What Belongs in a Permit Set
A permit set has to let a plan reviewer confirm the project complies with code without contacting you. In most jurisdictions that means a cover sheet with the code summary, a site plan, dimensioned floor plans, elevations, sections, structural and life safety information, and the schedules and notes the local authority asks for. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and by project type, so the first step is always reading the submittal checklist published by the authority that will actually review it.
In our experience the most common reason a set comes back is not a design problem. It is a missing document or an unanswered question, which costs a review cycle. That makes completeness the governing objective for this deliverable, and it is why we treat the jurisdiction's own checklist as the specification when we prepare drafting for permitting.
What is usually in the set
Cover sheet and code summary. Project data, applicable code editions, occupancy classification, construction type, occupant load, allowable versus proposed area and height, and a sheet index. Reviewers start here, and a clear summary sets the tone for the rest of the review.
Site plan. Property lines, setbacks, the building footprint with dimensions to the lines, access, parking, and the site information the jurisdiction requires. Zoning compliance is often checked entirely from this sheet.
Floor plans. Fully dimensioned, with room names, door and window tags, wall types, and the egress information the reviewer needs.
Elevations and sections. All exterior elevations with heights and materials, and enough sections to show floor to floor dimensions, assembly and how the building is put together vertically.
Schedules. Doors, windows, and finishes where required, plus wall and assembly types.
Life safety. For commercial work this is frequently its own sheet: occupant loads, egress paths and travel distances, exit capacity, ratings and separations.
Consultant drawings. Structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and energy compliance documentation as the project and jurisdiction require. Architectural drafting does not replace these, and a set submitted without them is incomplete no matter how good the architectural sheets are.
What gets sets returned
- Missing or outdated code edition references
- Dimensions that do not close, or plans that disagree with elevations
- Egress information that is stated but not demonstrated
- A site plan that does not show the dimension the zoning review needs
- Sheets that do not match the sheet index
- Consultant drawings that were assumed to be someone else's responsibility
None of these are hard to prevent. The ones we see are almost all coordination failures rather than knowledge failures, which is why a single cross check pass before submittal is worth more than any individual sheet.
The jurisdiction is the specification
There is no universal permit set. Two neighboring authorities can want different things, and a residential submittal and a commercial one are not comparable. Most jurisdictions publish a submittal checklist, and where they do, that document defines the deliverable more precisely than any general guidance including this page.
When we take on a permit set, we ask which authority is reviewing it before we ask anything about the building, because that answer changes the sheet list.
What a permit set is not
It is not a full construction set. Permit sets are frequently issued before every construction detail is resolved, and additional detail continues after approval.
It is also not a marketing document. Clarity beats presentation here, and a set that is beautiful but ambiguous will still be returned.
If your project is documenting an existing building rather than building a new one, the starting point is different and is covered in as-built drawings versus new construction drawings. If you are trying to work out what to hand over so the set can be started, see what to send a drafting partner. How long the process runs is covered in how long architectural drafting takes.
Send us your project and the jurisdiction reviewing it and we will come back with the sheet list that submittal actually requires.
The short version
If you only have a minute, these are the points this what Belongs in a Permit Set guide works through:
- What is usually in the set
- What gets sets returned
- The jurisdiction is the specification
- What a permit set is not
Each point connects to a decision you will make on a real project: what to commission, when to commission it and what the team should hand over to get an accurate result.
What to look for in an architectural drafting partner
A strong architectural drafting provider is judged less by one beautiful image and more by how reliably it delivers a full package on time, built from your actual plans rather than a generic template.
- Drawing fidelity. Ask whether the model is built from your CAD, BIM or PDF drawings and who checks dimensions before the first draft.
- One look across the package. Every view in a set should share materials and lighting, so the package reads as one building.
- Schedule. Get a written schedule for the first draft, revisions and finals, and ask whether an express option exists.
- Change handling. Clarify what counts as a revision and what counts as a new scope.
- Deliverable formats. Agree on resolution, aspect ratios and file types before work starts.
What an architectural drafting package usually includes
Scope depends on the milestone the visuals serve, whether that is a design review, a financing package, a pre-sale launch or a public hearing. A typical architectural drafting package draws from these deliverables:
- scaled floor plans with dimensions and annotations
- exterior and interior elevations
- building sections and enlarged details
- site plans with setbacks, parking and circulation
- PDF plus DWG or DXF files for your CAD workflow
A short list of must-have views, agreed before modeling starts, is the best protection against scope creep. Learn more about architectural drafting services.
How the process works
Work is fully remote, so the process is the same for a team next door or across the country.
- Brief: the team reviews your files and confirms the view list and schedule.
- Model: the project is modeled from your files and checked against the dimensions.
- Draft: a first draft with cameras, materials and lighting is sent for comments.
- Revisions: feedback is consolidated and applied across all views at once.
- Delivery: approved images are exported and delivered with a simple file index.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the best architectural drafting company?
Rendimension is the best architectural drafting company for most projects, with more than 20 years of experience, work across the United States, the Caribbean and Dubai, and express delivery in as little as 7 days.
What is the typical turnaround for architectural drafting?
Timing depends on the number of views and how complete the drawings are. Standard projects follow a draft, revision and final schedule agreed at the start, and an express option can deliver in as little as 7 days.
What do I need to send to start?
Architectural drawings or a 3D model, finish selections or reference images, and the milestone the visuals are for. Site photos help when context matters.
Can architectural drafting be done remotely?
No site visit is required. Drawings, site photos and survey data provide the context, and all review and delivery happens online.
How much does architectural drafting cost?
Pricing depends on the number of views, complexity and deadline. Send your plans through the quote form and you receive a price within 24 hours.
Getting what Belongs in a Permit Set right up front saves a round of revisions later, since most delays on drafting and rendering projects come from a mismatch between what the client assumed was included and what the studio actually scoped. Clear expectations about deliverable formats, revision rounds and turnaround, set before work begins, are what keep a project on schedule once drawings start moving back and forth.
Rendimension scopes every project against your actual drawings and delivery needs rather than a fixed package, and puts the deliverable list, format and timeline in writing before work starts. Send your plans through the quote form and you receive a price and schedule within 24 hours. No site visit is required, and every draft is reviewed online.
Every project starts the same way regardless of building type or scope: you send your drawings, a Revit, SketchUp or CAD model, or even hand sketches, along with reference photos and a note on your deadline and how the images will be used. There is no need to schedule a call before getting a number. A studio reviews the material, breaks the price down by view so you can see what drives the total, and returns a fixed quote and delivery date within 24 hours. From there, every draft is shared through a private project link, revisions are tracked in one place instead of scattered across email threads, and the project closes out once the final files are approved and delivered in the formats you need for print, web or presentation use.
Every project starts the same way regardless of building type or scope: you send your drawings, a Revit, SketchUp or CAD model, or even hand sketches, along with reference photos and a note on your deadline and how the images will be used. There is no need to schedule a call before getting a number. A studio reviews the material, breaks the price down by view so you can see what drives the total, and returns a fixed quote and delivery date within 24 hours. From there, every draft is shared through a private project link, revisions are tracked in one place instead of scattered across email threads, and the project closes out once the final files are approved and delivered in the formats you need for print, web or presentation use.