As-Built Drawings

An as-built drawing is a revised drawing created and submitted by a contractor after a construction project is finished. They contain any changes made from the initial drawings during the construction process, and provide an exact rendering of the building and property as it appears upon completion.

As-built drawings are important for a few reasons. During the construction process, as-built drawings can help get subcontractors onboarded quickly, as they can review the drawings and quickly understand exactly where the project stands. This also allows subcontractors to spot and address any potential issues early in the process, as soon as a change is made. 

Ultimately, for the general contractor and subcontractors, as-built drawings serve as a detailed record of the construction that was actually completed compared to the intended design. Equipped with these drawings, all project stakeholders know exactly what work was performed. 

In addition, the final as-built drawings give the building owners an accurate representation of the completed project. If they ever decide to add on to or renovate the building, they will have the exact specifications of the work that was initially completed.

Improves onboarding: As subcontractors are added to a project, delivering a set of as-builts helps teams get access to the right information quickly, which allows getting up to speed starting work sooner.

Assists the facilities team: With a full record of change, facility teams can meet issues faster and owners can save money down the road due to improved operations and speed.

Streamlines permitting process: Oftentimes, government agencies request sets of as-builts in order to issue building permits.

Improves the renovation process: With a full history of project changes, owners can see exactly what has been built and do not have to invest heavily in learning about existing conditions.