One of the biggest uncertainties when planning a renovation, extension or new residential project is simply knowing what happens next. You have an idea. But how does that idea become a floor plan? How are existing buildings measured? When do you see the first design? When are engineers or certifiers involved? And how does the project progress from concept drawings towards Building Approval? Understanding the residential drafting process can make the entire project feel much more manageable.
While every project has different requirements, there is a logical progression from understanding the site and your objectives through to design, documentation and approvals. Here’s what that journey can look like.
The drafting process begins with understanding the project. This first stage isn’t about immediately drawing a floor plan. It’s about establishing what you’re trying to achieve. For example, are you:
– Renovating an existing home?
– Adding an extension?
– Designing a new home?
– Raising and building underneath?
– Planning a granny flat?
– Developing a duplex?
– Adding a deck or carport?
The draftsman also needs to understand the priorities behind the project. Two homeowners may both want an extension but have completely different objectives. One might need more bedrooms. Another may want to enlarge the kitchen and living area. The physical project may sound similar, but the design brief is different.
For projects involving an existing home, the next step is developing accurate information about the building. This is one of the most important foundations of residential drafting. If the starting information is inaccurate, the proposed drawings may also be affected. Older drawings are not always available, and even when plans exist, the property may have changed since they were produced. A site measure provides current information about the building as it exists today.
Technology has significantly improved the way existing buildings can be recorded. Eclipse Drafting uses LiDAR scanning and point-cloud modelling as part of its measurement process. Instead of relying only on individual manual measurements, scanning technology can capture detailed spatial information about the existing property. The result is a digital collection of measured points representing the physical environment. This information can then be used as a reference when developing accurate existing-condition drawings.
Renovations and extensions must interact with an existing structure. Small differences in dimensions, levels or existing conditions can influence the proposed design. Accurate site information can help:
– Establish reliable existing plans
– Reduce assumptions during design
– Understand existing building geometry
– Improve coordination between existing and proposed work
– Provide a more dependable foundation for drafting
The technology itself isn’t the objective. The objective is better information at the beginning of the project.
Once the site information has been captured, the existing building can be documented. These drawings establish what is currently there before proposed work is added. For a renovation or extension, this provides a clear reference point. It also allows the draftsman to distinguish between existing elements and proposed changes throughout the documentation. This is especially valuable on projects where the proposed work needs to connect carefully with the current structure.
The project brief and site information now come together. At this point, the draftsman has a clearer understanding of both: What you want to achieve, and What currently exists. This provides the basis for concept design. Your brief may include functional requirements such as another bedroom or larger living area, but it can also include broader priorities. You might want:
– Better flow through the home
– More connection with outdoor areas
– Greater flexibility
– Better use of existing space
– A more functional kitchen
– Additional storage
– A layout that suits changing family requirements
These priorities influence how the concept is developed.
This is usually one of the most exciting stages for homeowners because the project starts becoming visual. Eclipse Drafting develops concept drawings in Revit, with drawing packages able to include items such as:
– Site plans
– Floor plans
– Roof plans
– Elevations
– Sections
– Perspective views
The first concept translates the project brief into a proposed design. It gives you something concrete to review and discuss. For a broader understanding of how this fits into the project, read Residential Drafting: The Complete Guide to Planning, Designing & Documenting Your Home Project.
The first concept should start a conversation rather than end one. Once you see your ideas on a plan, you may think differently about certain elements. This is normal. You might want to:
– Adjust room sizes
– Move openings
– Reconfigure a particular area
– Change the relationship between spaces
– Modify part of an extension
– Reconsider a design priority
Reviewing these decisions during the concept stage gives you an opportunity to improve the design before detailed documentation is developed.
Feedback from the first design can then be incorporated into a revised concept. The process is valuable because it progressively resolves the project. Rather than trying to make every decision correctly during the first meeting, the design can evolve through drawings and discussion. This is one of the reasons residential drafting is more than simply converting a sketch into a digital plan. There is an active design-development process involved. If you’d like a deeper explanation of the draftsman’s role during these stages, read What Does a Residential Draftsman Do?.
Eventually, the major design decisions need to be resolved so the project can progress. At this point, the overall arrangement has been established and the documentation can move towards the requirements of the next stages. Finalising the concept doesn’t necessarily mean that no information will ever change again. Consultant input may still require coordination. However, it does mean there is a clear design direction around which the remaining documentation can be developed.
Depending on the project, other professionals may need to contribute information. This can include engineers, certifiers and other relevant specialists. Their input may affect parts of the design or documentation. Good coordination helps ensure the various pieces of project information work together rather than being developed independently. Eclipse Drafting can coordinate relevant consultant information as the project progresses towards the Building Approval drawing package.
Once the concept is sufficiently developed, the drawings can progress towards the documentation needed for the applicable approval process. Exactly what is required varies depending on the project. This is why residential drafting shouldn’t be approached as a generic set of drawings that is identical for every home. A new house, extension, deck and major renovation can each have different documentation considerations. The drawing package needs to reflect the actual project.
For many homeowners, “approval” can feel like one of the more complicated parts of the project. There may be several documents and professionals involved, depending on the nature of the work. The drafting process helps establish the core drawings around which relevant information can be coordinated. Rather than treating approval as something completely separate from design, a structured drafting process works towards it progressively.
If you’re still determining whether professional plans are appropriate for your project, read Do I Need a Draftsman for a Home Renovation, Extension or New Build?.
There isn’t one timeframe that applies to every project. A straightforward residential project and a substantial renovation involving multiple consultants naturally have different requirements. The timeframe can be influenced by:
– Project complexity
– Size of the building
– Existing site conditions
– Number of design revisions
– Consultant requirements
– Client feedback
– Documentation requirements
– Approval processes
Rather than focusing only on completing drawings as quickly as possible, it is important to allow enough time to properly develop the project. Early decisions affect later stages. A rushed concept can create more revisions later.
There are several simple ways to make drafting more efficient.
Provide a Clear Brief
Explain what you need and why you need it.
Share Existing Information
Provide any previous plans or relevant documents you already have.
Give Consolidated Feedback
When reviewing concepts, try to consider the entire design rather than sending individual changes separately over time.
Ask Questions Early
If you don’t understand something in the drawings, ask. You shouldn’t need to pretend to understand technical documentation.
Be Open to Design Alternatives
Sometimes there is another way to achieve your objective. A collaborative process gives the draftsman an opportunity to explore it.
When selecting someone to help with your project, look beyond the ability to produce CAD drawings. Consider the overall process. Does the service include accurate measurement where required? Is there a structured concept stage? Can the draftsman coordinate with other consultants? Are the drawings developed towards Building Approval rather than stopping at a basic floor plan? Is communication clear? Does the draftsman have experience with residential projects?
The answers to these questions can have a significant influence on your experience throughout the project.
The residential drafting process is best understood as a sequence. You start with ideas and an existing site. Those become measured information and a project brief. The brief becomes a concept design. The concept is reviewed and refined. The agreed design becomes a more detailed drawing package. Consultant information is coordinated. The project progresses towards approval documentation. The coordinated drawing package can then progress through Building Approval together with the required engineering and other consultant documentation.
Each stage builds on the one before it. That is why getting the early stages right matters.
A well-planned residential project begins long before construction starts. Accurate site information, considered design development and clear documentation can give homeowners, consultants and builders a stronger foundation for the stages that follow. Eclipse Drafting provides residential drafting and building design services covering site measurement, point cloud scanning, concept development, consultant coordination and Building Approval documentation.
