Permit Drawings and Plan Sets for Residential and Commercial Projects
Permit-ready plan sets prepared to the requirements of your building department, with plan-review revisions.
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Permit Drawing Services are the architectural, structural and supporting drawings submitted to the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to obtain a building permit.
Permit delays cost time and money. We prepare complete, clearly organized permit drawings that follow your jurisdiction's submittal checklist, so plan reviewers can approve them faster. Requirements vary by city and county, so we work from the checklist you provide.
What a permit set usually includes
- Cover sheet, project data, code summary and sheet index
- Site plan with setbacks, easements, parking and utilities
- Floor plans, roof plans and reflected ceiling plans
- Exterior elevations and building sections
- Wall sections, details, door and window schedules
- Structural drawings and calculations from the engineer of record
- Energy-code compliance forms where required
- MEP and fire-protection drawings, as applicable
Plan review and revisions
After submission the plan reviewer issues comments. We revise and re-issue sheets, keep a comment-response log and coordinate with the engineer of record so the permit can be issued.
Residential, commercial and tenant improvement projects
We prepare permit drawings for additions, remodels, new homes, tenant improvements, accessory dwelling units and small commercial buildings. Drawings that require a licensed design professional's seal are reviewed and sealed by a professional licensed in the project's jurisdiction.
What you receive
- Complete permit-ready plan set
- Sheet index and code summary
- Revisions after plan-review comments
- PDF and editable CAD
Technical scope and terminology we work with
- Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), plan review and building permit
- Setbacks, lot coverage, floor-area ratio and zoning
- Occupancy classification, construction type and egress
- Energy code, accessibility (ADA) and fire-life-safety notes
- Tenant improvement, change of use and certificate of occupancy
- Engineer or architect of record and professional seal
Who this service is for
Contractors, builders, developers and homeowners who need permit sets prepared accurately and on schedule.
How it works
- Send site information, sketches or existing drawings and your jurisdiction's checklist.
- We confirm scope, sheets and schedule.
- We prepare the permit set for review.
- We revise after plan-review 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 permit drawing services 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 permit drawing services 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
Why contractors outsource permit drawing preparation
Bid season and permit queues compress the time your team has for each project. Outsourcing permit drawing preparation adds capacity without adding permanent overhead, speeds up turnaround and gives you an independent check on your own numbers and drawings. You stay in control: you review the output, adjust assumptions and make the final decisions.
Typical permit sets by project type
- Residential addition or remodel: existing and proposed plans, elevations, sections, framing, energy documentation and structural details.
- New single-family or ADU: site plan, foundation, framing, MEP diagrams and code summary.
- Tenant improvement: demolition and proposed plans, reflected ceiling plan, egress, accessibility and fire-life-safety notes.
- Small commercial building: full architectural and structural set, with MEP and civil sheets from consultants.
Plan review process
Plan reviewers check zoning, building, fire, energy, accessibility and structural requirements and issue comments to be addressed before the permit is issued. We track each comment, revise the affected sheets and prepare a response letter so resubmittal is efficient. See also structural drafting and solar permit plan sets.
Permit drawings by project type
Related specialties
Residential Permit Drawings
Permit sets for additions, remodels, ADUs and new homes, prepared to your building department's submittal checklist.
Commercial Permit Drawings
Permit drawing sets for commercial tenant improvements and buildings, organized by discipline and prepared to the AHJ checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What are permit drawings?
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Permit drawings are the plan set submitted to the building department to obtain a permit, showing the site, floor plans, elevations, sections, details and code information.
Do you prepare drawings for any jurisdiction?
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We work to your jurisdiction's submittal checklist. Send it with your project information and we will confirm scope in the quote.
Do you handle plan-review comments?
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Yes. We revise the drawings and re-issue sheets.
Do permit drawings need a seal?
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Many jurisdictions require a licensed professional's seal for certain projects. We coordinate with a licensed professional where required.
Can you prepare residential and commercial sets?
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Yes — additions, remodels, new homes, tenant improvements and small commercial buildings.
Bid Sharp at a glance: 3 steps, 50 states
Bid Sharp prepares construction estimates, takeoffs, shop drawings, structural and permit drawings and schedules for contractors and homeowners in all 50 states, on public and private projects. Typical turnaround is about 48 hours; the turnaround and a firm price are confirmed before any work starts.
- 1. Upload plans. Send PDF, DWG or a plan-room link with your bid due date.
- 2. Get a firm quote. Scope, price and turnaround in writing, with no obligation.
- 3. Receive deliverables. Excel and PDF files, plus DWG for drawings, checked by 2 team members.
Standards and official sources
Rules, wage rates, codes and procurement procedures change and differ by agency. Confirm the requirements that apply to your project with these primary sources and with the solicitation itself.
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Last updated by the Bid Sharp estimating team.