Construction drawings for Cornwall builds.

Where they sit

Where construction drawings sit in the process.

1. Stage 1

   Measured survey

   An accurate record of what is there now, so the new work sets out against real dimensions.

2. Stage 2

   Planning drawings

   The design and its appearance, submitted for planning permission where it is needed.

3. Stage 3

   Building regulation drawings

   The compliance package Building Control checks and approves.

4. Stage 4

   Construction drawings

   The working set that resolves the remaining decisions before anyone is on site.

FAQs

Construction drawings, questions we get every week.

What are construction drawings?

Construction drawings, also called technical or working drawings, are the set a builder actually works from on site. They take the approved design and describe how it is assembled: setting-out dimensions, structural openings, floor and roof build-ups, junction details, drainage runs, and the specification of the products used. Planning drawings show intent; construction drawings show method.

How are construction drawings different from building regulation drawings?

There is a lot of overlap and on smaller projects one package does both jobs. Building regulation drawings are produced to satisfy Building Control that the work complies with the Approved Documents. Construction drawings go further where the build needs it, with additional setting-out, joinery, kitchen and bathroom layouts, and details that exist to remove decisions from the site rather than to prove compliance.

What scales do you draw at?

General arrangement plans, sections and elevations at 1:50, construction details at 1:10 or 1:5, and site and location plans at 1:200 or 1:1250. Anything critical, such as a threshold, an eaves junction or a steel connection zone, is drawn large enough to be built from without interpretation.

Can my builder price accurately from them?

That is the test we hold the package to. A Cornish builder should be able to read the drawings, walk the site once and return a fixed price without a long list of provisional sums. Where a drawing has to be interpreted on site, the cost of that interpretation lands on you as a variation.

Do you produce drawings if someone else did the design?

Yes. We regularly take a planning approved scheme from another practice and produce the technical package for the build. We will need the planning drawings, the decision notice, any approved conditions, and usually a measured survey if the original information is thin.

Do the drawings include the structural engineer's information?

We coordinate them so the two packages agree. The engineer sizes the structure and issues calculations, and we make sure the steel sizes, padstones and foundation depths shown on the architectural drawings match what has been calculated, rather than leaving the builder to reconcile two documents on site.

What file formats do I get?

PDFs at true scale for printing and pricing, and CAD files where your builder, engineer or kitchen supplier needs them. Everything is issued with a drawing register so you and your builder are always working from the same revision.

How long does a technical package take?

For a typical extension or conversion, allow a few weeks from instruction once the survey and design are settled. Larger or more complex projects take longer, and we sequence the work so structural coordination happens alongside the drawings rather than after them.