When you outsource MEP drafting, it usually starts with a familiar situation in the drawing office, where a piping diagram or MEP drawing sits waiting because other projects take priority. Often it concerns a piping system in greenhouse construction, for example, where someone redraws a valve in different sizes by hand every single time.
We take that work over with our large, variable team, which scales with whatever each project needs. We work fully remotely, and everyone who works on such a diagram with us has more than ten years of CAD experience.
Barry, our project manager, is your first point of contact for a new request, after which Sam, our team leader, takes over the technical side and the supervision of the project. That way you do not have to switch between multiple contacts yourself, while we put every drawing through at least three review layers before it goes back to you. Our output follows the drawing conventions you provide, so nothing out of place ends up in your existing documentation.
Cable tray routing in the model, built with parametric families that carry the material schedule with them.
Who outsources MEP drafting
Outsourcing MEP drafting is mainly relevant for engineering firms, contractors and manufacturers dealing with a piping system, an installation or a technical diagram in high volume. The people at the table are usually managers, team leaders or owners who can see that their own drafters are not clearing the backlog in time. A well-known example comes from greenhouse construction, where companies often work in AutoCAD and build up a piping system with valves they redraw by hand every time, in sizes such as ninety and one hundred and ten.
The problem on the table is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of time and hands to keep up with the volume alongside the rest of the ongoing work. At architectural practices, the issue is mainly the coordination between architectural and MEP drawings, where a change in one immediately affects the other. For manufacturers it is more often a standard piping system or component that recurs in many variants and keeps landing back on the drawing board with small changes.
In all these cases the trigger is almost always capacity: too little time or too few drafters to absorb a peak in MEP drafting in-house. We align with your existing CAD standards, so our work fits the documentation that is already there. That way a clogged-up drawing office does not stay a problem until it puts a deadline at risk; we solve it with extra remote capacity. That applies to a one-off peak just as much as to a structural shortage you have been dealing with for some time.
What outsourcing MEP drafting delivers
When you outsource MEP drafting to us, we deliver piping diagrams, MEP drawings, 2D drafting and, where needed, 3D modelling of a complete system, among other things. As-built drawings and revisions to an existing installation are also part of this package, as are parametric Revit families for components that recur often. A recurring example is a valve that comes in several sizes, for which we build one smart family instead of drawing each size separately. The material schedule for that piping system updates automatically, so if a component changes, the schedule changes with it without any extra manual work.
Our output comes in DWG, DXF, Revit formats or STEP, and in practice in almost any format you use. We deliver in stages, after which you give feedback that we process straight away before we work out the next part of the system. Every piece goes through at least three review layers, from the drafter who works out the system to Sam as team leader and Barry as project manager, who give it a final check. On a larger, long-running project such as a greenhouse construction project, you can log in to software where you follow the progress of the piping diagram.
For standalone MEP drafting we deliver by email, without the need for a separate environment. Exactly which drawing types and what level of detail are needed is something we establish together in the first conversation. That way you get back a piping diagram or MEP drawing that is correct, aligns with the rest of the project and is ready to use. Even a file that was partly drawn by hand and is no longer clear, we deliver back to you in this way, complete and legible.
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.
The cost side of outsourcing MEP drafting
When you outsource MEP drafting, we charge by the hour or at a fixed project price, and we decide which works best in the first conversation. We only bill pure working hours, so if someone steps away for five minutes for a coffee, that time is deducted. We do not use prepaid hour bundles or monthly hour subscriptions; it is always about the hours we actually spend on the piping diagram or MEP drawing. What mainly keeps costs down is repetition, because a piping system with many similar components lends itself well to parametric work with smart Revit families. A valve that your drawing office used to draw out by hand in different sizes every time can, after a single smart family, be placed in the right spot in one action, which saves at least seventy percent of the time.
Clearly supplied documents also keep costs down, because less investigation up front means fewer hours spent on interpretation. With a fixed project price you know in advance where you stand, while on an hourly basis the bill stays tied precisely to the work we have done. You do not pay ongoing salary costs for an employee who sometimes works on MEP drafting and sometimes does not, because if someone is ill or on holiday, we put someone else on it. We only give a concrete estimate once it is clear which drawing types, what scope and how much repetition the project involves. A short, well-defined first assignment is one way to get to know our approach and accuracy before a larger project follows.
Getting started with outsourced MEP drafting
Getting started with outsourcing MEP drafting begins with a conversation in which you explain the situation and the output you need. Usually you supply existing drawings or a diagram that needs revising, although sometimes it is an entirely new system with no previous basis. We also need the CAD standards and drawing conventions you use, so our work connects directly with your existing documentation.
Barry usually handles a new request first, after which Sam takes over the technical side and decides which drafters we deploy. We respond to a new request within 1 to 2 working days, after which it quickly becomes clear what we need to get started.
As soon as we have enough information we get going, and if there is a peak or a deadline that cannot slip, we add extra capacity straight away. We deliver the work in stages and process feedback immediately, rather than showing everything in one go at the end. We usually send files back and forth by email, and on a larger project we set up software where you can follow along.
A short phone call or the contact form on the site is enough to get things moving. How quickly the first drafting is actually ready depends on the size of the system and on how complete the supplied documents are. A short, small first assignment is a good way to get used to each other's way of working before a larger project follows.
Frequently asked questions about outsourcing MEP drafting
Hand your MEP 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.