Every piece of work that leaves our drafting firm for prefab construction has passed at least three pairs of eyes. A drafter produces the drawing, a second team member checks it, then Sam, our team leader, reviews it and finally Barry, our project manager, checks it. We did not set this up to have something to talk about, but because prefab leaves little room for correction.
What is in the factory is there. A dimension that is right in the model but shifts on the production drawing only comes to light during assembly, and correcting it then costs the most money.
That is why we check early and deliver in stages. We draft and model, we do not do engineering, so calculations, structural advice and permits stay with you. Our team works nationwide and entirely remotely, with its own licences and the latest versions of Revit, AutoCAD and Rhino. Everyone who drafts for us has more than ten years of CAD experience. We respond to a new enquiry within 1 to 2 working days.
Cable tray routing in the model, built with parametric families that carry the material schedule with them.
How a project runs at our drafting firm for prefab construction
The project starts with a conversation in which we go through it and ask what happens to the drawings further down the line. Does a set go to production, to estimating or to the assembly crew, because that determines how far the detailing goes. You then supply the details, plus in most cases an existing set that needs a revision. We read through that set first, before a single hour is billed on it. If the structure is clean, we carry on working in it. If the layer structure is polluted or the dimensions are half in the drawing and half in a separate note, we put it to you that rebuilding may be faster than repairing.
You decide, we carry it out. We then split the work into batches that belong together logically, for example by element type or by building section. We deliver each batch, ask for feedback, incorporate it and move on to the next. That way, a misunderstood connection comes to light in the first series and not in the last.
We match the meeting rhythm to the pressure: on a tight schedule we speak every two days, otherwise weekly is enough. Day-to-day contact runs through email and phone. On larger projects, such as greenhouse construction projects, we work with software you can log into to follow progress. For standalone AutoCAD drafting, delivery simply goes by email. If we find a contradiction in the material supplied, we flag it and do not fill anything in ourselves.
Software and formats in our prefab drafting
Our main software is Revit, AutoCAD and Rhino. We also work with Inventor and Grasshopper, and to a limited extent with Dynamo and Vault. We always work with the latest versions and in our own environment, with our own licences. So you do not have to free up a seat, workstation or server access for us, which saves a lot of administration during a short peak. We deliver in DXF, DWG, Revit formats and STEP, and in practice in any common CAD format used in the chain.
In prefab, fitting in with the existing set matters more than the question of which package works best. If a manufacturer works entirely in AutoCAD, we connect to that and do not push for a switch. If there is a Revit model with its own family library, we build on it rather than setting up a structure of our own alongside it. We take the layer structure, naming and title block layout from the CAD manual or, if there is none, from a representative set. If there is a clear gain in working parametrically, we show it on a component from the project itself.
We create a smart component once and then place it wherever it is needed, with the material schedule updating automatically so nobody has to update it separately. If the component changes, the schedule changes with it. On the first exchange we test a file back and forth, so that blocks, references and settings are right on both sides before the volume gets going.
No ongoing payroll costs and no idle staff once the peak is over. If one of our people is off sick or on holiday, we replace them and the work simply carries on.
Scaling up with a drafting firm for prefab construction
Capacity is almost always the reason a client approaches us. There are too few hours, too few drafters, or there is a peak your own team cannot take on. Our large, variable team scales with each project to whatever is needed. The team is already in place, so for us scaling up means deploying people, not recruiting them, and that saves weeks. If it is urgent, we put extra people on the work straight away. If someone drops out through illness or holiday, we replace that person so the schedule does not slip. Because we record the project agreements instead of leaving them in one drafter's head, such a switch takes little handover time. You have no ongoing salary costs with us, because we only bill genuine working hours. If someone goes to get a coffee for five minutes, our time recording stops.
We charge by the hour or per project at a fixed price, whichever suits the assignment, agreed together, and we do not work with prepaid hour bundles or an hours subscription. For a deadline that could not move, our team worked evenings and weekends with days of fourteen to fifteen hours, and the work also continued during a planned holiday of Sam's. We do not call that standard, but it says something about how we treat a commitment. However large the team on your project, you keep a fixed point of contact. Barry handles the enquiry and the agreements, Sam manages the technical side and the supervision.
Getting started with outsourcing prefab drafting
To get started, we need three things: the project details, the existing drawings and the drawing conventions that apply internally. By details, we mean what needs to be made and how the components come together. By existing drawings, we mean the material we build on, whether that is a complete model or a folder of DWG files of varying quality.
And by drawing conventions, we mean the CAD manual, or otherwise a set that shows how your drawing office works. As soon as that is in place we can start, because we do not have to recruit anyone. If something essential is missing, we say so straight away and not halfway through.
We do not promise a delivery time in hours or days that we cannot keep, but we do respond to a new enquiry within 1 to 2 working days. This is followed by a conversation in which we go through the scope, the rhythm and the form of the collaboration. A short assignment is fine. Many clients start with a small first job, for example a series of ten element drawings or a defined revision round, to judge our speed and accuracy before a larger set follows.
We think that is sensible and are happy to go along with it. The intellectual property of everything we produce belongs to you, so that first set stays yours, even if it remains a one-off assignment. We have no certifications and no reviews either, so what we have to show is the work itself. Call us or use the contact form.
Frequently asked questions about our drafting firm for prefab construction
Hand your prefab drafting over to us
Send us your documents and drawing conventions and we will let you know within one to two working days what we can take on and when.