Anyone weighing up drafting outsourcing costs first wants to know how the work is organised with us and who carries it out. We have a permanent team of drafters who work entirely remotely from our own office, with our own licences and our own software versions. For each project, we deploy what is needed, because our large, flexible team scales with every project.
So there is no middle layer passing work on to a changing cast of freelancers. Sam, our team leader, directs the CAD team and Barry, our project manager, picks up new requests, so you keep one fixed point of contact.
We draft and model, we do not do engineering, and we bill net working hours only. Below, you can read which drafting work we take over, how a project runs with us, when outsourcing makes sense and how it compares to a freelancer or a new permanent employee. We only name amounts once we have reviewed the material, because the state of the supplied files determines most of the hours.
Cable tray routing in the model, built with parametric families that carry the material schedule with them.
The drafting work we take over
We focus on drafting and modelling work, often in high volumes and with a lot of repetition. In practice, that means 2D drafting in AutoCAD, 3D modelling in Revit and Rhino, and part work in Inventor. We use Grasshopper where geometry needs to adapt parametrically, and Dynamo and Vault to a limited extent. From those models, we produce floor plans, sections, elevations, detail drawings, part drawings and material schedules. We also run revision rounds on existing DWGs and bring as-built dossiers back to a set that is accurate. We deliver in DXF, DWG, Revit formats and STEP, and in any other common CAD format the client uses.
We always work with the latest versions. What we do not do is engineering, so we do not run calculations, give structural advice or handle permits. That boundary matters to anyone comparing drafting outsourcing costs, because with us the client buys drafting hours only. You keep the design decisions, the responsibility and the contact with your own client. We work to your standard and drawing conventions, which we receive from you at the start. If there are none, we follow the setup of your existing files and briefly document our choices, so there is no discussion about them later.
The volume we are best at is repetitive work, because that is where a tight way of working pays off most. A series of variants of the same part, a set that repeats the same symbols across hundreds of sheets, or a range of detail drawings that differ only in dimensions moves through our drawing office quickly. We also take on complex one-off puzzles, but the gain for the client is less clear-cut there.
From handover to delivery when you outsource drafting
A project starts with a conversation in which we go through the project. The client supplies the details and usually existing drawings that need a revision. We review that material first, because its state determines a large part of the hours. We then define the scope, choose together between an hourly rate and a fixed project price, and agree the rhythm of our meetings. On one project we catch up every two days, on another weekly, depending on the pace required.
We then deliver in stages, gather feedback, make adjustments and carry on. That sequence is deliberate, because a misunderstanding about the drafting approach then becomes visible after the first set and not only at delivery. For anyone who wants to keep drafting outsourcing costs tight, that is the most important mechanism we have. For standalone work, files go back and forth by email. For larger projects such as greenhouse construction, the client gets software they can log into to follow progress.
Day-to-day contact runs via email, phone and meetings, and we come to you or you come to us. Everything that leaves our hands has passed through at least three review layers, from the drafter to a second team member, then to Sam as team leader and finally past Barry as project manager. On delivery, you receive the source files, because the ownership lies with you. That means your own drawing office can update the work independently later on, without needing us for it.
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.
When outsourcing drafting pays off and when it does not
Outsourcing pays off most clearly for work with volume and repetition. Think of a series of variants of the same part, a revision round across hundreds of sheets, or an as-built dossier that was half drawn by hand and needs tidying up. A peak your in-house team cannot get through is also a good reason, especially when a deadline is fixed. We also see that firms would rather not have their designers spend days drawing up work a drafting team does faster. There are also situations in which the client is better off keeping the work in-house. Work that calls for a design decision every five minutes is hard to outsource, because the consultation then costs more than the drafting. The same applies to a job that depends entirely on knowledge that exists only in a colleague's head and has never been written down.
When it comes to engineering, calculations or permits, outsourcing to us is not an option anyway, because we do not do that. In practice, the trade-off around drafting outsourcing costs often ends in a hybrid. The client keeps the design-sensitive part in-house and gives us the detailing and the repetition. If you are unsure, you can start with a small first job and judge for yourself whether it works. We discuss honestly in advance which part lends itself to outsourcing and which does not, because a poorly defined job costs both sides time. Our clients are based in the Netherlands and that is where our focus lies too, so we simply agree that scope in a conversation rather than in a long written exchange.
Outsourcing compared to a freelancer or a permanent drafter
A new permanent drafter means a recruitment process, onboarding time and then a salary that runs every month. When the volume drops, that cost stays put, and during illness or holidays the work comes to a halt. When you outsource to us, you pay no ongoing wage costs and we replace anyone who drops out, so the work carries on. A freelancer is more flexible than a permanent employee, but it is still one person.
If he drops out, the capacity drops out, and you have to organise the checking of his work yourself. With us, a team is involved in which the work passes through at least three review layers before it goes back to you.
Our large, flexible team also scales up or down for each project without you having to arrange new contracts. Everyone who works for us has more than ten years of CAD experience, and the core of our team has around twenty-five years of experience combined. Workstations, hardware and licences come from us, so they stay outside your budget. We do not work with a prepaid block of hours or a monthly subscription, so the meter stops after a job.
That makes the comparison of drafting outsourcing costs simpler than it seems, because there is only one variable: the hours worked. A short job is fine too, and it is often the most sensible way to test the comparison. On paper, any hourly rate looks high or low, while only in practice does it become clear how many drawings get done per day.
Frequently asked questions about drafting outsourcing costs
Hand your drafting work 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.