When companies outsource AutoCAD drafting, it is in practice almost always the same kind of work: 2D drawings in DWG with a lot of repetition and a lot of revisions. Floor plans and sections that need updating, detail sheets that are put together again for each project, piping schematics in which the same components keep coming back, and as-built sets that still need tidying up after construction.
It is work that is not difficult in content, but in volume it takes time your own drawing office does not have. We are OutsourceCAD, and we take that over.
We draft and model; we do not do engineering, calculations or structural advice. AutoCAD is one of our core packages alongside Revit and Rhino, we always work with the latest versions and we deliver in DXF, DWG and in practice any common CAD format. Our clients are based in the Netherlands and are engineering firms, architectural practices, contractors and manufacturers with technical drafting work. The work is done remotely from our own office, on our own licences, within the drawing conventions you supply yourself.
Cable tray routing in the model, built with parametric families that carry the material schedule with them.
When it makes sense to outsource AutoCAD drafting
Outsourcing pays off most for work that is large in volume and limited in decisions. A revision round across a folder of existing DWGs is the textbook example, because the content is largely fixed, the actions repeat and the number of hours is reasonably predictable. The same goes for drawing up variants that resemble one another and for cleaning up sets that have become cluttered over the years. A peak also lends itself well. When there is temporarily more work than your own team can handle and there is no room to recruit, hiring capacity is faster than waiting.
There are also situations in which outsourcing is less sensible. Work that requires a design decision on every drawing, or that needs constant coordination with the end client, only moves the problem elsewhere. You then get called all day and the gain is gone. A set so poorly documented that nobody knows what applies any more is also better sorted out internally first, or at least mapped out together with us before any volume is produced.
We would rather say that up front. An assignment that stalls halfway on ambiguity costs both sides more than an honest assessment at the start. In a first conversation we therefore split the package into the part that is well suited to outsourcing and the part that is better kept in your own drawing office. That takes half an hour, and it often determines whether a project runs smoothly or gradually grinds to a halt on questions nobody can answer.
The cost side of outsourcing AutoCAD drafting
With us, billing can be by the hour or per project at a fixed price. Both are possible, and we decide which suits best in consultation with you. For a defined assignment, such as a known number of sheets that need a fixed operation, a fixed project price is the obvious choice because the scope can be overseen in advance. For work that takes shape along the way, with more documents added during the project, an hourly rate is fairer to both sides. We only bill genuine working hours.
We stop the clock as soon as someone goes to get a coffee for five minutes. That sounds minor, but across a project with several drafters it makes the difference between paying for drafting and paying for attendance. We do not work with a prepaid hours card or a monthly hours subscription, so there is no fixed charge for a month in which there is little work. On top of that, you pay no ongoing payroll costs: if someone drops out through illness or holidays, we replace them without you paying for downtime. What keeps costs down in practice is preparation.
Complete source data, a documented drawing standard and feedback that comes in bundled rounds save more hours than any negotiation. We only prepare an estimate once we have seen the material, because an estimate without the set is worth little. If you want an indication, the best approach is to go through the documents with us once and decide afterwards. What we mainly want to know in that discussion is how many sheets there are, what needs to be done to them and whether the drawing conventions have been documented anywhere. With those three pieces of information, an estimate can be made quickly.
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.
Who this applies to and what is on the table
We work for engineering firms, architectural practices, contractors and manufacturers, and more broadly for companies with technical drafting work. Around the table sit managers, team leaders and owners. The trigger is almost always capacity: too little time, too few drafters, or a peak your own team cannot handle. At an engineering firm it is often detailing work that is lagging behind while the engineers have already moved on. At an architectural practice we more often see revision rounds and detailing that stay on the shelf because attention has shifted to the next project. For contractors it is as-built work: a file that still needs updating after construction and that nobody picks up as a priority. For manufacturers it is usually about series and variants, where the same components come back in different sizes.
The problem on the table is rarely that the work is difficult. It is that it does not get finished in the time available, and that recruiting takes months while the deadline is weeks away. What is asked for then is down to earth: hands that know the trade and can join in at short notice. With our large, variable team we scale up or down per project, depending on what is there and how quickly it needs to be done. We have offered this service since last year, starting at the request of a client, and it is now a fixed part of what we offer. Firefly has since received more than twenty projects and hundreds of drawings from us. Our focus is on the Netherlands and the work is done remotely from our own office, with clients welcome to visit when they want to see how we work.
How outsourced AutoCAD drafting works
It starts with a conversation. We respond to a new enquiry within 1 to 2 working days, whether by phone or through the contact form on the website. In that conversation we go through what is there, what needs to be finished and which drawing conventions apply. You supply the details and usually also existing drawings that need revising. Barry, our project manager, is the first point of contact for new enquiries, after which Sam, our team leader, takes over the technical side, so communication stays on one fixed line.
Once we have enough information, we start. From then on we deliver in stages. Each stage goes back to you, we collect feedback, process it and carry on.
The rhythm varies per project: meetings every two days when things need to move fast and weekly when that is enough. Files go back and forth by email, which in practice works fastest for standalone AutoCAD drafting. For larger projects such as greenhouse construction, we use software you can log into to follow progress. Before a stage goes back, it has passed at least three review layers: the drafter produces it, a second team member checks it, Sam reviews it next and Barry checks it last.
That keeps the number of errors to a minimum in practice. Day-to-day contact runs through email, phone and meetings, and we visit you or welcome you at our own office. If you want to try outsourcing AutoCAD drafting without handing over a large package straight away, start with a small first assignment.
Frequently asked questions about outsourcing AutoCAD drafting
Hand your AutoCAD 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.