Types of Construction Plans

Site Plan

• A site plan shows the aerial view of the site including property lines, easements and is the first type of drawings in a complete CD set. Contour and slope lines display the elevation of the site to indicate hills. This determines the house's best location and orientation to minimize sunlight and wind. A site plan specifies existing roads, access point for a driveway and water and sewer lines.

Elevation Plan

• Elevation plans are drawings that display the exterior eye-level viewpoint of the front, sides and rear of a building. The placement and dimensions of windows, doors and roof lines, and pitch and materials comprise elevations. It is common to show elevations in color to illustrate different styles of brick or wood and window and door types to help you visualize a specific look.

Floor Plan

• A floor plan is like removing the roof to look down on the inside of a house. It shows the aerial view of rooms, walls, windows and doors. It is the best type of plan to determine the size and placement of the interior components including plumbing pipes, electrical wires and fixtures and major appliances.

Sectional or Cross Section Plan

• Sectional or cross section drawings show an eye-level view when a structure is cut in half sideways. It gives vital details about the height, material and framing of the various levels of the building from the foundation to the roof. Your project may require a separate drawing to show the different sectional views of the front, rear and each side.

Detail Plan

• A detail plan is a magnified drawing that highlights features too small to view on another plan. It is a close-up view of wood or metal studs, joists and plywood sheathing and other details that demonstrate how the components fit together. Surface details around windows and doors that show decorative features are found on detail plans.