Working Drawing

What is a Working Drawing?

Working drawings are drawings used as a reference or guide in the manufacture of a
product. This most often refers to engineering and architecture, but working drawings
are used in many different modes of construction. These drawings are composed
according to industry standards so that all the information is easily and clearly
understood, and standard conventions and units are used
Working drawings provide dimensioned, graphical information that can be used; by a
contractor to construct the works, or by suppliers to fabricate components of the works
or to assemble or install components. They may include architectural drawings,
structural drawings, civil drawings, mechanical drawings, electrical drawings, and so on.
Traditionally, working drawings consist of two-dimensional orthogonal projections of the
building or component they are describing, such as plans, sections and elevations. These
may be drawn to scale by hand, or prepared using Computer Aided Design (CAD)
software.
 Working Drawing
Types of Working Drawing?
There are two distinct types of working drawing: one is detail drawing, which
shows various views of an object and includes important information such as
measurements and tolerances that the craftsperson or machine operator might
need to know when manufacturing the object, or that people using the object
might need to know. The second is an assembly drawing, which shows how
various components fit together during construction.
 Working Drawing
The Detail Drawing
The detail drawing conveys as much information as possible about a single
component. It will be clearly labeled with a part number and name, It may
include several views of the object--top, front and side--and a projection view.
These drawings are annotated with information, including overall and detail
dimensions, tolerances, materials, and treatments.
Detail Drawing
 Working Drawing
The Assembly Drawing
Assembly drawings show how pieces of a construction fit together. These may
include an 'exploded' view, with pieces drawn separately but in correct relative
positions, a 'general' assembly drawing where everything is drawn in its right
place, and a detailed assembly drawing, which is a drawing of working assembly
with measurements.
Assembly Drawing
 Working Drawing
Disciplines of Working Drawing (In Construction)
What is working drawing in construction cannot be understood without knowing
about its disciplines. In construction, working drawing is further of classified in 5
disciplines. These include the following:
 Working Drawing
1. Architectural Drawing
An architectural drawing offers a complete view of a building. It exhibits the
location of a building and all the parts of a building where they will be seen.
Different architectural drawings are known by different names such as elevation,
section, plan, and so on.
 Working Drawing
1. Architectural Drawing
 Working Drawing
2. Structural Drawing
This kind of working drawing provides all the information regarding the structure
such as the strength of various structural components, grade, size, structural
materials, placement of reinforcement, etc.
 Working Drawing
2. Structural Drawing
 Working Drawing
3. Finishing Drawing
Finishing drawings comprise of the details of finishing and the final look of the
building and this includes tiles, marbles, etc.
Finishing Drawing
 Working Drawing
4. Plumbing and Sanitary Drawings
This type of working drawings provides the location of piping for water supply,
sanitary, fixture and every process that connects it to every fixture and so on.
 Working Drawing
4. Plumbing and Sanitary Drawings
 Working Drawing
5. Electrical Drawing
This type of working drawing offers details and the location of electrical wiring,
sub-station, fixtures and so on. The electrical load calculation is also provided in
the drawing.
Electrical Drawing
 Working Drawing
Essential Elements of a Set of Working Drawings
What is included in a Set of Working Drawings? Whether you are building a custom
home or building from a stock house plan, at the core of the project will be the working
drawings. It is important to understand what working drawings are, what they are for,
and what you need and don’t need in the set of working drawings for your home.
1. Elevations
2. Floor Plans
3. Foundation Plan
4. Roof Framing Plan
5. Section Views
6. Electrical Plans
7. Construction and Architectural Details
 Working Drawing
1. Elevations Drawings
Elevations provide scaled views of the exterior of the home. This is where we include
information about the roof slope, ceiling heights, exterior finishes, and more
topographical information. The roof slope will be listed as a ratio of the vertical rise over
a horizontal run. Crucial information about materials and techniques for finishing the
exterior will also be given. Overhangs will be indicated where appropriate. These pages
will also have additional details about what is required for the house plan to meet
applicable building codes.
Elevation Drawing
 Working Drawing
2. Floor Plan Drawings
The floor plans will include tons of information, and are shown as a horizontal cross
section that will show all rooms, windows, and doors. Builders will be able to determine
specifications for many materials, including framing components, cabinets and fixtures,
doors, windows and much more. While some may choose to include separate framing
sheets for floors and walls, this information is usually readily accessible via the floor
plans. This is where the size of the individual rooms, location of windows, and location
of things like fireplaces, appliances, kitchen islands, and plumbing fixtures will be
shown. Floor plans will show all necessary information to make the sure the home
meets fire life safety code (Currently the 2017 IRC). This is also the place where you will
find information regarding exterior features like decks and garage.
Floor Plan Drawing
 Working Drawing
3. Foundation Plan Drawings
The foundation plan is where you will find all of the critical information for the structural
support features. The builder will be able to determine what type and what width of
foundation wall is to be used, as well as locate and determine the size of the footings.
Additional concrete features will be indicated where necessary. As you can see in the
plan above, any additional information will given through very detailed notes regarding
footings, point loads, construction techniques, and more.
Foundation Plan Drawing
 Working Drawing
4. Roof Framing Plan
These will provide accurate, detailed information about the structural members used to
frame the roof. It will allow the builder to determine the number and size of the
necessary structural members as well as the location. The roof framing plans will show
information about the size and spacing of the rafters. Overhangs, venting and
connectors will also be found here.
Roof Framing Plan Drawing
 Working Drawing
5. Section Views
Section views will provide very specific information regarding various construction and
design features. Shown above, you will see a few examples representative of a detailed
section view. You will notice larger cross section views of the home as well as smaller,
more focused drawings of features like walls and stairs. Sometimes designers will display
these sections as simple outline drawings and do not include key details. Remember, the
function of a set of working drawings should be to provide everything needed to keep
the building to code as well as everything needed to maintain the architectural integrity
of the home. It is critical that these drawings show good structural detail and include
detailed, specific notes.
Section Drawing
 Working Drawing
6. Electrical Plans
Electrical plans will be included that show light fixtures, outlets, smoke and carbon
monoxide detectors, switches and all code required fixtures. This Electrical plan will be a
guid for you. Many people use it as a starting point and customize the layout to suit
their lifestyle and particular requirements. Having built homes for years, and designed
thousands of homes we are careful to give you what you need without adding
unnecessary additional expense or complication.
Electrical Drawing
 Working Drawing
7. Construction and Architectural Details
Our plan cross sections show much more detail then most. That being said sometimes
additional construction and/or architectural details are necessary. Some plans need very
few such details and some need pages of them. We use our best judgment from our
dozens of years in the business as designers and builders to give you an optimum
amount of detail for each particular house plan.
Detail Drawing