Anyone who requests a technical drafting quote from us almost always has a pile of repetitive work waiting. Hundreds of similar sheets, the same detailing in ten variants, a component list that has to go on the sheet again for every project. That is exactly the kind of job we are set up for.
We draft and model in high volume, with lots of repetition, for engineering firms, architectural practices, contractors and manufacturers. We do not do engineering, because we take over the drafting so your own drawing office has room for the work that does require expert decisions.
In our estimate, we therefore look first at the volume and the degree of repetition. If there is a lot of uniformity, we build it up properly once, and the time per sheet then drops quickly. All our people have more than ten years of CAD experience, so that setup takes us little run-up. The time we gain that way is reflected in the quote.
Cable tray routing in the model, built with parametric families that carry the material schedule with them.
Repetitive technical drafting in volume
Most of what we do is volume work. A set of production drawings in which the same construction recurs in five sizes, a revision round across hundreds of existing sheets, a piping diagram in which the same valve in 90 and in 110 has to go on the sheet again and again. An in-house drafter often draws such components one by one by hand, because that is simply how it works in AutoCAD. That is where the time savings are. When a job comes in, we first look at where the repetition lies, and we tackle that repetition up front.
A component that recurs fifty times is built up smartly once, after which it is placed in the right spot in a single action. In work such as greenhouse construction, that saves at least seventy per cent of the time. That effect is also reflected in the technical drafting quote, because fewer actions mean fewer hours. Volume does demand discipline. Across hundreds of sheets, a wrong layer name or a deviating title block carries through to the entire set, and correcting it costs more than the setup itself.
That is why we first record the client's drawing conventions and only then start on the actual drafting. Our large, flexible team scales with the size of each project. If there is a deadline that cannot slip, we add people rather than letting quality drop. We have done that before for a fixed delivery date, working evenings and weekends to hit the date. Even then, every sheet was still checked as usual.
What a technical drafting quote from us covers
Our quote states, for each item, what comes back and in what form. For most clients, that is 2D drafting: workshop drawings, assembly drawings, part drawings, floor plans, sections and diagrams. That includes dimensioning, hatching and a completed title block, set up according to the layer structure the drafting team uses. Where necessary, we model in 3D, for example to check an assembly for fit or to extract clean 2D output from it. We process as-built drawings based on the material the client has, even when it comes in messy.
Revisions are a separate category, and we derive them from the existing set rather than starting over. The quote also states the scope in sheets or components, so the project leader can see what the hours relate to. What is not in it, we do not do. Calculations, structural advice and permit documents fall outside our work, and we would rather say so up front than halfway through. Work that is within our reach but not yet defined, we list separately as an option.
That way the client keeps the choice of doing that part himself. We deliver per block, not all at once at the end, so feedback on the first drawings carries through to the rest. A technical drafting quote also includes an agreement on the meeting rhythm, because daily alignment calls for something different from weekly feedback. Finally, the quote records who is the first point of contact with us and who takes on the technical side.
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.
Parametric Revit families and smart components
A large part of the time savings comes from working parametrically. We build Revit families, in other words smart components that adapt to a new situation or a different size. We create such a component once, after which it appears everywhere in the model without new drafting. The material schedule is linked to it, so if the component changes, the schedule changes automatically. For a client with many variants, that saves considerably on the administration around a set. The clearest example comes from our own practice in greenhouse construction. Companies there often work in AutoCAD, and AutoCAD is not smart at building up components such as valves in piping systems. If you need a valve in 90 and in 110, you draw it by hand every time. With a smart family, it is placed in a single action, and in that kind of work that saves at least seventy per cent of the time.
We can clean up existing families and templates, or build a new library. Which is wiser depends on the state of what is already there. If a family library has become clogged over the years with variants, duplicate names and parameters nobody uses any more, rebuilding is sometimes faster than repairing. We look at that first before putting anything about it in the estimate. Besides Revit, we use Grasshopper and, to a limited extent, Dynamo for the parametric part. We use Rhino and Inventor where the form or the fabrication side calls for it. Whichever route we choose, we agree the setup in advance with the client's drafting team.
Software, versions and formats for technical drafting
Our main packages are Revit, AutoCAD and Rhino. We also use Inventor, Grasshopper and, to a limited extent, Dynamo and Vault. We always work with the latest versions, in our own environment and with our own licences. That means the client does not have to provide us with a workstation or licence, and nothing needs to change in his system. If the drafting team supplies an older version, we set up the export accordingly, provided we know in advance.
File formats are rarely an obstacle for us, because we deliver in DXF, DWG, Revit formats and STEP, and in practice in any common CAD format. More important than the format is the structure underneath.
A DWG that is technically correct but does not match the client's layer structure still costs the in-house team an afternoon. That is why we ask in advance for a reference drawing, a layer list, a title block and the drawing conventions that apply. Those documents form the standard we stick to, even if one of our drafters would set it up differently himself. With an existing set, we first look at how it is put together before adding anything to it.
Files are exchanged by email, and on larger projects via software the client can log in to and follow progress. That keeps it clear which version is the latest and where a sheet is in the process. For standalone AutoCAD drafting, we keep it simple and deliver by email. If a format turns out to be a sticking point along the way, we flag it and work out a workable route together with the drafting team.
Frequently asked questions about a technical drafting quote
Hand your technical 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.