Whether you’re building your first home or your fifth, accurate blueprints are a must before beginning construction.
Your first step is to create a vision for your new home. What do you want to accomplish? How will it impact your lifestyle? Next, logistics: your budget, total square footage, etc. What will it take to make your home fully functional for you and your family? What style or aesthetic do you want to follow? Do you want your home to be green and sustainable, with a water catchment and other “green” additions?
Once you’ve developed your idea, the next step is to move forward with engaging with professionals who can take your ideas into reality. Even if you’ve already done basic sketching or have used digital tools to create your design, you’ll need someone skilled in residential drafting techniques to create the most accurate plans and blueprints.
Why Blueprints Are So Important
While your ideas are the start of a residential project, the blueprints are the documents that show the layout of your home’s design and structural elements. These are the technical drawings that detail the design, dimensions, and specifications of the intended residential project.
Therefore, an accurate residential blueprint is essential before the project begins construction.
Rework and overruns can be expensive, potentially running way over the project budget. Mistakes that make it into construction will be costly and time-consuming to remediate. Having an accurate residential blueprint ensures that everyone involved has a clear idea of the eventual structure. Today’s CAD tools allow everyone to see the blueprints and make changes. While blueprints aren’t technically legal documents, they are required to obtain the necessary permits to begin construction.
Best Practices
The company you select should be well-versed in residential drafting techniques and creating accurate and detailed blueprints for residential new construction and remodeling projects. Some additional residential drafting techniques:
• The drafting firm should have a clear project scope, including requirements and objectives to refine details and make sure that the drawing correctly shows the anticipated design.
• There should also be a strategic organization and workflow system with the drawings divided into individual disciplines or sections, including architectural, mechanical, structural, and electrical, along with a consistent layering and naming convention for ease in both management and identification.
• Drawing conventions should also be consistent throughout the blueprints. Their work and techniques should be consistent so that there is no question about what any part of the drawing means.
• Each drawing sheet should be clearly labeled and organized so that any stakeholder can easily locate any information they need. The sheets should all contain identifying information, including titles, project details, revision history, and dates.
• All graphics should be clear and legible, and make it easy for all stakeholders to understand.
• Additional information can be added into annotations and inclusive notes that can clarify or further explain something that isn’t completely clear from the graphics. This can help to present the design correctly and clear up any confusion.
Feel free to ask any questions you have for the architectural drafting firm you interview or decide to work with to make sure that everyone understands the project before going forward.
Let Pro Draft Design Your Next Building Project
Pro Draft has been helping homeowners and business owners realize their design visions for over 30 years. We understand the unique nature of construction projects in Maui and will work to make sure your renovations or new construction is exactly as you envisioned.
We can help with architecture, drawings, blueprints, permits, and design work, and answer all your questions before the first day of construction. We’re happy to help and will work to ensure your project is exactly the way you envision.
Call Pro Draft today at (808) 579-9050 or 1-800-499-4699 from the Mainland.