What is MEP drafting?

MEP drafting is the CAD production of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings, HVAC plans, power and lighting plans, plumbing plans, schedules, and riser diagrams, based on a licensed engineer's calculations, one-line diagrams, or design direction.

Do you provide mechanical, electrical, or plumbing engineering, or just drafting?

Drafting only. We are not a licensed MEP engineering firm and do not produce load calculations, stamped designs, or engineering judgment. We draft the MEP drawing set from your engineer's calculations, one-line diagrams, or redlines, and the engineer or engineers of record review and stamp the final set.

Can you draft from my engineer's calculations or one-line diagrams?

Yes. That's the typical starting point: load calculations, one-line diagrams, hand markups, a prior MEP set that needs revision, or a combination of all three. We draft the CAD sheets to match what the engineer has specified.

What MEP drawings do you produce?

HVAC plans, electrical power and lighting plans, plumbing plans, equipment and panel schedules, riser diagrams, and fire sprinkler or life safety coordination sheets where required by occupancy.

Do you handle restaurant and commercial kitchen MEP?

Yes. Commercial kitchen projects add exhaust hood systems, grease interceptor plumbing, and dedicated electrical and gas requirements on top of standard tenant improvement MEP, all drafted from your engineer's design.

How does MEP drafting differ from MEP coordination?

MEP drafting produces the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawing set itself. MEP coordination reviews an already-produced MEP set against the architectural drawings to resolve conflicts before permit submission. Most multi-discipline projects use both: drafting to produce the set, coordination to make sure it agrees with the architectural drawings.

What software and file formats do you use?

We draft in AutoCAD and Revit and deliver print-ready PDF along with native DWG or RVT files, matching the format your engineer or the building department requires.

MEP Drafting

MEP drafting that turns your engineer's design into permit-ready drawings.

We draft HVAC, electrical, and plumbing plans, equipment schedules, and riser diagrams from your engineer's calculations, one-line diagrams, or redlines. We are a drafting company, not a licensed MEP engineering firm: your engineer or engineers of record design and stamp the work, we produce the CAD drawings.

What MEP Drafting Covers

The drawings your engineer's design becomes.

A mechanical, electrical, or plumbing calculation package tells you what the design requires. MEP drafting turns that design into the coordinated drawing set a plan checker and a contractor can actually build from.

HVAC Plans

Equipment layout, ductwork routing, diffuser and register locations, and equipment schedules drafted from the mechanical engineer's design.

Electrical Plans

Power and lighting plans, panel schedules, circuiting, and device locations drafted to the electrical engineer's load calculations.

Plumbing Plans

Fixture layout, waterline and DWV routing, and plumbing isometrics drafted from the plumbing engineer's design.

Fire Sprinkler and Life Safety Coordination

Sprinkler head layout and life safety system references coordinated onto the MEP set where required by occupancy.

Equipment Schedules and Riser Diagrams

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment schedules along with riser diagrams cross-referenced to the plans.

Architectural Coordination Sheets

MEP sheets checked against the architectural and structural sets for ceiling heights, chases, and clearance conflicts.

How It Works

From engineer's design to a stamped MEP set.

Your engineer or engineers of record direct the design and stamp the final set. We handle everything in between.

Engineer Design Intake
We start from your mechanical, electrical, or plumbing engineer's load calculations, one-line diagrams, redlines, or an existing MEP set that needs to be redrawn or revised.
Discipline Plan Production
HVAC, electrical, and plumbing plans are drafted in CAD to the equipment, routing, and device locations specified in the engineer's design, coordinated against the architectural floor plans.
Schedule and Riser Diagram Drafting
Equipment schedules, panel schedules, and riser diagrams are drawn and cross-referenced to the plans and details they support.
Coordination with the Architectural Set
Ceiling heights, chases, structural clearances, and ductwork routing are checked against the architectural and structural drawings so the sets agree before the package reaches the engineer for review.
Engineer Review and Delivery
The completed MEP sheets are returned to your engineer or engineers of record for review and stamp, then delivered in your required format ready for permit submission.

Residential and Commercial

Two building types, two different scopes.

The drafting approach follows your engineer's design either way, but the scope of the MEP set differs sharply by building type.

Residential

Single-family additions and ADUs typically need HVAC equipment layout, a panel upgrade or new circuit plan, and plumbing fixture layout drafted from the engineer's design for the specific scope.

Home Addition Packages

Commercial

Commercial, restaurant, and tenant improvement projects carry far more complex MEP scope: kitchen exhaust systems, multiple HVAC zones, fire sprinkler coordination, and tighter life safety documentation.

Tenant Improvement Packages

MEP Drafting Services We Provide

Drafting, coordination, and everything in between.

From drafting a full MEP set to converting a redlined revision or coordinating it against the architectural drawings, these are the services CADTRI delivers most often around MEP documentation.

Common Pitfalls

Where MEP drawings go wrong.

Most MEP correction comments and field conflicts trace back to one of these recurring gaps between the drafting and the design behind it.

Ceiling Clearance Conflicts

Ductwork or piping routed without checking clearance against structural members and finished ceiling heights, a frequent field conflict on tenant improvement projects.

Missing Equipment Schedules

Equipment called out on the plans by tag but never listed in a schedule with capacity, model, or performance data.

Outdated Load Calculations

Plans drafted against an earlier version of the engineer's load calculations after a design change was made downstream.

Uncoordinated Ductwork and Structural Members

HVAC routing that was never checked against the structural framing plan, discovered only when the trades get to the field.

Incomplete Panel Schedules

Electrical panel schedules missing circuit descriptions, breaker sizes, or load totals the plan checker needs to verify capacity.

Fixture Count Mismatches

Plumbing fixture counts on the plan that don't match the fixture unit calculations used to size the waste and water lines.

Missing Riser Diagrams

Multi-story or multi-unit projects submitted without the riser diagrams a plan checker needs to verify the system layout.

Unreferenced Details

Detail callouts on the MEP plans that don't point to an actual detail drawn elsewhere in the set.

Frequently Asked

MEP drafting, explained.

What is MEP drafting?: MEP drafting is the CAD production of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings, HVAC plans, power and lighting plans, plumbing plans, schedules, and riser diagrams, based on a licensed engineer's calculations, one-line diagrams, or design direction.
Do you provide mechanical, electrical, or plumbing engineering, or just drafting?: Drafting only. We are not a licensed MEP engineering firm and do not produce load calculations, stamped designs, or engineering judgment. We draft the MEP drawing set from your engineer's calculations, one-line diagrams, or redlines, and the engineer or engineers of record review and stamp the final set.
Can you draft from my engineer's calculations or one-line diagrams?: Yes. That's the typical starting point: load calculations, one-line diagrams, hand markups, a prior MEP set that needs revision, or a combination of all three. We draft the CAD sheets to match what the engineer has specified.
What MEP drawings do you produce?: HVAC plans, electrical power and lighting plans, plumbing plans, equipment and panel schedules, riser diagrams, and fire sprinkler or life safety coordination sheets where required by occupancy.
Do you handle restaurant and commercial kitchen MEP?: Yes. Commercial kitchen projects add exhaust hood systems, grease interceptor plumbing, and dedicated electrical and gas requirements on top of standard tenant improvement MEP, all drafted from your engineer's design.
How does MEP drafting differ from MEP coordination?: MEP drafting produces the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawing set itself. MEP coordination reviews an already-produced MEP set against the architectural drawings to resolve conflicts before permit submission. Most multi-discipline projects use both: drafting to produce the set, coordination to make sure it agrees with the architectural drawings.
What software and file formats do you use?: We draft in AutoCAD and Revit and deliver print-ready PDF along with native DWG or RVT files, matching the format your engineer or the building department requires.