Difference Between Construction Drawings and Permit Drawings
When a project calls for either construction or permit drawing, knowing how to execute each and the difference between the two can save you both time and money. Significant renovations and more extensive projects will typically require construction and permit drawings to complete successfully, and these two types of drawings are not interchangeable.
Key Differences
The most significant difference between permit and construction drawings is that a permit drawing requires less detail and aligns with localized coding standards. In contrast, a construction drawing is far more detailed. The quality of the actual building structure hinges on the quality of the construction drawings provided for on-site contractors. You can often find full specs that outline the following in construction drawings:
- The location of windows and doors
- Detailed floor layouts
- Fixture placement, sizing, and installation requirements
- Cabinetry sizes, finishes, patterns, and measurements
- Hardware specifications
- Light fixture locations (this sets the necessary pieces in motion for the electrical and mechanical parts of the project)
You can produce budgets and forecasted costs from construction drawings. This makes the completion of these detailed plans even more vital to the project’s overall success.
The purpose of a permit drawing is to make sure that the work being done falls in line with regulations. These are the regulations that safeguard life safety. Therefore, components such as site plans, and elevators, along with mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC parameters are closely reviewed and must be thoroughly plotted out in a permit drawing.
Maintaining Permit Drawings is Mission Critical
Construction companies use construction and permit drawings for different phases of the construction process. Permit drawings often serve as preliminary sketches that launch the project and drive the approval process for construction permits. Construction drawings usually follow and are the files that are updated more consistently throughout the project.
It’s essential to keep in mind that although permit drawings are somewhat simple in comparison to construction sketches, you should include any new elements that are part of the evolution of the construction drawings in a revised version of permit drawings. You should do this in order to avoid any permit denials. This happens because of a lack of tracking of changes in permit drawings. You need to submit each updated version of a permit drawing to local governing authorities for additional approvals.
Permit and Construction Drawings are Not Redundant
Even though it may seem that these two drawings are redundant in terms of costs and time spent, you can rest assured that having permit and construction drawings is necessary and will save time and money in the end. Permit denial and missing the mark can cause excessive overspending when it comes to construction projects. Creating bullet-proof permitting plans and detailed drawings for budgeting will help you avoid overspending and optimize budgets.
In case you have architectural, structural, and MEP design requirements, feel free to contact us. We provide you with the full permit set design + T24.
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Author Bio:
Abigail Baker is a writer from Happy Writers, Co. in partnership with fence manufacturer Viking Fence.