Difference Between Shop Drawings And Construction Drawings

One of the first things a person thinks of when "construction" is discussed is a large, full-sized set of construction drawings. People outside the industry see construction drawings as an infallible guide for building the project from beginning to end. While they're technically correct, this assumption does not account for the sheer volume of drawings that a construction project actually requires. Not only that, but there are in fact MANY types of drawings for any given construction project! There is such a thing as 'construction drawings', but there are also drawings that are developed as the project is underway, known as shop drawings. In this article, we're discussing the difference between construction drawings and shop drawings!

The Difference Between Shop Drawings And Construction Drawings: Table of Contents

Let's discuss define shop drawings & construction drawings, along with the differences between shop drawings and construction drawings. If you want to jump to a specific section, just click the links below:

What Are Construction Drawings?
What Are Shop Drawings?
The Difference Between Shop Drawings And Construction Drawings
- Phase Of Project They're Used
- Purpose Of Each Drawing
- Accuracy Of Drawings
- Who's Responsible For Drafting The Drawings
- Liability & Risk Associated With Each

What Are Construction Drawings?

Construction drawings, commonly known as bid drawings or architectural drawings, are drawings that depict the overall intent and outcome of the work taking place. When most people casually refer to 'construction drawings', they're probably talking about these.

These are drawings that are created by an Architect or Engineer at the request of a property owner – private owner, corporation, agency, etc. – to put on paper what the final product is going to look like.

These drawings are produced before any work takes place. They take into consideration the end usage of the structure, all of the features it should have, what it should look like (including estimated dimensions and appearance), how it should perform and a closer look at details.

Ironically, these "construction drawings" drawings are often labeled with watermarks like "Not For Construction" or "Bid Purposes Only".

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What Are Shop Drawings?

Shop drawings are developed by, or on behalf of, a contractor that will be performing work on the project.

Shop drawings ARE for construction. They're developed by contractors after they've signed a contract with the Owner and are commencing work, even if on paper at first.

Since many projects require several contractors, each performing their own portion of work, there will usually be several sets of shop drawings required to complete the project. Every contractor will submit their own set of shop drawings for approval, which they'll go on to reference for construction.

Shop drawings take actual field conditions into consideration, including field dimensions in some cases. Shop drawings also consider how the contractor will do the work, including details related to assembly, coordination with adjacent parts of the building and exact materials/components.

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The Difference Between Shop Drawings And Construction Drawings

As you can see from the above sections, there are many differences between shop drawings and construction drawings to be aware of. Let's go through a few of them below:

These Drawings Are Used In Different Phases Of Construction

Construction drawings, as they're referred to, are produced prior to the project officially starting the construction phase. Shop drawings are produced once the project is underway.

The Purpose Of Construction & Shop Drawings Are Different

Construction drawings are referred to as 'bid drawings' because they're often drawn so contractors can price out the project. Contractors review these drawings when putting together a bid and estimating labor, material and other construction costs.

How Accurate Each Type Of Drawing Is

Since construction drawings are drawn before a contractor is even selected, they typically aren't accurate. You'll often find "VIF" (Verify-in-Field) labeled on the drawings when it comes to dimensions and existing conditions. They're meant to show the overall intent of the project, not the specific final details.

Contractors will provide drawings with exact dimensions, components, assembly and often a stamp from a Professional Engineer.

Who's Providing The Drawings?

As we said earlier, construction drawings are procured by an owner or client at the time of the project inception. The owner hires a design firm to help develop these plans.

Shop drawings are provided by contractors working on the project. They may produce them on their own, submit them on behalf of a manufacturer or hire a design consultant to create them.

Liability & Risk In Drafting & Submitting The Drawings

Construction drawings are drafted prior to any contractors being hired. They're specifically labeled as "Not For Construction", so the Owner and Owner's designer have little risk when it comes to the actual construction.

Construction drawings do need to represent the complete scope of work that the Owner needs done. Contractors will be referencing these drawings when pricing the work, so if certain aspects of the final product are left out, contractors will be seeking additional time and money via change orders.

These construction drawings do need to at least reflect the big picture of the final end product. This includes the general appearance and overall design criteria.

Shop drawings should reflect the entirety of a contractor's specific scope of work. The contractor, along with anyone they've hired to work with them, are liable for producing shop drawings that accurately depict the in-field conditions, meet the scope of work requirements and are all-around sound (engineering, adequacy, etc.).

Should contractors produce a set of shop drawings that don't meet the designs criteria or deviate from the approved set of drawings when actually working, the contractor becomes liable for any failures, accidents or rework that result from the mistake.

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Construction Drawings and Shop Drawings In Summary

Construction projects start on paper and require a tremendous amount of drawings to actually get the job done. The difference between shop drawings and construction drawings may seem subtle, but there's actually quite a few major differences to be aware of! However, both are essential to actually building anything.

I hope you've found this article helpful and I appreciate you reading it!