How to Choose a Drafting Partner for As-Built and Construction Drawings
Quick answer: Confirm three things before hiring a drafting partner: which software they deliver in (AutoCAD DWG, Revit RVT, or both), whether their as-built process includes an actual site visit and measurement versus working only from old plans, and how they handle revisions after the drawings are used in the field. A drafting partner who cannot answer all three clearly is a liability on a project where dimensional accuracy matters.
Drafting and as-built work is unglamorous compared to a rendered hero image, but it is where dimensional accuracy actually lives. A rendering can hide a small measurement error. A construction drawing cannot. This guide covers what to check before handing off a drafting or as-built project, related to our architectural drafting services.
What "as-built" actually means
An as-built drawing documents a structure as it actually exists, not as it was originally designed. Buildings drift from their original drawings over the course of construction and renovation: walls move, additions get built without updated permits reaching the drawing set, and mechanical systems get rerouted. As-built drafting exists to close that gap, usually as the starting point for a renovation, an addition, or a permit application where current drawings do not exist or cannot be trusted.
Software deliverable: AutoCAD, Revit, or both
Before starting, confirm exactly what file format you will receive. A DWG file from AutoCAD is not the same deliverable as a Revit model, and converting between them after the fact is its own project. If your downstream use is BIM coordination, energy modeling, or clash detection, you need a Revit deliverable, not just a 2D DWG. If you only need permit-ready drawings, DWG is usually sufficient and faster to produce.
How the as-built measurements are actually taken
There are three common approaches, in increasing order of accuracy and cost: working from existing plans with light verification, a manual site visit with tape measure and laser distance tools, and 3D laser scanning (point cloud) converted into CAD or BIM. For anything where the drawings will drive actual construction decisions, insist on a real site visit at minimum. A drafting partner who offers to produce as-built drawings without ever visiting the site is producing a guess, not a measured document.
Revision handling after field use
Drawings get marked up on site during construction. A good drafting partner has a defined process for incorporating field revisions back into the CAD or BIM file, with version control so the general contractor and the architect are never working from two different "current" sets. Ask how revisions are tracked and how quickly a marked-up correction gets turned into an updated drawing.
Questions to ask before hiring
- What file formats do you deliver, and can you deliver both DWG and Revit if needed later?
- Do you visit the site, or work only from existing documents?
- What is your typical turnaround for a single-family home versus a commercial building?
- How do you handle a field revision after the drawings are already in use?
See our architectural drafting and as-built services for how we structure this process.