Drawing An As-Built From

[usingchief]

I draw a considerable amount of as-built drawings for our interior design projects, starting by measuring every interior wall, fixture, door, window, ceiling heights... all down to the 1/4". Then back at the office and ready to draft in CA ... drawing each individual wall section by the 1/4" inch, stopping to add windows and doors as I move around the interior and exterior.  But it seems very laborious to do it this way. 

 

It seems a better way is to add up all those individual pieces into a single wall dimension,... and then drop in windows and doors after it is drawn.  But is there a more efficient way to accomplish all that?  Still new with CA but thinking today I am missing some method that is really simple. Should I be adding up first all the exterior perimeter and then work on adding the interior walls and doors?  Or just start with a room and adding spaces as I go? Any advice will be appreciated !!  

[Greg_NY61]

Maybe it would be a good idea to invest into Bluetooth attachment and get all that done when you do the takeoff, this way all doors and windows already be placed .

http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01846/ 

 

Check out some youtube videos on that. 

[MarkMc]

I always also measure the full length of a wall along with the parts. Then add up the parts and check against the full length to determine accuracy before moving on.

On CA just draw full walls/ rooms. Drop doors and windows close and adjust by temp dimensions. It's fast.

[HumbleChief]

For a whole house as built I typically use a tape to measure the exterior walls first then move inside. With a rough hand drawn sketch of interior walls I use a laser to measure all interior walls. Don't even think about using a tape in the house.

 

Windows are measured for size and location and any other relevant info is measured and jotted down. Recreating the as-built back at the office is pretty quick but laborious none the less.

 

I've learned there are no short cuts and problems with measurements not matching up arise on EVERY as built. I have learned to adjust and most of my work is not within 1/4" as I like to keep my sanity but I understand others' need to have such exact measurements.

 

I keep trying to like the digital input systems like room planner but I tend to be very pragmatic about my technology purchases.

 

Measuring a square kitchen hardly needs an iPad or the cloud and you should have that done with a scratch pad and laser in 15 minutes max. and that's if you have to stop and sharpen your pencil. Take a quick video of the kitchen with your phone for reference and you're out.

 

The thing I like least about an app like room planner, especially for a whole house as built, is that I write down copious notes and register intricacies of each measure and I can't imagine getting back to the office and not having that paper trail for my notes etc. Or what happens when you have an odd shaped room? Do you load a couple of 'square' rooms? Or a room with a notch? How do they all go together? Second floor?

 

I think the future is with cloud apps and I see the need to market such tools but if you want to sell something like room planner to a professional remodeler I shouldn't think that a square kitchen should get too many of us excited enough to buy an iPad when a scratch pad of paper and a laser is still very efficient and fast if you know what you're doing.

 

Show us. please, a demonstration of a whole house as built measure using room planner. Til then I'll remain skeptical of its professional usefulness on any thing other than a square kitchen.

[jscussel]

Larry,

 

Have you looked into the app "Redstick Cad"? It eliminates all the problems you mentioned.

 

Room Planner needs variable wall thickness.

 

Jon

[dshall]

........

Show us. please, a demonstration of a whole house as built measure using room planner. Til then I'll remain skeptical of its professional usefulness on any thing other than a square kitchen.

I concur.

[HumbleChief]

Larry,

 

Have you looked into the app "Redstick Cad"? It eliminates all the problems you mentioned.

 

Room Planner needs variable wall thickness.

 

Jon

...but creates one more problem - no direct export to Chief. It looks like Red Stick will create DXF or PDF files but then what? CAD to walls? Trace over the PDF? Still not really saving time for my purposes.

[AndyGump]

I take my little Dell Inspiron lap-top with me to the measure and set it up so as I measure each room or the exterior I build the walls in Chief at the same time.

 

This causes more time to be spent at the house but shortens the over-all time I spend creating the model and lessens the number of errors.

 

Andy.

[dshall]

I take my little Dell Inspiron lap-top with me to the measure and set it up so as I measure each room or the exterior I build the walls in Chief at the same time.

 

This causes more time to be spent at the house but shortens the over-all time I spend creating the model and lessens the number of errors.

 

Andy.

Andy,  Jon,  Greg,  Marc,  Larry,   how long does it take you to do as built?  

 

Use this house as an example:  

 

A typical 2200 sf 2 story Kalifornia stucco house on a slab,  flat lot,  vaulted ceilings in the living room and a switch back stair,  two car garage.

When I say as built I am talking SITE PLAN,  ROOF PLAN,  ELEVATIONS,  FLOOR PLANS,  ROOF FRAMING,  FLOOR FRAMING,  FOUNDATION AND 6 SECTIONS.  No electrical plan and no cabinet elevations.

[HumbleChief]

Scott, no real way to compare our methods. My as-builts only include the bare minimums that will get me to the proposed plan sets. I've never really timed my method but it's not nearly as complex as yours. Six sections? More power to you. Never had a need for six sections on any remodel I've ever done.

 

Don't do floor/roof framing and seldom include a roof plan for the as-built either. Never found a need. Those all go in to the proposed plan set.

 

I also don't include the site plan and consider that part of the working drawings. Don't include any road or sidewalks either unless it helps with initial concepts.

 

Not much help.

[dshall]

......Don't do floor/roof framing and seldom include a roof plan for the as-built either. Never found a need. Those all go in to the proposed plan set........

 

Larry,  my AS BUILT is saved as the PROPOSED PLAN.  I do all that stuff up front before I get into proposed plan.  

 

How can you design an addition without a SITE PLAN that shows setbacks,  FAR,  coverage etc.  What about building heights,  don't you have to take height into consideration when you design an addition,  hence a roof plan and elevations.

 

Working on a house right now which is essentially what I described.  I did the as built,  saved as proposed.  I am taking out two walls to open up kitchen and gutting and replacing kitchen cabs.  No new floor area.

 

My engineer need roof framing,  floor framing,  foundation and 2 sections to do his engineering.  He needs elevations and roof  plan so he can see the pitch to decide whether the live load is 16 PSF or 20 PSF.

 

I am not sure how I could do much less work to satisfy the  plan checker's needs,  my engineer's needs and the title-24 needs.  If you can get by without doing all of this,  more power to you.

[HumbleChief]

We're just using different words and terms for different things. I was answering your 'as built' question not a question of what needs to be included for plan check.

 

Of course one can't design an addition without a site plan, floor framing, roof plan, sections etc. but one could do an as built without a site plan etc. etc. My as-builts are pretty much bare min. to get me to my (saved as) proposed set.

 

We're just using different terms and probably just follow a different path to the same end goal.

[AndyGump]

Andy,  Jon,  Greg,  Marc,  Larry,   how long does it take you to do as built?  

 

Use this house as an example:  

 

A typical 2200 sf 2 story Kalifornia stucco house on a slab,  flat lot,  vaulted ceilings in the living room and a switch back stair,  two car garage.

When I say as built I am talking SITE PLAN,  ROOF PLAN,  ELEVATIONS,  FLOOR PLANS,  ROOF FRAMING,  FLOOR FRAMING,  FOUNDATION AND 6 SECTIONS.  No electrical plan and no cabinet elevations.

 

 

If I understand correctly the scope of work you are talking about I would say roughly 12-15 hrs.

 

Andy.

[DRAWZILLA]

I use an "ECHO" pen that records everything including any voices and talking that goes on while measuring. Everything you draw goes to your computer along with the voice recording. All you need to do is point your curser to any part of your drawing and the exact voice comments of exactly that timeline will play for you. I also record every minute of the consult, you'll be surprised how many times that saved my a**, when someone says "They didn't say that". They are at Livescribe.com

[NRST8TRKR]

Perry

 That sounds like the ticket.

 Just finished a job that it would have been a great tool to have..

 I do as Andy said he does in post #8.A two story full basement with mansard roof. Exterior  and interior walls, window and door locations and sizes , floor heights, joist and rafter sizes, and roof pitch. Plan was to remove the mansard exterior roof/wall, overbuild the existing upper roof with a raftered steeper roof and add a second floor over the existing two car garage  and add a porch/foyer for a colonial look.

 About twelve hours and house is drawn. Did remodel and addition as second plan on desktop at home.

   Have a great weekend,Ken

[HumbleChief]

I use an "ECHO" pen that records everything including any voices and talking that goes on while measuring. Everything you draw goes to your computer along with the voice recording. All you need to do is point your curser to any part of your drawing and the exact voice comments of exactly that timeline will play for you. I also record every minute of the consult, you'll be surprised how many times that saved my a**, when someone says "They didn't say that". They are at Livescribe.com

I remember you mentioning this before Perry but am having a hard time visualizing exactly how it's used. Do you have a pad of paper that you're drawing your rough sketch for the as built? With notes spoken and written as you sketch the house? "Everything goes to your computer" In what form? Do you have a computer there while measuring? Do you download/upload the ECHO pen data later at the office? What form is the ECHO data?

 

I watched a few videos of the pen but can't quite make the connection to as built field drawing. Appreciate any clarification.

[HumbleChief]

I take my little Dell Inspiron lap-top with me to the measure and set it up so as I measure each room or the exterior I build the walls in Chief at the same time.

 

This causes more time to be spent at the house but shortens the over-all time I spend creating the model and lessens the number of errors.

 

Andy.

Andy,

 

I find I average 1 - 1 1/2 hour for an as built measure. I have an old laptop and was considering doing the complete drawing on site but it seemed like it might take too much time in the clients house. How much time do you think it takes you to draw the entire plan on a laptop with Chief?

 

I'm always finding some error that makes me nuts when I get my notes back to the office and can almost always resolve them but more than once I've had to do another site visit to confirm a stray measurement. Doing it on a lap top would/could/should eliminate those errors.

[DRAWZILLA]

I remember you mentioning this before Perry but am having a hard time visualizing exactly how it's used. Do you have a pad of paper that you're drawing your rough sketch for the as built? With notes spoken and written as you sketch the house? "Everything goes to your computer" In what form? Do you have a computer there while measuring? Do you download/upload the ECHO pen data later at the office? What form is the ECHO data?

 

I watched a few videos of the pen but can't quite make the connection to as built field drawing. Appreciate any clarification.

The pen just records everything in the field and you can send it to the cloud ,or just plug in your pen to a usb port ,and download it into their program you get with the pen. You can export from the program to anywhere you want ,from there. The new  pens will work with you're Apple or Android device in the field, then when you get to the office ,its already there for you to use. You have to use their paper booklets to draw on. I'm now to the point that sometimes I can't even read my own writing so I just say my measurements while writing it down, and done

[AndyGump]

I have to figure about 4 hours at the HO's house when I build the model on site. I have spent 6 hours n site before though. But I feel that on average I save a couple hours over-all by not having to trek back out to re-measure because of errors and omissions.

 

Of course, sometimes I don't have the time or the HO doesn't want me to be there that long for whatever reason.

 

Andy.

[HumbleChief]

Thanks Perry, Thanks Andy

[scottharris]

...Room Planner needs variable wall thickness.

 

Jon, we will have a wall thickness setting in the next release of Room Planner.

[jscussel]

Thanks Scott,

 

That will be a big help in doing as-builts.

 

When can we expect the Android release?

 

Jon 

[scottharris]

When can we expect the Android release?

 

 

Jon, we have been forecasting the Android version at the end of June.

[DRAWZILLA]

I do it very similar to Scott. I try to have a complete As-built plan complete, before I even start the new addition plan. That way if the client changes their mind about which side of the house the addition is built or if they decide on a 2nd floor, then I can start over with the existing plan. The accuracy of the model is very important to me, to get it right, saves time later on.

[HumbleChief]

I do it very similar to Scott. I try to have a complete As-built plan complete, before I even start the new addition plan. That way if the client changes their mind about which side of the house the addition is built or if they decide on a 2nd floor, then I can start over with the existing plan. The accuracy of the model is very important to me, to get it right, saves time later on.

Agreed of course that the as-built should be complete and accurate, but do you have "SITE PLAN,  ROOF PLAN,  ELEVATIONS,  FLOOR PLANS,  ROOF FRAMING,  FLOOR FRAMING,  FOUNDATION AND 6 SECTIONS" done as part of your as-built? Genuinely curious and would like to learn others' approaches..

 

I find that all I usually need for my as-builts are the floor plan, elevations, and foundation plan, all accurate and complete of course, before I 'save as' for the new addition. Every plan varies and I'm currently doing an interior loft addition that shouldn't even need elevations for the as-builts.

 

Plan check and complete plans is another question and that's completed and presented in probably a similar method between all us Southern California gentlemen.