The term “contract documents” is used to describe all of the documents needed to build a project. Typically these include the plans, specifications, general conditions and the contract for construction.The contract for construction and methods of job/cost management are discussed in a separate article. Because every project is different and every owner has a different set of expectations and requirements, every set of contract documents will be different. Some may be very lengthy and others may be short.
The plans are the primary documents because they convey the visual description of what is expected. The specifications represent the description of the project through the written word and convey information that may not be clearly shown on the plans. Sometimes the design information on the plans is repeated in the specifications for clarity. Together, the plans and the specifications become the major document needed to complete the contract for construction between the owner and the builder.
My philosophy is to provide the documents required by the owner to meet the individual need. It is not always necessary that all of the items listed below be completed prior to start of construction. The following list describes the major components that are involved in a complete set of plans followed by a definition of the specifications.
Plot Plan:
Information needed to start the plot plan is usually taken from the survey that is often furnished to the buyer of a property when the property is purchased. It can usually be found in the closing document package. The purpose of the plot plan is to show how the structure fits on the property, the distance to the property lines, the building setback requirements and relationships to any easements or other property encumbrances. It also includes:
Site Drainage Notes: Shows changes needed to make sure water drains to the appropriate places on the site, straying away from the building and keeping the water flow from adjacent property.
Site Utilities: Shows where electrical, gas, and sewer lines are located and how they are to be modified to fit the new plan. Indicates septic tanks, if any, electrical service connections, sewer connections as well as gas meters and lines.
Access: Verifies that access to the building is maintained to the building and indicates where problems of access may be encountered during construction as well as any new curb cuts or other site related access issues.
Slope: Placement and overall design of the building may depend a great deal on the slop if it is significant.
Orientation: The lot orientation to the sun combined with the slope is considered in building design so this information is indicated on the site plan
Impervious cover calculations: Calculations are shown indicating the total changes to the structure, driveways, patios and porches. Most areas around Austin have some kind of impervious cover limitations. Building permitting usually requires that this information be posted on the plans. If the proposed building exceeds these limitations, modifications to the footprint should be considered.
Floor Plan:
Defines the size and placement of the individual rooms and the elements within the rooms as well as traffic flow, dimensions, placement of windows, cabinets and furniture are all set up here. Plans are often sketched as ideas are developed and as the plan matures into more detail. it is usually drawn at 1/4″ to 1 ft. scale depending on the size of the project and the information to be conveyed.
Exterior elevations:
Describes the building from the outside and starts to provide the 3rd dimension to the building. Usually 2 or more views are required. The most obvious is the front elevation where much of the style of the house is established. These exterior views also tells us a great deal about the construction of the roofs, the development of the roof plan takes place with development of the elevations. The connection points for the roof ridges and valleys are established with a combination of these views.
Roof Plan:
During the development of the floor plan, the roof plan must be considered. It is a mistake to allow a floor plan to develop without consideration for the way the roof will fit the plan especially in remodeling where the new plan must connect to an existing roof condition. The type of roof depends on the style of the house, so this must also be considered. Eventually, the roof plan is overlaid on the floor plan until it matches, then coordinated with the elevations for accuracy. Once all views are matched, we proceed to other views. Any time there is a change to the plan, the elevations and the roof plan are changed to match.
Section(s):
A section helps us see how a room will look from the inside, how the ceiling levels may change from room to room, how beams and joists will match and how the attic and roof will work together. Many times the interior elevations of the rooms are developed from drawing these sections. Section cut locations are selected according to the need to see certain portions of the structure in more detail, to explain to the owner and the builder how the structural components and spaces are configured and to establish heights of wall plates and changes in floor elevations.
Typical Wall Section:
A larger scale detailed wall section can now be developed from the smaller sections. It describes the combination of details of the wall construction, how the roof connects to the wall, how the wall connects to the foundation and how the foundation connects to the ground as well as other information regarding insulation and wall sheathing material combinations.
Details:
The extent of the details to be shown on any given set of plans depends on the nature of the structure to be built and the amount of information that needs to be conveyed. Some buildings are simplistic in nature and require only the basic details and others are very intricate and require more. In general the more detailed we make the set of drawings the less questions the contractor will have in the bidding process and the fewer change orders will be needed during construction.
Electrical Plan:
Many times there are so many switches and fixtures in certain rooms that a separate plan is required to show them all. In other cases, these elements can be shown on the main floor plan. It is a judgement call about which plan is most appropriate. The electrical plan is a good place to show the fixture schedule which identifies each fixture, type and model number if available. In other cases, the fixture schedule is located in the specifications which can be changed more frequently as necessary to reflect final changes without having to reprint a new set of plans each time.
HVAC Plan:
HVAC stands for Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning. Providing a separate plan for this is not always needed but in larger custom homes where zoning of the spaces are required it is a good idea. In my opinion, the most important thing is to make sure the HVAC system is designed by a qualified professional. Some equipment installers are inclined to oversize the equipment to take care of contingencies rather than make sure the duct system is appropriately designed to maximize the efficiency of the units as they are designed to work. If an a/c system is so oversized that it cycles on and off too often, conditions are created that create a good environment for mold to grow and energy to be needlessly consumed.
Roof Framing Plan:
It is a good idea to include a roof framing plan if the structure requires changes in roof joist, rafter systems and connections that include open beams and higher ceiling combinations. Questions can arise during construction that require larger structural members that were originally in the bid which causes an unexpected increase in costs. If there is a roof framing plan included, the engineer will also be responsible for verifying that everything drawn is correctly sized, placed and connected securely.
Floor Framing Plan:
The is much the same as the roof framing plan. It is not required if the foundation is concrete, but should be included for 2-story buildings. Once again, not all contract documents include the framing plan if the structure is relatively simple in shape and size.
Foundation Plan:
The foundation plan may describe a concrete slab plan or a pier and beam plan or a combination of both depending on the structure and the site conditions. This plan is used by the structural engineer to provide additional structural detailed drawings and calculations. A foundation plan is drawn for concrete slabs, pier and beam and combinations of both to describe the architectural preferences.
Engineering Plan(s):
After the Architectural plans are near completion, they are sent to a structural engineer who will examine them, do the necessary calculations and draw the plans, sections and details as needed. In most cases a separate sheet(s) of drawings are provided indicating these structural requirements and these pages are stamped and sealed by the engineer. These pages are then inserted into the package of drawings where they then become a part of the contract documents. In more complex projects other engineers and consultants may be utilized such as civil engineers for site problems and electrical engineers.
Interior Elevations:
These elevations are often drawn at a larger scale than the floor plans to show more detail. The will show the detailed face of the cabinets, counters and upper cabinets. They include notes regarding the types of cabinets, trim and shelving.
Door Schedule:
When there are several doors involved in the project it is better to list each door by number and refer to them on that detailed schedule which will provide more detailed information about the type of door, hardware, locks and other notes which help describe each situation. This schedule may be placed directly on the plans or in the specifications.
Window Schedule:
Much the same as the door schedule for the same reasons.
Room Finish Schedule:
Many times the finishes of the floors, walls and ceilings are simple enough to note them on the plans alone. When the finishes are more complex and change from room to room, it is best to describe the finishes on a schedule that shows how each wall, floor and ceiling is to be finished in each room listed.
Specifications Short Form:
Specifications in the “short form” are intended to provide general information regarding how the builder is to provide his service and helps the owner make sure some basic information that is not shown on the plans can be conveyed into the contract documents. Some issues might be the hours of operation, how to accommodate owner live-in situation, dust control, use of utilities on site and information about when and how payments are to be made. Much of this document can be copied directly into and become a part of the final contract for construction between the owner and the builder.
Specifications with Details:
For residential construction whether new or remodeling, the additional detail provided is specific to the job being done. It will include names and model numbers of specific materials, paints and fixtures. It may also include very specific information about how and to what standards certain materials may be applied during the work. All other required specific information not included in the plans and the short form specifications will be included here.
Contract for Construction:
This is the document between the owner and the contractor which refers to the plans and specifications to describe the work to be done, how it is to be done and when payments are to be made as the work progresses. A good contractor and a good contract are vital to a well built project with a minimum of problems during the course of the work.
Final Note:
No matter how hard we try, no set of contract documents will be 100% complete. There will always be decisions to be made during the construction process. It is important that the owner and the builder set up good communication channels and work together to use the contract documents to assist them in completing the work as intended. All change orders should be done in writing and sketches should be included to describe those changes when appropriate even if it takes a little time. Verbal changes can lead to misunderstandings which quickly can become amplified as they are built and expenses start adding up.
The amount and extent of what elements are to be included in the final set of contract documents vary greatly from project to project. Some can be very simple and others require all of the above. It is only possible to determine just how much will be needed after examining the needs of each project. There is no more good reason to over draw a project than for doing less than what is needed. It is fair to say, that the more detail provided in the final set, there will be less room for errors, omissions and misunderstandings which is almost always interpreted to mean a better building with less cost and fewer headaches in the process.