In Plain English
Quick Answer
Updated drawings showing exactly how the project was actually built, including any changes from the original plans.
Definition
Definition
As-built drawings are construction documents updated by the contractor during and after construction to reflect the actual installed locations, dimensions, and configurations of all work. They are required at project closeout and serve as the permanent record of how the project was actually built. As-built drawings are essential for future maintenance, renovation, and operations.
Context
Why It Matters in Bidding
Estimators should price as-built preparation as a real line item rather than absorbing it, since maintaining redline markups across every trade adds field labor and PM time over the life of a job. Because as-builts are a closeout deliverable tied to final payment and retainage release, underbidding this scope can delay your last draw and squeeze cash flow at the most vulnerable point of a project.
Example
Example
Before submitting a bid on a hospital renovation, the estimator added a $12,000 allowance for trade redline tracking and final CAD conversion after the spec required signed-and-sealed as-builts as a condition of substantial completion.
See Also
Related Terms
FAQ
Questions Contractors Ask
Who is responsible for paying for as-built drawings?
Responsibility falls on whoever the contract assigns it to, usually the GC, who pushes the field-markup duty down to each subcontractor through subcontract language. The GC then compiles and often pays a draftsperson to produce the final record set. Smart bidders confirm whether sealed drawings are required, since that adds engineering cost.
What is the difference between as-built drawings and record drawings?
As-builts are the contractor's field-marked redlines showing actual installed conditions. Record drawings are the cleaned-up version, typically incorporated by the design team into the official documents. Some specs use the terms interchangeably, so estimators should read the closeout requirements carefully to know whether they owe rough markups or polished, professionally drafted deliverables.
Can final payment be withheld if as-builts are not submitted?
Yes. Most contracts list as-builts among the closeout submittals required for substantial completion and final payment. Owners routinely withhold retainage until the record set, O&M manuals, and warranties are delivered. Treat the deliverable as a payment milestone, not paperwork, and budget the labor so it does not stall your final draw.
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