What Should an Interior Design Drawing Package Include?

An interior design drawing package should bring together the floor plans, sections and elevations, item lists and written instructions needed for the agreed work. It should also show which version of each document is current and what the contractor may use it for.

I recommend starting with a drawing list. For each item, record who prepares it, who checks it and when it is needed. You can then see which information is missing before you send the package.

What should you confirm before you start?

First, agree what the package needs to help someone do. A client reviewing a layout, a contractor pricing, and for installation need different information. An issue is a set of documents formally sent for a stated purpose.

I would confirm these points before preparing the sheets:

• Scope: which rooms, alterations, furniture and fittings are included?
• Starting information: who checked the existing dimensions and building services, such as power and ventilation, and which areas remain unverified?
• Decisions: which layout, materials and equipment have been agreed, and what is still open?
• Responsibilities: who prepares, reviews and authorises each document?
• Delivery: what file formats, language, sheet sizes and issue dates have been agreed?

An existing drawing needs a clear source and date. If a critical dimension has not been checked, record it as unverified and assign someone to confirm it before the affected work proceeds.

Which drawings and documents should you include?

Use the following list to agree the contents with your team. Select the items needed for the scope and purpose of this issue. A small room alteration may need fewer sheets than a full office fit-out.

Document	What it explains	What to check
Drawing index	Which sheets belong to this issue.	Match the list to the files being sent.
Existing and demolition plans	What is there and what will be removed.	Identify verified information, retained elements and specialist checks.
Layout, partitions and setting-out plans	Where walls, doors and key elements go. Setting-out gives their measured positions.	Check dimensions, wall types, door movement and shared reference points.
Furniture and equipment plans	Where movable items and equipment sit.	Check size, circulation and required service connections.
Ceiling and services coordination plans	Ceiling layout and the positions of lights, grilles and other devices.	Compare positions and levels with the responsible designers’ information.
Floor finishes and material schedules	Where each finish goes and how it is identified.	Match material codes, changes of finish and level transitions.
Interior elevations and sections	Wall views and cuts showing height, depth and construction.	Match levels and locations to the plan and related details.
Joinery and connection details	Fitted furniture and how adjoining parts meet.	Identify fixing information, access needs and specialist design responsibilities.
Door, furniture and equipment schedules; specifications	Item references and written product or workmanship requirements.	Match the drawings and identify pending selections or reviews.

A schedule is a table of information. For example, a finish schedule can connect a floor material’s reference number with its description, supplier and location.

Written specifications describe requirements such as materials, performance and workmanship. Keep their references consistent with the drawings. Record decisions that still need confirmation.

For drawing preparation, my guide to AutoCAD for interior design covers plans, dimensions and drawing organisation. A 3D rendering can help you discuss the intended appearance; construction information needs its own dimensions, details and reviews.

How much detail is needed at each stage?

I would agree the purpose of the next issue before adding detail. Early drawings can explain the proposed layout and finishes. A package sent for pricing needs a clear scope and a record of any assumed quantities or choices still to be made. Information released for construction needs the reviews and authorisations agreed for that work.

The RIBA Plan of Work separates coordination of the architectural and engineering design at Stage 3 from preparation of manufacturing and construction information at Stage 4. Its guidance also explains that project contracts define who produces the information and when.

Give each issue a clear purpose, such as review, pricing or construction, using your project’s agreed terms. A newer revision means the document has changed. Check its stated purpose before using it.

Who should prepare and check the information?

Use a simple responsibility list. Name the person or team preparing each item, the reviewer and the person authorised to release it. Confirm these roles against the project appointments.

For example, you may coordinate the position of a ventilation grille within a ceiling design. The responsible services designer needs to confirm the technical requirements and suitability of its position.

Ask who supplies the specialist manufacturing drawings, often called shop drawings. These might show how a fitted cabinet will be made and installed. Agree who reviews them and what that review covers.

My article on cross-team collaboration discusses clear ownership and shared communication. Apply that principle here by giving every missing decision an owner and a due date.

How would you check a meeting room?

Imagine a meeting room with a table, six chairs, a wall-mounted screen and a fitted storage cabinet. I would review the information in this order.

Start with the floor plan

Check the furniture layout against the verified room dimensions. Show the door movement and routes around the table. Compare them with the access requirements confirmed for the project.

You should be able to identify the furniture positions and any unresolved space constraints.

Compare the ceiling and services

A reflected ceiling plan shows the ceiling layout as if reflected onto the floor. Compare the lights, ventilation grilles and other ceiling items using the latest information from the relevant designers.

Suppose a light and a ventilation grille occupy the same position. Mark the conflict and send it to the responsible designers. Record the agreed change, then check the revised sheets together. Hold the affected construction information until the conflict is resolved and reviewed.

Check the walls and fitted furniture

An elevation shows a wall straight on. A section shows a cut through an element so you can see its height, depth or construction.

Compare the screen position, power points and cabinet with the plan. Check that the cabinet doors can open and that required equipment access has been allowed for. Ask the responsible specialist to resolve uncertain fixing or service requirements.

Match the finishes and references

Follow one material reference from the plan to the finish schedule and the relevant detail. It should identify the same material and location each time.

After an agreed change, update every affected drawing, schedule and written requirement. Record the outstanding items so the reviewer can see what still needs attention.

What should you check before sharing the drawings?

A drawing register is a list of your drawings and their current revisions. I recommend using it for the final check:

• Contents: every sheet listed is included, or its absence is explained.
• Identity: drawing numbers, titles, revisions, dates and issue purposes match the register.
• Consistency: room names, dimensions, material codes and detail references agree across the package.
• Decisions: open questions are visible, with an owner and due date.
• Review: the required checks and release authorisation are recorded.
• Output: open the exported files and check page order, legibility, dimensions and the stated sheet size and scale.
• Delivery: record which documents were sent, their revisions, the recipients and the purpose of the issue.

Drawings with review comments can be shared to resolve questions when their limitations are clear. Hold information intended for construction if a critical dimension, design conflict or required specialist review remains unresolved.

What needs checking on a project in Europe?

I would keep a short project requirements list alongside the drawing register. Record who confirms permissions, fire safety, accessibility, landlord conditions and the documents required for approval. Check the relevant authority’s requirements for the project location.

For EU projects, the European Commission’s construction products overview explains that EU rules provide a common technical language for products. Member countries set rules for their use and installation.

For projects elsewhere in Europe, check the applicable national sources. The requirements of an individual country or project have not been verified in this guide. Ask the responsible local professional to confirm them before relying on the package for approvals or construction.

How do you manage changes through to handover?

After a change, update the affected files and register together. Keep the previous issue in the project record, clearly marked as replaced, and tell the recipients which revision to use.

Agree who records site changes and how those changes are checked. Record drawings, often called as-built drawings, need a clear basis in the information collected during the work.

My office fit-out handover checklist explains how drawings connect with the wider document pack. Keep unverified information visible and assign someone to resolve it.

Where should you start?

Create your drawing register before preparing the next issue. For each drawing, add its title, number, revision, purpose, preparer, reviewer and due date. Mark any missing information and name the person responsible for supplying it.

FAQs