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Contracts & Legal

Shop Drawings

In Plain English

Detailed fabrication drawings prepared by contractors showing exactly how they plan to build or install specific items.

Definition

Shop drawings are detailed drawings, diagrams, and schedules prepared by contractors or subcontractors and their suppliers showing exactly how specific elements of the work will be fabricated and installed. They must be submitted to and approved by the architect before the related work proceeds. Shop drawings are prepared for elements like structural steel, precast concrete, mechanical equipment, and millwork.

Why It Matters in Bidding

From a contracts standpoint, shop drawings are a defined submittal obligation, and the contract's submittal procedures govern who submits, who reviews, and how approval interacts with the right to proceed. Estimators and contract administrators must understand that an architect's approval does not relieve the contractor of responsibility for dimensions, quantities, or coordination, so the bid and schedule should assume the contractor bears risk for errors even on reviewed drawings.

Example

During buyout, the PM confirms the subcontract incorporates the prime contract submittal procedures so the precast supplier knows the required shop drawing turnaround and the approval that must precede fabrication.

Related Terms

DrawingsAs-Built DrawingsSpecificationSubmittal

Frequently Asked Questions

Generally no. Standard contract language states that review is for conformance with design intent and does not relieve the contractor of responsibility for dimensions, field measurements, quantities, fabrication means, and coordination. Contractors should treat approval as confirmation of intent, not a transfer of risk for their own errors or omissions.
Proceeding ahead of required approval typically violates the contract submittal procedures and puts the contractor at risk for rework at its own cost if the design professional later requires changes. Contract administrators usually withhold the right to fabricate or install affected work until the submittal is returned approved or approved as noted.
Elements that are fabricated to project-specific dimensions, such as structural steel, precast concrete, reinforcing steel, mechanical equipment, curtain wall, and architectural millwork. The contract specifications list required submittals by section, and the contractor's submittal schedule should map each one to its review cycle and procurement lead time.

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