on record drawings for renovations, maintenance and future additions. If you are planning to open a wall or add load to an older building, the record set (if it exists) is the first place your engineer will look.
Which drawings a steel or rebar supplier needs
When you ask for a steel or rebar quote, send:
- The structural drawings, including general notes, at the latest issue.
- The architectural drawings if dimensions or openings come from them.
- Any revisions, addenda or bulletins issued since.
- For residential jobs, the permit drawings or the engineer's beam and post sketch is often enough.
The supplier's estimator uses these for the take-off and quote. Once the order is placed, the detailer uses the IFC set to prepare the shop drawings or placing drawings.
Send us your drawings
We prepare take-offs and quotes free of charge from your structural or architectural drawings, then produce the steel shop drawings or rebar bar lists and placing drawings that drive fabrication. Send your drawings for a quote, or see our estimating, detailing and fabrication services.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main types of construction drawings?
Construction drawings are usually grouped three ways: by who prepares them (design or contract drawings, shop drawings, record drawings), by discipline (architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil and so on) and by view (plans, elevations, sections, details and schedules).
What are the 3 types of working drawings?
There is no single official list. The answer most people mean is the three basic views every set relies on: plans, elevations and sections. In engineering drafting the phrase can also mean detail drawings, assembly drawings and the bill of materials.
What are the types of shop drawings in construction?
Common types include structural steel erection and piece drawings, rebar placing drawings and bar lists, miscellaneous metal drawings (stairs, railings, ladders), precast concrete, curtain wall and window drawings, millwork, and mechanical or electrical layout and spool drawings.
Are working drawings the same as construction drawings?
Usually, yes. Working drawings is an older term for the set issued to build from, now more often called construction or issued for construction (IFC) drawings. Shop drawings are a separate set prepared by the trades from them.
