What shop drawings are and what we prepare
Design drawings show what the building should be; shop drawings show exactly how each trade will make and install its part. They include every dimension, connection, material, finish and fixing that the fabricator needs – and they go through the architect's and engineer's review before fabrication starts. Late or rejected shop drawings delay the whole schedule.
We prepare shop drawings for subcontractors and fabricators across trades, using field dimensions where available and the contract documents otherwise. Missing or conflicting information is raised as an RFI log rather than guessed, and every revision cycle is tracked with clouds, deltas and a submittal log.
For trade-specific details see structural shop drawings, millwork shop drawings and glazing shop drawings.
Deliverables you receive
- Plans, elevations and sections for fabrication and installation
- Connection, fixing and anchorage details
- Material and finish callouts with product data references
- Cut lists, part marks and bills of materials
- RFI log and submittal log
- Revision cycles to reviewer comments with clouded changes
What we need from you
- Contract drawings and specifications
- Field dimensions where available
- Your fabrication standards and preferred details
- Product data from your suppliers
Who orders this service
- Subcontractors (steel, millwork, glazing, precast, duct)
- General contractors managing submittals
- Fabrication workshops
- Design-build firms
Software and file formats
AutoCAD, Revit, Tekla Structures, SolidWorks or Inventor depending on the trade, with PDFs for submittal and DXF/NC files for CNC where needed.
Shop Drawing Services standards in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia
We set up every project on the standard of the country where it will be built or manufactured. These are the references we work to most often:
| Country | Standards and codes we draft shop drawing services to |
|---|---|
| USA | AISC 303 Code of Standard Practice, AWI/AWMAC Architectural Woodwork Standards, AAMA, SMACNA, PCI for precast |
| UK | National Structural Steelwork Specification (NSSS), CWCT standard for façades, BESA DW/144 for ductwork |
| Canada | CISC Code of Standard Practice, AWMAC standards, CSA A23.4 precast |
| Australia | AS/NZS 5131 structural steel fabrication, AS 1288 glass, AS 3850 tilt-up and precast |
How our shop drawing services process works
- 1Send your files
Upload sketches, PDFs, markups, photos, scans or a model through the quote form. Tell us the standard (US, UK, Canada or Australia) and the deadline.
- 2Fixed quote in hours
We review the scope and reply with a fixed price, the deliverables list and a delivery date. Nothing starts until you approve it.
- 3Drafting & modeling
Your project is drawn in AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, SolidWorks or the software you use, on your title block, layers and templates.
- 4QA check
A second drafter checks dimensions, annotations, layer standards, sheet numbering and cross-references against your input before anything is sent.
- 5Delivery & revisions
You receive native files plus PDFs. Comments come back as markups and we revise them quickly until the set matches the brief.
Turnaround and pricing
First submittals for a typical trade package take 5–10 business days; revisions to comments usually take 1–3 days. Every job is priced as a fixed quote after we review your files, so you know the cost and the delivery date before work starts. See how our pricing works, or send your files through the quote form for a quick estimate.
Related services
Shop Drawing Services projects often need structural shop drawings, millwork drafting services and glazing shop drawings as well. You can order them together on one quote, or browse every option in our design services.
