Blueprints and construction documents include all the instructions needed to build your home. A brief explanation of each has been provided to help understand how they are used.
Types of Blueprints & Construction Documents:
-
Perspectives & Renderings
- Artist’s sketch or computer generated depiction of how the house will look when completely finished and landscaped
-
General Specifications
- Site preparation work like excavating and grading
- Construction methods
-
Detailed Floor Plans
- Outlines a top down view of the home’s layout with dimensions, fixtures, doors, windows, stairs, walls, and structural elements for each level of the house
-
Exterior Elevations
- Depicts the home’s front, rear, and side façades; vertical dimensions like ceiling heights; grade lines; windows and exterior doors; and all other exterior finishes
-
Framing details
- Roof plans
- Support walls, beam layout, posts
-
Cross Sections
- Shows a vertical cross section of the home from top to bottom (as if it were sliced down the center) to depict more in-depth construction details
- Floor and Ceiling Section
- Wall Sections and details (interior and exterior), includes insulation plans
- Roof Section: Pitch, direction, vents, downspouts, trusses, rafters, dormers, gables, ridges, and valleys
- Stair Section
- Other building sections
-
Mechanical plans
- HVAC—location and size of ductwork for heating and cooling
- Plumbing
- gas
-
Foundation plans
- Depicts footings, foundation walls, drains
-
Interior Elevations
- Cabinets, fireplaces, built-ins, kitchen, bath, bookcases, utility / mechanical room
-
Site Plans
- Depicts a view of the plat with the footprint of the design oriented to scale within the property boundaries
-
Electrical Layouts
- Locations of outlets, switches, fixtures, service panels, smoke detectors, audio / visual, security
-
Detailed Specifications
- Engineering and building code compliance
-
Schedules
- Details for size and style of windows, doors, lights, vents
-
Materials Specifications
- Size, type, and quantity of all materials required to construct the home from raw materials to finishing touches; may also include specific brands, model numbers, colors, and styles
-
Authorizations
- Copyright release
- CAD file
- Architectural / engineering seals