The original plans for your building are lost. Or they exist, but the building stopped matching them three remodels ago.

Either way, nobody can design what comes next until someone documents what is there now.

You can’t design the next chapter of a building until you know what is under the drywall. As-built drawings are how you find out.

What as-built drawings are

As built drawings record the real, current condition of a building. Not what was planned. What was built.

A typical as-built set includes:

• Measured floor plans. Walls, doors, windows, room sizes and ceiling heights.
• Elevations. Exterior faces with openings, heights and materials.
• Existing MEP and structural notes. Locations of visible equipment, panels, fixtures, beams and columns where they can be seen.

They become the base drawing for whatever comes next: a design, a permit set or a record for the owner.

When you need as-builts

• Additions. An addition has to tie into the existing structure. As-builts are often required before an addition can be designed. See our home additions page.
• Remodels and renovations. Moving walls, kitchens or baths starts with an accurate plan of what is there.
• Franchise conversions. Converting a second-generation tenant space to a new brand starts with documenting the shell or existing build-out.
• Sale or insurance. Owners, buyers and insurers sometimes need a current, measured record of the building.
• Permitting existing work. If work was done without a permit, you will typically need drawings of what exists to get it reviewed.

Remodeling in a flood zone? Your as-builts also help frame the conversation about the FEMA 50% rule before you design anything.

How the field-measure process works

1. Discovery call. We talk through the building, why you need as-builts and what comes next. You get a fixed fee.
2. Site visit. Our team measures the building room by room, photographs conditions and notes visible structure and MEP.
3. Drafting. We turn field notes into clean, dimensioned CAD drawings.
4. Review. We check the drawings against the photos and flag anything that needs a second look.
5. Delivery. You get the as-built set, ready to use as the base for design or permitting.

We document what we can see. Hidden conditions behind finished walls and ceilings are noted as unverified unless they are opened up.

As-builts are not a survey

This trips people up, so let’s be clear.

As-built drawings document the building. They do not establish property lines, legal boundaries or official elevations.

Boundary and elevation work belongs to a licensed surveyor. If your project needs a boundary survey or elevation data, we will refer that work to a licensed surveyor and coordinate it with the drawings. Survey is an outside discipline that is not included automatically in our fee.

As-builts vs. other documents

Document	Who prepares it	What it shows	When you need it
As-built drawings	TomCo Design Studio	Measured floor plans, elevations, visible MEP and structure	Before additions, remodels, conversions, permitting existing work, sale or insurance
Boundary survey	Licensed surveyor	Property lines and legal boundaries	Site plans, setbacks, new construction
Elevation survey work	Licensed surveyor	Official elevations relative to flood requirements	Flood zone design, permitting and insurance
Permit set	Architect or designer, plus engineers	Proposed work, coordinated for review	Before construction begins

As-builts for contractors and franchise teams

We work for other GCs. If you have a remodel or tenant conversion and need existing conditions documented before design, we can field-measure and deliver base drawings you or your designer can build on.

For franchise conversions, as-builts are usually the first step before the prototype can be site-adapted to the space.

How to get ready for the site visit

A little prep makes the measure faster and the drawings better:

• Find any old plans or permits. Even outdated drawings help us spot what changed.
• Clear access. Attics, closets, mechanical rooms and electrical panels should be reachable.
• Share your survey. If you already have one from a licensed surveyor, send it over.
• Tell us the end goal. An addition, a conversion or a permit for existing work each needs slightly different information captured in the field.

Pricing

As-built projects start around $3,500, the studio’s minimum. Larger or complex buildings cost more, and the fixed fee is quoted after a discovery call. If the as-builts lead into design, larger design work typically runs about $8,000–$40,000+.

See the full range of studio services on our Architectural Design page.

Frequently asked questions

What are as built drawings?

As-built drawings, also called existing-conditions plans, document what is actually built: measured floor plans, elevations and existing MEP and structural notes where visible.

When do I need as-built drawings?

You typically need them before designing an addition or remodel, for a franchise conversion, to permit existing work, and sometimes for a sale or insurance. They are often required before an addition or remodel can be designed.

Is an as-built the same as a survey?

No. As-builts document the building itself. Boundary and elevation work requires a licensed surveyor, and TomCo refers that work out and coordinates it with the drawings.

How much do as-built drawings cost?

At TomCo, as-built projects start around $3,500, which is the studio minimum. Larger or complex buildings cost more, and the fixed fee is quoted after a discovery call.

Can you show what is inside the walls?

We document visible conditions, including exposed structure, panels, fixtures and equipment. Hidden conditions behind finished surfaces are noted as unverified unless they are opened up.