A plan log or drawing log is a set of spreadsheets used by general contractors to manage the numerous moving parts of a commercial build. It is also used to track the build’s progress, denote any changes or additions, and ensure that the work and deliverables are in line with the contract.

Failing to maintain your plan log could result in lost time, lost money, or an incomplete or incorrect build. Moreover, your logs also protect project stakeholders by serving as a record of work and a means of accountability for everyone involved.

What is a Plan Log?

A plan log consists of construction documents organized by sections or “sets” and those documents or “sheets” are grouped categorically.

Most projects include a bid set, contract set and a permit set. Often there are addendums and changes to these sets, which can make for an administrative nightmare if you are not organized.

Organization should be a priority, however, because the drawing logs give you a historical sequence of what’s happened with the project and when. This can be particularly useful if you encounter any disputes.

Why It’s Important to Keep Logs Up to Date

At Seacoast Construction, we take an extremely detailed approach to maintaining our drawing logs. With one project, we went to contract with 43 drawings. Later we discovered the project was lacking information, so we pushed to get the right information out. This equated to an additional 28 sheets beyond the original 43. That’s a 65% increase in drawings.

Our diligence paid off, however, because if we hadn’t kept track of this, we could have been looking at increased costs, an inability to get time extensions for changes, and a further increase in complications on the entire project.

In addition, detailed plan logs also help benefit you in the long run, especially if you encounter disputes. They keep the build up-to-date so that your project is always moving forward based on the latest information.

Too many contractors do not do this much work. It’s quite atypical and almost unheard of, but failing to do so means you can be taken advantage of in regards to time and money. If you want a dedicated and detail-oriented contractor on your team, give us a call at Seacoast Construction. We can be reached at 786-433-8740.