The construction documents serve as the primary means of communication between the design professional, plan reviewer, inspectors, and contractors. They consist of a series of drawings and text that describe in detail the work to be performed on your building. The drawing and text are composed on sheets of paper, usually 24" by 36" and bound into "sets" that can be distributed to the people involved in your project. For some types of projects and in some situations, the City of Des Moines requires construction documents to be prepared and stamped by a licensed architect.

There are several types of drawings you are likely to see in a set of construction docs. This drawing set may also be referred to as contract documents or simply "CDs".

Instructions to the contractor and information for the plan reviewer is communicated graphically through the drawings and also through text description. A drawing will have symbols that denote items like toilets, exhaust fans, and electrical outlets. The text descriptions will be organized into "notes," or "keyed notes".

Plans

Plans are used to indicate horizontal relationships. A floor plan shows what your building would look like if you took a large saw and cut through the walls parallel to the floor. Some of the things shown on a floor plan include: walls, window locations, stairways, plumbing fixtures, cabinets and counters, electrical appliances and lights, outlets, and flooring. A demo plan is a special type of floor plan, specific to renovations, that indicates what needs to be removed and what needs to be protected from damage during demolition. A reflected ceiling plan shows the location of all ceiling mounted fixtures and soffits.

Your construction documents may also include a site plan to indicate exterior work such as concrete patios, parking pads, trees, shrubs, and walkways.

Elevations

Elevations are used to indicate vertical relationships. An elevation shows what your building would look like to someone standing directly in front looking straight ahead. An interior elevation is a special kind of drawing that shows cabinet layouts, wall openings, and other features that happen on walls (and therefore don't show up on the floor plans).

Details and Sections

Details and sections are close-up drawings that show exactly how individual elements should be constructed. They include specific instruction such as sizes of bolts, exact dimensions of lumber, and all materials to be used in building a specific portion of the project. Designers who have worked on similar projects to yours will have a better grasp of the details required to give the contractor a good understanding of the work that needs to be performed.

Specifications

The specifications are a text description of minimum performance and building code requirements that must be followed by the contractor. Specifications include information like the minimum compressive strength of concrete, installation of finishes, and other procedural requirements.