For those new to commercial construction, paperwork isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when considering potential project delays for your build, but the details put forth on paper via drawing logs and other documents and forms can add up to major obstacles for those who are inexperienced and unprepared.

One specific way project documents can hinder a build is when your GC fails to maintain their drawing logs. Drawing logs are a series of spreadsheets used by construction managers to keep track of the numerous moving parts in a commercial build as well as monitor their progress. The drawing logs are grouped categorically and provide a historical sequence of what’s happened with the project and when.

Why it’s important to understand the differences between drawing log sets

Each set in the drawing log is used for a different phase of the build. At the start of each project you generally have a bid set, which is used when a project owner wants to price out a project. The bid set may include an addendum which adds revised scope and revised specifications. Also included in the drawing logs are a permit set and a construction set. Here’s what to know about each:

• The permit set – Drawings in the permit set generally don’t have the same level of detail required for construction. They have enough baseline information required to get a permit for the job, but the drawings do not contain a sufficient level of detail needed to complete the build itself.
• The construction set – This set includes specific design details and section identifiers that are required to complete the build.

The differences come down to the level of detail in the drawings, and this is important because issues can arise with permitting if the construction set begins to resemble a build that has not been approved by city permitting officials.

Here’s the scenario many projects can run into: The drawing logs for the permit set get approved, but then as the design gets enhanced and updated by the architect and engineer, the drawings no longer resemble what has been permitted. When this happens, you have to go back to square one with the permitting process so that the approved permit matches what’s on the final construction drawings.

Maintaining drawing logs is important because simple setbacks like having to reapply for a permit can result in lost time and money. What’s more, you could end up building the wrong thing or lose track of where things stand with the project and cause more issues.

Accurate and up-to-date drawing logs ensure that the project is completed on-time and on-budget. At Seacoast Construction, maintaining drawing logs is an essential component of our build process. We simply can’t do what we do without them. To learn more and ask your questions about commercial construction in South Florida, get in touch with our experienced team.