Updated: October 5, 2024 | Average Reading Time: 10 minutes

Contract documents are the single-most important (and legal) documents prepared by design professionals for every successful design project.

Whether it is a commercial tenant improvement or a residential renovation and addition design, the contract documents are the single-most important of all the professional services that an interior and architectural designer will prepare for a project.

Contract documents contain two technical parts of every design package: 1) construction drawings (sometimes called “blueprints” or “schematics”), and 2) written specifications either directly on the drawings or as an additional booklet. In addition to being a set of legal documents, it's likely that the amount of errors and details will be lost in overall implementation of design work, meaning there is truth to the adage of “changes on paper are cheaper to make than in real life”.

The significance of a set of carefully prepared set of technical drawings and written instructions are often overlooked and misunderstood by our clients because the may not understand why contract documents are necessary. Much like legal council preparing a bill of sale for property, it is through a professionally drawings prepared to the industry’s architectural graphic and presentation standards that every design professionals will ensure that the health, safety, and welfare of the occupants inside the building they are designing.

Let’s take a deeper look into contract documents.

01 — What are contract documents?

For qualified interior and architectural designers, a contract documents is the backbone of their professional practice. Interior designers and architectural designers are practitioners in their fields, and, therefore, the services performed within a company or firm is called a “practice”. In addition to being knowelabout finish performance and methods, plumbing fixtures and fittings, equipment (appliances) and indoor air quality, building systems, lighting, and so much more in the field of practice, contract documents are often overlooked in favour of the final aesthetic result, proving that architects and interior designers are truly creative geniuses in their own right.

The majority of qualified education in North America involves the production drawings and presentations produced to a set of architectural graphic standards for computer aided-design (CAD) established through the United States National CAD Standards (USNCS). In addition, the written specifications portion of contract documents have a different construction specification standards in a manual of practice set by the Construction Standards Institute (CSI).

From a practical consumer perspective, it is understandable that a move-in-ready space that is suitable to a users lifestyle and aesthetic preferences is a motivator, but these regulatory industry standards are overwhelming to navigate for the average consumer and why hiring any qualified design professional is beneficial to every project. And yet, it is the standards of USNCS and CSI that create a common language between all facets of a project involving design professionals, building regulatory officials involving in code-compliance, construction contractors and custom builders, building tradespersons, and craftspersons.

The complexities are many, but possessing the sufficient technical skills required to implement these complexities take a tremendous amount of time to learn involving many years of study in a qualified educational institution and then field practice (employment).

02 — What are construction drawings?

Construction drawings is a set of drawings, illustrations, details, and instructions. As previously mentioned, all drawings must adhere to a set of architectural graphic standards that apply to all design fields. They will include details on the necessary sizes, thicknesses, and parts for plan views, elevations, sections, and details, as well as table-format schedules identifying symbols and are prepared on large drawing sheets as black ink on white paper. A set of construction drawings may contain any of the following different drawing sheet types:

1. Floor Plans: includes a list of types like Site Plans, Demolition Plan, Construction Plan, Door/Hardware and Window Schedules, Power, Data and Communication Plans, Lighting Plan, Finish Schedules and Plans, and Furniture Installation Plans.

2. Reflected Ceiling Plan: a different type of plan that shows ceiling details, lighting, sprinklers, changes in ceiling heights, speakers and access panels, switching, and crown moulding.

3. Elevations: flattened vertical views that are straight-on. They contain the configuration of finishes, materials, built-in cabinets, wall-mounted equipment, and dimensions. If you want to know more about our detail drawings and how they tie into the preparation of a project check out our article The Art Of Detail Drawing.

4. Details and Sections: zoomed in details and views that were not visible in elevations and typically relate to how a special detail shall be assembled together. These may also include stair sections, building sections, or even cabinetry cross-sections.

5. Schedules: not to be confused with a time-table or a Specification (see below), schedules may be listed with a key symbol from the plan view and lists what an item is and some detailed like finish and installation method.

Construction drawings should never be confused with “working drawings” because these are drawings that are in-progress and may likely change. This is similar to the term “schematics”, which is also often used incorrectly when referring to construction drawings because this drawing type is considered in-process, meaning it is not approved for construction. The term “blueprint” was often referred to as a construction drawing in the past because of the manual drawing and drafting processes that duplicated original ink drawings. It was smelly and messy process and not one we wish to return to.

03 — What are specifications?

While the drawings show the general configuration of the spaces and the layouts, the specifications (or “specs”) describe the materials, installation methods, level of workmanship required and the general requirements for the execution of the construction work.

In some cases, the specifications may be placed on the drawings for convenience while in other cases the Specifications may accompany the construction drawings. If there is a conflict between the drawing and the spec., the written specification takes precedence. Furniture specifications are entirely different that this topic and not covered here.

04 — Who owns contract documents?

Contract documents are produced by the design professional for the fair use of the client when completing the project listed on the drawing. They are copyrighted to the design professional, meaning they cannot be transferred, reproduced, or replicated for any reason without written consent. Although the client may purchase the design services, the ownership of the drawings themselves is retained by the design professional under the Copyright Act.

It is important to note, legally speaking, that the paper sheets are the contract documents and not the digital software files themselves. An artist handing over their sketchbook instead of the finished, commissioned piece of art or a photographer handing over the negative instead of the photographic print are examples of surrendering a digital file of drawings and specifications because these are covered by copyright laws.

05 — Who uses contract documents?

Contract documents are used by contractors, consultants, and tradespeople when executing the construction of a project. The construction drawings are mostly prepared for the purposes of obtaining a building permit as required by law in the project’s jurisdiction. The department in charge of building planning will examine them and either approve them outright or reject them with comments.

Contract documents are legal documents that must be followed in a design project, so they must be correctly produced and be found on every project site during construction. The more errors on a document, the higher the risk of costs and scheduling problems, let alone code compliance and failure to pass occupancy. If the contract documents are removed from the project site while work is proceeding, this too is a risk for great error and additional costs. When errors are found on contract documents, they must be immediately reported to the design professional to correct and reissue. If the error is not reported or the document is not reissued, then, surprise, mistakes and costs will rise.

The importance of a professionally prepared set of contract documents cannot be underestimated or undervalued. Without them, there is often no vision or instruction on how something can be built or constructed. While there may be some descent within the design community about the complexities of construction drawings, there is always a push-and-pull between the costs and time versus the outcomes, this argument mostly stems from our legal risk and exposure and the increased complexities of what we are designing and why.

Additional Resources

Architectural Drawings: Excessive or Essential - Life of an Architect