Permit Drawings
Permit drawings for new construction, additions, remodels, and after-the-fact permits.
From a ground-up commercial building to a single-room addition to legalizing work that was never permitted, every project needs a drawing set built to what the building department actually requires. CADTRI produces permit-ready drawings for residential and commercial projects at every stage.
What's in a Permit Drawing Set
The sheets a plan checker actually reviews.
The exact scope varies by project, but nearly every permit drawing set is built from the same core components. What changes between a new construction set and an after-the-fact permit is how much of it has to be documented from an existing condition versus designed from scratch.
Site Plan
Property lines, setbacks, existing and proposed structures, easements, and site improvements drawn to the jurisdiction's required scale.
Floor Plans
Existing and proposed layouts with complete dimensions, room labels, door and window locations, and any structural elements shown.
Exterior Elevations
Every building face showing proposed materials, heights, window and door placement, and any changes to the existing exterior.
Building Sections and Details
Cross-sections and construction details showing how assemblies go together, required for framing, insulation, and waterproofing review.
Schedules and Notes
Door, window, and finish schedules along with the general and code compliance notes referenced throughout the set.
Code Compliance Documentation
Zoning conformance, energy compliance, and accessibility documentation coordinated with the drawings, not produced as an afterthought.
By Project Type
New construction, additions, remodels, and after-the-fact.
What a permit drawing set needs to show depends heavily on what already exists on the property, or doesn't.
New Construction
Ground-up residential and commercial projects require a complete drawing set built from a blank site: site plan, full floor plans, elevations, sections, structural coordination, and all applicable code compliance documentation. Nothing exists to reference, so every dimension and assembly is established from scratch.
Additions
Room additions, second-story additions, and building expansions require existing conditions drawings paired with the proposed new construction, dimensioned and detailed so the plan checker can see exactly where new work ties into the existing structure.
Remodels
Interior remodels and renovations focus on existing floor plans and proposed layout changes, along with any code triggers the renovation activates: egress, accessibility, or energy compliance, depending on the scope and occupancy.
After-the-Fact Permits
Work completed without a permit needs as-built documentation of the existing condition before a legalization application can move forward. We measure and draw the unpermitted work as built, then prepare the compliance documentation needed to bring it into the permit record.
Residential and Commercial
Two building types, two different scopes.
The project type sets the drawing structure. The building type sets how much code compliance documentation rides alongside it.
Residential
Single-family homes, ADUs, additions, and remodels typically require a site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, and energy compliance documentation. Structural engineering is required for additions and any work affecting the load path.
Home Addition PackagesCommercial
Commercial and mixed-use projects carry additional occupancy classification, accessibility, and fire and life safety requirements. MEP coordination, exiting analysis, and tenant-improvement-specific scope are typically part of the drawing package.
Tenant Improvement PackagesPermit Drawing Services We Provide
A drawing package for every scope.
From a full new-construction set to as-built documentation for a legalization application, these are the drawing-specific services CADTRI delivers most often.
Common Pitfalls
What makes a permit drawing incomplete.
Most correction comments on the drawings themselves, as opposed to administrative or zoning issues, trace back to one of these gaps.
Missing Dimensions
Plans without complete dimension strings force the plan checker to guess, a fast path to a correction comment.
Existing vs. Proposed Not Distinguished
Renovation and addition drawings that don't clearly differentiate what's existing, new, and demolished.
Unreferenced Details
Callouts on a plan that don't point to an actual detail or section drawn elsewhere in the set.
Missing Structural Callouts
Headers, beams, and connections required by the scope but not shown or cross-referenced to the structural set.
Incomplete Schedules
Door, window, and finish schedules that don't match what's actually shown on the plans.
No Egress Analysis
Missing occupant load, exit width, or travel distance calculations on projects where occupancy or layout changes trigger the requirement.
Scale and Sheet Size Errors
Drawings not produced at the scale or sheet size the jurisdiction requires for the project type.
Missing Existing Conditions
After-the-fact and remodel projects submitted without a documented existing condition baseline to compare the proposed work against.
Frequently Asked
Permit drawings, explained.
- What's the difference between permit drawings for new construction and an addition?
- New construction starts from a blank site: every dimension, assembly, and code compliance item is established without anything to reference. An addition requires existing conditions to be documented first, then the proposed work is drawn and dimensioned against that existing baseline so the plan checker can verify how new construction ties into what's already there.
- Do commercial permit drawings require anything residential drawings don't?
- Yes. Commercial and mixed-use projects typically require occupancy classification, accessibility compliance, fire and life safety documentation, and MEP coordination that residential projects usually don't trigger. Tenant improvements add their own layer of build-out-specific requirements.
- Can you get a permit for work that was never permitted?
- In most jurisdictions, yes, through an after-the-fact or legalization permit process. It starts with as-built documentation of the existing unpermitted work, followed by a compliance review to identify what does and does not meet current code, and a permit application addressing any required corrections.
- What is required for an after-the-fact permit?
- Requirements vary by jurisdiction, but most require as-built drawings of the unpermitted work, a code compliance review, and sometimes an inspection to verify the work meets structural and life safety standards. Some jurisdictions require partial demolition of work that cannot be brought into compliance.
- Do remodel permit drawings need a structural engineer?
- Only if the remodel affects load-bearing elements: removing or relocating a wall, adding an opening, or changing the roof or floor structure. Cosmetic remodels that don't touch structural elements typically don't require engineering.
- How detailed do permit drawings need to be?
- Detailed enough for the plan checker to verify code compliance and for a contractor to build from without guessing. That generally means complete dimensions, clearly distinguished existing and proposed work, cross-referenced details, and schedules that match what's shown on the plans.
From the Blog
Go deeper on permit drawings.
What Is a Permit Set? A Contractor's Guide
The components of a complete permit drawing package, explained.
Read ArticleGarage Conversion ADU in California: Permits and Cost
A worked example of drawing an addition against an existing structure.
Read ArticleADU Permit in California: Timeline and Requirements
How a new residential structure moves from drawings to approval.
Read ArticleReady to start your permit drawings?
Tell us the project type, building type, and location and we will confirm the drawing scope, timeline, and fee before work begins.