Allocate a job name to the beginning of each drawing. For instance, if you have a set of drawings for the Johnson residence, use the prefix "JOHNS."
Divide your drawings into their different trades, i.e. Architectural, Structural, Landscape, Mechanical, etc. Assign a letter designation to each subset of drawings, according to their discipline or trade. For instance, all mechanical drawing numbers would use the letter "M." Place this letter after the job name, using a dash, i.e.: "JOHNS-M."
Divide each subsection into the following drawing types:
100 series: plans
200 series: elevations
300 series: sections
400 series: detail plans
500 series: details
600 series: schedules
Number each sub-series of drawings as required. For example, Mechanical Elevations would be numbered as JOHNS-M201, JOHNS-M202, M203, and so on.