Design drawing versus shop drawing
The interior designer's drawing shows intent: dimensions, materials, finishes and how the piece should look. The contractor's shop drawing shows how it will actually be made: panel sizes, board thicknesses, joints, hardware positions, fixing details, tolerances and the exact finish codes, adjusted to the surveyed site dimensions.
Shop drawings are prepared by HOPE's technical drawing cell for every custom item and submitted for approval before production. They protect both sides: the designer confirms the intent is understood, and the contractor builds to an agreed detail.
What to check
- Overall dimensions against the site survey, not just the design drawing.
- Materials and finish codes: board type, veneer or laminate code, metal grade and finish, stone name.
- Hardware: brand, model, load rating; opening direction of doors and drawers.
- Junctions: how the item meets walls, floor, ceiling and adjacent items; shadow gaps and reveals.
- Services: cut-outs for power, data, lighting and plumbing, and access for maintenance.
- Fixing method and any structural support required.
- Sample references: which approved sample each finish corresponds to.
Approval and revisions
Comments are marked on the drawing and returned; the revised issue carries a revision number and a cloud around each change. Production starts only on a drawing marked approved or approved with comments that do not affect material orders. Late changes after production has started are priced as variations and can move the programme.
Why it decides the programme
Long-lead materials such as veneer, stone, PVD finishing and imported hardware are ordered after approval. A week's delay in approving shop drawings is usually a week's delay at handover. Our SOP therefore fixes a review period for each submission and tracks it in the weekly report.
Questions
Who prepares shop drawings?
The contractor. HOPE has an in-house drawing cell working in AutoCAD and 3D from the designer's drawings and a site survey.
Do you charge for shop drawings?
They are included in the contract for items we manufacture.
What format do you submit?
PDF for review, DWG on request; samples accompany the first submission of each finish.