Fund That Flip 03 - Construction Documents
The largest aspect of an architect’s job - in both time and deliverable size - is the creation of construction documents. Construction documents are drawings that tell the contractor what to build and how to do it. These drawings form the basis of a project. They are used for everything from pricing a job to detailing the contractor’s scope of work.
We previously made a blog post about what is included in a construction document set and how the read the drawings. Check it out here: Construction Documents: A Primer
A title sheet is included in each construction document set.
Permit Set
The first set of construction documents issued is a permit set. This set of drawings is created as part of a building permit application and are submitted for review by the regulatory bodies that issue permits. The drawings are reviewed to ensure the design adheres to the zoning code, building code, and life safety mandates. Elements like interior finishes and detailed construction diagrams are often unnecessary - and yet to be figured out - at this point. If the client has decided to solicit bids to find a contractor the permit set is often used to do that as well.
Multiple Disciplines
Architecture is not the only discipline represented in construction documents. Consultant drawings are also included. These are drawings that are created by civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers or by third party vendors. The disciplines represented in a set of construction documents depends on the scope of the project. One example of vendor drawings common in restaurant projects are kitchen equipment vendor drawing. These drawings specify all the equipment and the electrical or plumbing services required for the equipment.
Post-Permit Set
Fund That Flip was a fast tracked a project and we had a permit set submitted to the city before we presented the design to them! After our presentation we had some changes to make to the construction documents. Construction documents that change after the permit set are issued as an addendum or bulletin. An “addendum” set refers to changes to the construction documents before a contractor is selected and a “bulletin” set is issued after that happens.
This is the third post in our blog series following Fund That Flip from start to finish. Our next post will discuss the construction process and what you can expect from your architect during that time.