The Difference Between As-Built & Existing-Conditions Drawings
Both as-built and existing-conditions drawings are rendered post-construction. However, as-built drawings are usually less detailed, and they may only include information that is pertinent to a certain project. For example, you may need an as-built drawing to display the existing wood structure of a building so that you can draft new millwork plans for an upcoming addition. Or, you may use as-built drawings to show the total square footage of a development, when its original blueprints are outdated, lost, or inaccurate due to renovations over the years.
On the other hand, existing conditions drawings may be necessary for more in-depth purposes. If you’re tacking on an addition to a building, for example, you may need existing-conditions MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) drawings so that these infrastructural elements can be planned for and expanded on. Existing-conditions drawings are also usually smaller in scale — we may render a room or two at a time for an existing-conditions project, whereas an as-built project may include several floorplans in a multi-unit development.
When Are As-Built Drawings Necessary?
We find that as-built drawings are necessary for a number or reasons:
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- Construction processes required plan modification: As plans are handed from architect to contractor, modifications may be necessary (or preferred). We can redraft current architectural plans to show design changes implemented for the construction process.
- The plans are simply gone: If the plans for your building can’t be found, we can recreate the drawings according to your measurements.
- There were never any plans: With older buildings, architectural drawings may never have existed. We can create new architectural drafts from scratch; again, we’ll simply need accurate measurements of the building.
- The plans are illegible: If you have plans that are partially or fully illegible, we can draft up a new set of architectural plans. Blueprints and drafts age and weather, and over time, smudges and sun damage can render a plan completely illegible. That’s why we’re here!
- Rentable space, livable space, and gross area: If you need to recalculate the total space of buildings on your property for sales purposes, tenant documentation, etc., as-built drawings can accommodate your needs.
- Information for operations and maintenance staff: If you have staff that will need quick access to information about your property, you may need to draft up as-built drawings to put this information in their hands. For example, if you have a maintenance staff that works on your multi-unit development, it could prove handy to have plans that map out the locations of shut-off valves for each of your buildings. Similarly, you may need to create drawings that display emergency exits and exit procedures for your tenants.