Sydney's As Built Drafting Specialists
National Drafting provide expert as built drafting services for commercial and residential projects in Sydney.
If you’re in the construction industry, then you know how essential it is to have accurate as-builts. If you are in need of a top quality as built drafting service, contact our expert team today!
Everything You Need To Know About As Built Drafting
As builts are detailed drawings of a property that portray the exact layout and dimensions of each room. If you’re looking for a way to get as builts, then look no further than the expert team at National Drafting!
As-built drawings are utilised in construction to document the actual condition of a structure or building at the time of completion. They communicate the exact dimensions and location of all installed components, as well as any modifications made during the construction process.
As-built drawings are important for the management of facilities and can be used to verify that a building or structure has been built in accordance with the approved plans.
You can obtain as built drawings from the Architect Or Engineer who designed the structure or building, or from the contractor who built it. The drawings may also be available from the local building department.
If you’re planning to renovate a structure or building, as-built drawings can give you a clear understanding of what exists so that you can make informed decisions about what needs to be changed. They can also assist you in avoiding costly mistakes throughout construction.
When looking at as-built drawings, it’s important to keep in mind that they are a snapshot of the condition of a building or structure at a specific time. Things may have altered since the drawing was created, so it’s always best practice to verify any information that you’re unsure of before deciding on any changes.
If you are a property manager, or a property owner and planning to do a remodel on your property, the chances are high that your designer, architect, or a contractor in the construction industry asked you for the property’s as-built drawings or existing layout plans. To get the best quality as built drawings required for this instance, experience the best with National Drafting. View our range of services here.
What is an as-built drawing?
Whether it is called as built or as-built with a hyphen, it is the same thing! Essentially, as-built drawings are a set of blueprints or drawings that are drawn to scale and document a building’s existing layout & structure.
It shows the different systems and parts that make up a building and is generally focused on the architectural elements of a structure.
The most commonly used and requested as built drawing is a floor plan.
An as built floor plan would show the walls, windows and doors at the very basic level and would become more complex when it indicates more specific informations such as electrical outlets or lighting fixtures.
Additional drawings are usually required by contractors or designers to get a more comprehensive understanding of the existing conditions of a building or structure.
As built drawings have a lot of different names, such as existing shop drawings, existing blueprints, existing drawings, as is drawings, as builts and so much more. However, they all refer to the same thing: blueprints showing existing conditions and layout of the building. National Drafting provides the best as built drawings in Sydney.
As Built Drafting for Commercial Projects
For large scale projects such as commercial projects, a general contractor or the builder responsible for the project would conduct as-built documentation and have his team or a dedicated professional take care of it after the construction phase is completed and the final inspection has been carried out.
The general contractor or their sub-contractors will create as built drawings to record any deviation from the original blueprints of a project due to human error or a site condition.
Difference Between As Built Survey and a Land Survey
Usually, people throw the term “Survey” into the mix in regards to as-built drawings and would say an “as built survey” or a “floor plan survey”.
People say “as-built survey” however you should not confuse it with a “land survey”.
Land Survey
A land survey serves an entirely different purpose compared to an as-built survey and is completed by a different professional altogether - a land surveyor. Land surveys are also considered an essential aspect of the construction process, but occur at a different stage of a project and cover different areas of information.
There are generally two types of land surveys: “boundary survey” and “topographical survey”:
Boundary Survey
It defines where the lot boundaries are situated and indicates the separation lines between different properties.
Usually, a city building official would ask a general contractor to present a boundary survey prior to beginning construction.
Topographical Survey
It presents the property boundary lines and represents the elevations of a land.
Elevation points on a survey show where the land is higher or lower.
To obtain a land survey, you are required to hire a land surveyor who is certified to perform and create this type of drawing and has to go through a civil engineering program.
A land survey is a legal document and needs to have a land surveyor stamp to be authentic.
As Built Survey
An as-built survey on the other hand has to do specifically with the interior layout of a structure and does not necessarily require a stamp to be authentic.
Standard As-Built Drawing Set
A standard as built drawing set is required when a property owner plans a basic Remodelling project, an addition, or adding a granny flat (additional dwelling unit) to their property. National Drafting provides top quality as built drawings to property owners throughout Sydney.
This as built set includes the following drawings:
Floor Plan
As we mentioned previously, a general as built floor plan will portray the interior and exterior walls, doors, windows, and stairs.
A standard floor plan will include the kitchen layout showing the fridge, sink, and stove, and the bathroom layout showing a toilet seat, sink and shower or bath tub.
A detailed as built floor plan will go further, indicating existing conditions of all the equipment and casework found in a particular space.
For example, it will show all kitchen equipments such as a wine fridge, dishwasher, trash compactor and any other equipments – in addition to specifying and calling out the types of casework elements found on site.
In uncommon scenarios, the furniture will be included as needed or as per the client request.
For basic interior design projects, such as new furniture layouts, an as built floor plan is usually all a designer needs to complete their design.
Exterior Elevations
Exterior elevations are used to represent how a building looks like from the outside. It demonstrates the outline of a building, and the placement of doors and windows.
Detailed as built exterior elevations generally determine the finish and material on the walls and can also indicate the windows & door framing. It would even indicate the arrangement or look of a building material pattern.
Design professionals need to see the as built exterior elevations to gain an understanding of how the different levels of a building stack, and how the different doors and windows align and are placed.
Roof Plan
A roof plan presents the outline of the roof, illustrates the roof overhangs over the below walls, and it usually includes information about the roof slope.
Detailed roof plans will indicate the position of mechanical equipments or vents.
Structural engineers and architects request as built roof plans to plan additions to a property and show the new roof layout.
Detailed As Built Drawing Set
When the scope of work for a construction project is extensive, owners and their design professionals need detailed as built drawings in order to include all the details in a property.
Cross Sections
Building sections or cross sections are generally the most requested drawing by architects when requesting as built drawings.
As built sections are integral to show the outline of stairs and understanding the level differences of a building.
Additionally, they also assist in understanding the stacking of the different levels of a building, and could indicate floor thickness.
Detailed cross sections indicate framing information and materials; however, it is not common in as-built drawings.
Reflected Ceiling Plan
A basic as built reflected ceiling plan will communicate the outline of the ceilings, the different ceiling levels, sky lights if any, attic access opening if any, lighting fixtures locations and fans.
Standard as built RCP drawings generally indicate the above features, as well as the vents locations and the different types of lighting fixtures.
An extremely detailed RCP as built drawing will go further and indicate the location of additional systems such as electrical outlets found on ceiling, fire sprinklers, and even account for exit signs if found.
Interior designers often request as built reflected ceiling plans to account for existing lighting and electrical fixtures, and plan for the placement of new fixtures.
Commercial properties have much more complex ceilings because of the varying systems that are needed to be placed.
Electrical Plan
An electrical as built plan is commonly requested by designers when they are completing their interior design work and applying new finishes on surfaces.
An electrical plan generally, whether done for an as built documentation or a new construction project, indicates switches and outlet locations and heights.
An extremely detailed electrical plan will even determine the type of outlet and switch found on site such as GFCI outlets.
Beside interior designers, electrical contractors request as built electrical plans when they are bidding to replace existing outlets and completing upgrades.
Contact National Drafting Today
National Drafting are the Sydney as built drafting specialists. If you are planning a project, renovating, building or in need of an as built drawing for any other purpose, be sure to contact the as built drafting specialists.