Masonry Shop Drawings for CMU, Brick and Stone Contractors

Masonry Shop Drawings show how masonry walls will be laid out and reinforced: coursing, opening locations, control and expansion joints, grout cells, reinforcing, lintels and anchors, referenced to the structural and architectural drawings.

Masonry only goes up right when the layout is resolved on paper first. Our masonry shop drawings put the mason, the engineer and the architect on the same plan and help your crew avoid cutting, rework and field guesswork.

What the drawings show

• Wall elevations with coursing, modular dimensions and opening locations
• Reinforcement and grout-fill layout: vertical bars, horizontal joint reinforcement, bond beams
• Lintel, sill and bond-beam details
• Control and expansion joint locations and details
• Veneer anchors, ties, flashing and weep locations
• Brick and stone patterns and special shapes

Specifications we follow

We coordinate with Division 04 sections such as 04 05 13 Masonry Mortaring, 04 05 16 Masonry Grouting, 04 05 19 Masonry Anchorage and Reinforcing and 04 22 00 Concrete Unit Masonry, and with the structural engineer's general notes on special inspection, grout and reinforcement requirements.

From takeoff to shop drawing

Many clients order masonry estimating and shop drawings together so the quantities match the drawings: block counts by size, cement, sand, grout, reinforcing, lintels and joint materials.

What you receive

• Wall elevations and coursing
• Reinforcement and grout-fill layouts
• Lintel, bond-beam and control-joint details
• Brick, block and stone quantity summary
• RFIs for conflicts between structural and architectural sheets

Technical scope and terminology we work with

• CMU, modular coursing, running bond, stack bond and veneer
• Fully grouted vs partially grouted, bond beams and lintels
• Control joints, expansion joints, flashing, weeps and anchors
• Special inspection, prism and unit-strength testing
• Shop drawings, submittals and approved equals

Who this service is for

Masonry subcontractors and general contractors who need fast, accurate submittals for CMU, brick and stone work.

How it works

1. Send architectural and structural drawings and the masonry specification.
2. We confirm the scope and turnaround.
3. We draft and coordinate the drawings.
4. We revise after architect or engineer comments.

Software, standards and file formats

We work in PlanSwift and Bluebeam Revu for digital takeoff and markup, Excel and RSMeans-style cost data for pricing, Oracle Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project for scheduling, and AutoCAD-compatible formats for drawings. Deliverables are provided as Excel, PDF and, where relevant, DWG files, organized by CSI MasterFormat.

When to use this service

Use masonry shop drawings when a bid date is close, when your team is stretched across projects, when you need an independent check of your own numbers or drawings, or when you want consistent deliverables in the same format every time. Tell us the due date when you request a quote so the schedule can be planned around it.

Engagement options

• One project: order masonry shop drawings for a single bid or job and receive a firm price and turnaround before we start.
• Several trades or divisions: combine this service with related scopes so quantities, drawings and pricing agree.
• Bid-season capacity: send multiple projects with their due dates and we schedule the work to hit each one.
• Ongoing support: repeat-volume contractors can agree standard formats, cost codes and turnaround so every delivery drops straight into their process.

Quality control, confidentiality and communication

Every deliverable is reviewed by a second team member before it reaches you, and assumptions, inclusions and exclusions are written down so they can be checked. If information is missing we send a short list of questions rather than guessing, and we tell you which assumption we used when a question cannot be answered in time. Your plans, specifications and files are used only to prepare your project work and are not shared publicly; see our privacy policy.

Related services, guides and pages

• Construction estimating and quantity takeoff
• Pre-bid, solicitation response and post-bid support
• Shop drawings, structural drafting and permit drawings
• Public bid estimating, pricing, samples, FAQ and bidding glossary

Coursing, modular layout and openings

Masonry works on a module: a standard 8 in. CMU course is 8 in. high including joint, and brick coursing follows its own module. Opening sizes, sill and head heights and wall heights are adjusted to the module so units are not cut. Our drawings show coursing by elevation, with openings located on the course lines so the mason can build to the drawing.

Reinforcement and grout

For reinforced masonry the drawings show vertical bar locations and sizes, joint reinforcement, bond beams, lap splices, clean-outs and grout lifts according to the engineer's details and the specification. Fully grouted and partially grouted walls are identified clearly so grout quantities and labor are priced correctly.

Typical submittal package

• Cover sheet and index referencing the specification sections
• Wall elevations and plan layout with coursing
• Reinforcement and bond-beam layouts
• Lintel and special-shape details
• Product data for units, mortar, grout, anchors and accessories
• Mix designs and test requirements

See masonry estimating, shop drawing services and the shop drawings vs submittals guide.