What Are Blueprints and Why Are They Important?
Don’t get the blues when it comes to understanding these technical drawings
Blueprints are detailed technical schematics used in construction.
Modern blueprints are created with the help of computer software and printed on various materials.
Architects and draftspeople can draw up blueprints that can be used during the construction process.
If you’ve built a house, undergone major renovations, or observed any construction project, you’ve probably come across blueprints. These detailed schematics are a critical part of the construction process, but you may not know what exactly blueprints are, how they’re used, and why they’re so important to the building process. Learn everything you need to know about these technical documents with this guide to blueprints.
What Are Blueprints?
Blueprints are detailed architectural drawings that act as a guide for construction to ensure a building is constructed to the exact specifications of its design. These documents clearly illustrate every aspect of a building’s design so contractors can read the blueprints for an exact plan to follow as they build. Blueprints include details such as layout, measurements, utility placement, structural components, and more.
Why Are They Called Blueprints?
Nowadays, most blueprints are generated by computer using programs known as computer-aided design (CAD) software. These digital drawings can be viewed on a computer or printed out for hard copies at the construction site. However, in the pre-digital age, blueprints were drawn by hand on translucent paper, and copies were printed using photosensitive paper and exposure to light, resulting in a negative of the original drawing with white lines on a blue background.
Most modern blueprints consist of dark lines against a white background and can be printed onto various materials, including paper, vellum, Mylar, and Tyvek. Computers and modern printing have made creating and copying blueprints far more convenient than in the past.
Who Can Draw Up Blueprints?
While it’s possible to draw your own blueprints with the help of CAD software, unless you have extensive experience, it’s best to leave this job to the pros.
Architects
Architects draw up blueprints as a part of the design process. A local architect will not only be able to design the home of your dreams but also create the technical documents needed to make that dream a reality. The cost of blueprints is often included in the architect’s fees for a new home build, although you can also hire an architect separately just to draw up blueprints.
Draftspeople
A draftsperson can also draw up blueprints. Architectural firms often employ draftspeople to do the technical work of turning designs into blueprints, and you can also hire a freelance draftsperson to create blueprints. A draftsperson costs less to hire than an architect, but they don’t have the same training, licensing, or structural expertise.
Blueprints vs. Floor Plans
Floor plans are another type of technical drawing you may come across during a home build, renovation, or interior design. Unlike blueprints, floor plans only show a bird’s-eye view of a space, usually a room or floor of a house. These schematics don’t include the level of detail that blueprints do and are generally used for layout and interior design purposes rather than construction.
For example, if you’re changing your closed floor plan to open, the blueprints would detail every aspect of the construction, while the floor plan would help you plan the layout for furniture and fixtures. A floor plan costs significantly less than a set of blueprints because of the level of detail involved, but many new-built blueprint sets will include floor plans for design purposes.
Blueprints are generally available for houses built after the early 1900s. Before then, detailed building schematics like blueprints were rarely used and even more rarely saved. If you have an older house and need blueprints, you can have a new set drawn up by an architect or draftsperson.
Building a house without blueprints is not advised. It will prevent you from obtaining necessary building permits and meeting building codes and is likely to result in shoddy construction and unsafe living conditions. Detailed blueprints ensure that a house is built to exact specifications and is constructed safely and structurally stable.
With proper training and experience, reading blueprints is fairly straightforward and not very difficult. If you don’t have the necessary knowledge to interpret the symbols, abbreviations, and other notations used, blueprints may not make sense. Learning to read blueprints can help you understand the construction process and keep you more involved and informed when you’re building a house.
