Design

What's in the design collection

The collection supports the design phase and the hand-off to construction:

• Drafting: AutoCAD blocks for furniture, washrooms, kitchens, plumbing and HVAC symbols, plus house plans, details and drawing sets.
• Engineering: calculators and worksheets for slabs, retaining walls, footings, asphalt thickness and bar bending schedules.
• Design management: drawing registers, deliverables matrices and comment response matrices to track what was issued and reviewed.
• Construction phase: site instructions, change orders and document requests used once the drawings reach site.

Popular design templates

• Residential House Plans and Specifications: a residential drawing set to study or adapt.
• Single Storey House - Complete CAD Plan: a full single-story house plan in CAD.
• General Details - HVAC Systems: standard HVAC details to drop into a drawing set.
• Drawing Issue Register: track which revision went to whom and when.
• Outline Specification - 2 Storey Residential: a starting point for a house specification.
• Architectural Design Quality Checklist: review drawings for completeness before issue.
• Site Instruction Cover Template: issue a formal instruction from the design team to site.
• Project Change Order: document a change to scope, price or time.

Related categories and guides

Go straight to AutoCAD, Calculators or Specifications, or plan the wider project in Pre-Construction. Further reading: The Importance of BIM Execution Plans in Construction, and the glossary entries for a site instruction and a change order.

Frequently asked questions

What software do I need for the CAD files?

Files sold as AutoCAD blocks or drawings are intended for AutoCAD or compatible CAD software. Other items in this collection, such as registers, calculators and specifications, use different formats, so check the file type on each product page before downloading.

Can I build from the stock house plans?

Treat stock plans as a starting point. Drawings used for a permit or for construction normally have to be adapted to the site and the local code, and stamped by a licensed design professional where your jurisdiction requires it.

What is a drawing register used for?

A drawing register lists every drawing on a project with its number, title, revision and issue date, and records who received each issue. It helps the site build from the current revision and gives you an audit trail when drawings change.