As-Built Drawings

Construction drawings revised to reflect the actual conditions of the completed building, documenting any deviations from the original approved plans that occurred during construction.

What Are As-Built Drawings?

As-built drawings (also called record drawings) are revised construction documents that reflect the actual built conditions of a completed project, incorporating all changes made during construction. While the original permitted plans show what was designed, as-built drawings show what was actually built — documenting field changes, deviations, and modifications that occurred throughout the construction process.

Why As-Builts Are Important

As-built drawings serve as the permanent record of a building's actual construction. They are essential for: future renovation and maintenance work, locating concealed utilities and structural elements, facilitating building department reviews for future tenant improvements, supporting property management and facility operations, and providing documentation for property transactions and due diligence.

How As-Builts Are Created

During construction, the contractor maintains a set of drawings marked with all changes, substitutions, and deviations from the original plans. At project completion, these field-marked drawings are submitted to the design team, which incorporates the changes into a clean set of revised drawings. Some jurisdictions require as-built drawings as a condition of final building permit sign-off.

As-Built Accuracy

The quality of as-built drawings depends on the diligence of the construction team in documenting changes as they occur. Poorly maintained as-builts can create problems years later when renovation work encounters conditions that differ from the available drawings. Increasingly, 3D laser scanning and BIM modeling are used to create more accurate as-built documentation.