Shop Drawings vs. As‑Built Drawings: What is the Difference?

Project teams work faster and safer when everyone knows this: shop drawings show how a contractor plans to build part of the project. As-built drawings, on the other hand, record what the team actually built for the owner's long-term use.

Standard contracts, trade standards, and public-sector guidance view those two artifacts differently. This is for a good reason. Shop drawings help a fabricator and installer align with design intent. As-built drawings create the authoritative record of an operating facility. That distinction matters when selecting a professional service provider for as-built drawing deliverables.

Existing Conditions provides as‑built drawings, not shop drawings, documenting verified existing conditions to support safe construction, renovation, and facility operations.

If a team confuses them, it invites scope drift, rework, claims, and preventable damage to utilities beneath or within the structure. The next sections in this article outline the rules for each area. They also show that reliable digital deliverables can set your project and turnover package up for success.

Contract Language Sets the Boundary

Under AIA A201 2017, shop drawings are “drawings, diagrams, schedules, and other data specially prepared for the Work by the Contractor … to illustrate some portion of the Work.”

The form says that shop drawings, product data, and samples aren’t part of the Contract Documents. Also, the architect approval checks if they match the design concept, not the means and methods.

Approval never authorizes a deviation unless the contractor calls it out, and the team issues a written change or a minor change in the Work. You can see the text and analysis in practical form in the AIA submittal overview. It also includes legal commentary on review scope and “not Contract Documents” status.

On the as-built side, the same A201 form assigns the contractor a duty to keep a record of the Work as constructed. The AIA B101 2017 owner-architect agreement treats architect-prepared as constructed record drawings as a supplemental service. It also clarifies that accuracy relies on contractor markups. The owner gets basic construction records automatically. To get a higher-quality compiled record, they need to specify the scope and compensation. The AIA’s guidance explains this in a clear manner. It also warns that there are limits on reliance when the design team creates those sheets from contractor markups.

Those two points form the bright line. Shop drawings explain the contractor’s plan to meet the design. As-built drawings memorialize the constructed reality for operations and future work. One never alters the contract by itself. The other becomes the operational record.

What Do Shop Drawings Need to Accomplish?

Trade-specific standards give shop drawings their power. A steel fabricator needs exact member geometry, hole locations, weld sizes, and piece marks that follow accepted presentation rules. The AASHTO/NSBA collaboration document sets those expectations so that detailers and reviewers speak the same language on complex steel scopes.

An HVAC contractor needs the following for each run:

• Gauge
• Seam type
• Reinforcement
• Hanger spacing
• Access provisions
• Pressure class

SMACNA’s HVAC Duct Construction Standards are the foundation for commercial ductwork.

An electrical contractor needs drawing symbols that include switches, outlets, fixtures, and wiring. NECA 100-2024 defines the use of symbols and outlines how to draft electrical construction drawings in North America.

Across all trades, the submittal regime under A201 controls the review loop. The contractor verifies field criteria and calls out any deviation from the contract set. The design professional checks conformance with the information and design concept. The contract changes only when a written instrument authorizes it.

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Thank you for reading this excerpt. Explore the full guide to understand the rules, standards, and technologies behind accurate as‑built documentation.

Over the past 27 years, Existing Conditions has measured, documented, and modeled over 10,000 buildings spanning over 700 million square feet across the United States, establishing ourselves as an industry leader in reality capture. Architects, builders, engineers, developers, and facility managers trust us to deliver digital representations of the as-built environment with unparalleled accuracy and efficiency. Our services, including 3D laser scanning, 3D photogrammetry, and BIM modeling Visualize The Built World^® to enable architects to make informed design decisions based on the most accurate data available.