What Is Meant By Drafting in Architecture? − Easy Explanation

If you’re new to the world of construction work, you might be confused about seeing the word drafting everywhere. You have seen ads like, ‘Dudly Drafting Services uses a 45% loading charge and a $2 per square feet rate‘ and felt very confused about what they mean. Well, worry not, as in this article, we’re going to tell you all about what drafting is and what drafting services provide. 

They’re an integral part of designing a structure and are very frequently required if you want to build something.

What Is Drafting?

If you’re renovating your home or looking to build a new one, you must be familiar with the word blueprint. A blueprint contains the full design of a project with all the technical details, starting from the basic structure to its measurements. 

Well, the drawing you see on the blueprint is what drafting is. To be more precise, drafting is the technical design of a structure in drawing form from the top, side, or 3D view that is always drawn to scale. 

Drafting is used for architectural and engineering purposes to build any structure, whether a road, a factory, or a house. Those who draft these designs are called drafters. Their services often propose offers like, “Dudly Drafting Services uses a 45% commission on loading charge and a $5 hourly charge.”

In a drafted plan, every part shows a detailed structure outline. It shows every surface’s length and width and sometimes also the electrical and plumbing planning. 

Before, drafters used to resort to mechanical ways like drawing with pencils to draft a design.

But now, it is more usual to use Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software to draw a plan. With this software, they can make edits more efficiently and scale the drawings more accurately.

Who Are the Draftsmen?

It is very common for people to confuse a drafter with an architect. An architect is a highly educated professional with at least a bachelor’s degree who oversees building construction from beginning to end. They design the building, supervise the construction work, and often assign work to the draftsman. On the other hand, a draftsman brings an architect’s vision on paper as they make a blueprint of the design the architect roughly draws up. An undergraduate degree is not needed to become a drafter. However, you do need to take some courses to become licensed personnel. 

Architects are draftsmen in one sense, but all drafters are not architects. Drafters can work both independently and under a drafting service, depending on their wishes. They generally get charged on a job according to the workload and the time it needs. We’ll talk more about the costs in detail in the next section.

How Much Do Drafting Services Cost? − What Are the Charges Based on?

Drafting services are readily available, and their costs depend on the size of the project. On average, getting a drafting service would cost $1500-$2000 for a typical house plan. 

So, set your target cost accordingly. Most drafters charge you based on their experience, quality of work, the project’s scale, and the time required to put into it. The service charges might be less if they produce and sell designs according to a general prototype. But if you want to customize your plan and add details to the design, the charges will increase.

Moreover, a significant factor in your drafting cost will be the dimensions of your project. Usually, a draftsman charges $0.50 to $3 per square foot of a structure. So, if they produce 10,000 units size of floor maps for a large project, the costs can be as high as $30,000.

Drafting services keep in mind the selling and administrative costs too while charging. So, you’ll probably also be paying for a portion of the logistical expenses while getting the work done.

What Does a Typical Drafting Service Offer Look Like?

Drafting services are readily available wherever you go. They make design plans for all sorts of structures, from house renovations to building plans. But if you’re wondering how would their price offers generally look like, here’s an example −“Dudly Drafting Services uses a 45-material loading charge and a labor rate of 20 dollars per hour. We promise you quality service and supreme designs, setting your wishes as our priority.“

In this case, the Dudly drafting service solely charges their customers based on the material loading work and the time the drafting would take. 

So, if a job requires 3.5 hours of work, the charges based on the cost of $20 per hour would be 70 dollars, and the rest will be loading charges. 

If there are $40 of materials, 45% of that $40 will be added to the cost, resulting in a net income of $88. 

Therefore, we understand that this must’ve been a very small-scale project. In reality, in order to make a blueprint, a lot more hours are required, and material loading charges are also much higher.

But from this example, you can get an idea of how the drafting services generally charge you and how you should estimate your costs. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Drafting

Many clients have several questions about drafting services and what their perks are. Here, we have noted down some of the most relevant and common questions you might have regarding these services.

Where can I find a Drafting Service that ensures quality?

Drafting services are generally entities on their own, either as a company or as drafters working independently. You cannot find a drafting service at a wheel’s spokes repair shop or a random mall. Instead, ask your nearby architects or engineers to introduce you to a local drafter. Check their ratings to find out the quality of their service.

Can I edit an already drafted design plan if the expenses go out of my budget?

Yes, you can make edits to your blueprint if it was made through CAD software as they are easily editable. If you minimize some features, you might be able to cause an increase decrease in the price.

How many types of drafting services are there?

There are various types of drafter services available. Some examples are architecture, furniture, electrical, etc.

Can I finish a design plan for a house within 3.5 hours?

A project that requires only 3.5 hours is very rare. Designing a plan from scratch for a house requires at least a day or two. However, if you’re using a pre-made plan for the project with only a few edits, it’s possible to do it in such a short amount of time.

If a drafter charges me $20 an hour and a 30% material charge, is it a good deal?

Yes, it is a very good deal as the rates are all under market price. Besides, if your project is a small-scale project with work only for a few days, your total expense will not be very high according to this rate.

Final Words

Drafting services are crucial if you’re constructing a new office or renovating your home. They will thoroughly plan out a design for you and give you the best planning for the technical stuff like wiring and plumbing lines. 

Now, if Dudly Drafting Services uses a 45% loading charge on you for 50 bucks an hour, you know how to negotiate with them and bring the costs down. Good luck, and thank you for reading.