What to prepare before commissioning architectural drawings
A practical project brief for property owners, developers and architects commissioning drafting or permit documentation.
Start with the property and the scope
Provide the property address, available survey, existing drawings and photographs. Separate confirmed information from assumptions: a marketing floor plan is useful context, but it is not a substitute for verified dimensions or a current survey.
Describe what is changing and what must stay. For a renovation, identify affected rooms, exterior openings and building systems. For a new project, share the intended use, approximate area and design decisions already approved by your team.
Agree on the drawing package
Ask which plans, elevations, sections, schedules and details are included. Clarify the expected PDF sheet size, native file format and revision process. A shared sheet list makes different proposals easier to compare and reduces uncertainty about what will be delivered.
Identify the architect or engineer of record and the people responsible for structure and building systems. Drafting support does not replace the licensed professionals, surveys or specialist assessments required for the particular project.
Confirm the review process
For work in Florida, confirm the applicable jurisdiction and submission requirements with the project’s licensed team and the reviewing authority. Requirements depend on the site and scope; a generic checklist cannot guarantee permit approval.
Choose one point of contact to consolidate comments and maintain an agreed revision log. Send existing information and open questions together so the first conversation can focus on missing inputs rather than on reconstructing the brief.