Since a set of construction drawings is the chief means by which designers communicate their ideas to builders, understanding them is vital for anyone estimating or laying out a construction job. Builders can eliminate errors and much of their frustration in dealing with blueprints by paying close attention to a few trouble spots. Since I design 70% of the projects my construction company builds, I have some insight into both points of view. Perhaps the single most important rule in reading blueprints is to study the drawings as a set. Drawings usually appear in the order in which they are needed: first the floor plans, then sections and elevations, and finally the details. The progression is from the general to the
