What As-Built Drawings Are
As-built drawings (also called "record drawings") are the final set of drawings that show the building exactly as it was constructed, including all changes made during construction. They differ from design drawings because construction inevitably involves modifications — moved walls, rerouted pipes, changed equipment locations, adjusted structural details. As-built drawings capture reality, not intention.
As-Built Drawing Title Block
Project Architect / Contractor
Project Name
ABC Tower, Gulshan-2
Drawing Title
3rd Floor Plan — As Built
Drawing No.
ABC-AR-AB-003 Rev.2
Original Drawing Date
10 January 2022
As-Built Completion Date
15 August 2024
Marked Up By
Site Engineer (Contractor)
Deviations Noted
Column C3 shifted 150mm east; additional partition at grid D-4
Verified By
Project Architect
Types of As-Built Drawings
| Discipline | As-Built Drawing Shows | FM Use |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural | Actual room layouts, door positions, partition locations, finishes | Space planning, lease area verification, renovation planning |
| Structural | Actual column positions, beam sizes, slab reinforcement as placed | Load capacity verification, modification feasibility |
| Mechanical (HVAC) | Actual duct routes, equipment locations, pipe runs, control points | Maintenance access, system balancing, modification planning |
| Electrical | Actual cable routes, panel locations, circuit assignments, lighting layout | Fault-finding, capacity planning, modification |
| Plumbing | Actual pipe routes (supply, drainage, gas), fixture locations, valve positions | Leak location, maintenance access, modification |
| Fire protection | Actual sprinkler layout, alarm device locations, riser routes, pump details | Inspection, maintenance, system testing |
Why As-Built Drawings Are Critical
- Maintenance: Without as-builts, FM teams cannot locate concealed services (pipes in walls, cables in ceiling voids) — leading to damage during maintenance or renovation.
- Renovation: Any fit-out or renovation project needs as-builts as the starting point. Without them, contractors must survey from scratch — adding weeks and cost.
- Emergency response: During a fire, flood, or gas leak, knowing where isolation valves, electrical panels, and fire systems are located is critical. As-builts provide this.
- Compliance: Regulatory inspections (fire, electrical) reference as-built drawings to verify system coverage and compliance.
Common Problems with As-Built Drawings
- Never created: The contractor was never required or paid to produce as-builts. Common in Bangladesh.
- Not updated: As-builts created at handover but never updated after subsequent renovations. The drawings show a building from 15 years ago.
- Paper only: As-builts exist only as paper drawings that are deteriorating, hard to read, and cannot be digitally shared.
- Inaccurate: Contractor marked up design drawings with changes but missed many modifications. As-built quality varies enormously.
Creating As-Built Drawings When They Don't Exist
- Building survey: Engage a surveyor or architect to measure and document the building as it is today.
- MEP survey: Engage MEP engineers to trace and document all concealed services.
- Laser scanning: 3D laser scanning (point cloud) captures accurate geometry — can be converted to CAD drawings. Cost: $0.50-2.00/m².
- BIM creation: Convert survey/scan data to BIM model for ongoing FM use. Higher cost but higher value.
Bangladesh Context
- Most Dhaka buildings lack complete as-builts. Many have partial architectural as-builts but no MEP as-builts. Some have nothing.
- Renovation without records: Buildings undergo tenant fit-outs and modifications over years without updating drawings. The actual building diverges significantly from any available drawings.
- Cost of survey: A full architectural + MEP measured survey for a 5,000 m² office building in Dhaka: BDT 5-15 lakh (US$ 5,000-15,000). Worthwhile investment for professional FM.
- MNC expectation: International due diligence always asks for as-built drawings. Their absence is noted as a risk factor.
References
Insights & Guidance
- As-built drawings show the building as actually constructed — they capture reality, not design intent.
- Six disciplines: architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection.
- Without as-builts, maintenance is guesswork, renovation is expensive, and emergency response is compromised.
- Most Dhaka buildings lack complete as-builts — a full measured survey costs BDT 5-15 lakh for 5,000 m².
- As-builts must be updated after every major renovation or modification — stale drawings are almost as bad as none.
As-built drawings are the most-used technical documents in building operations. FM teams reference them daily for maintenance, fault-finding, renovation planning, and emergency response. Without them, every maintenance task requires exploratory work, every renovation starts with an expensive survey, and every emergency is harder to manage. For due diligence, missing as-builts signal poor facility management and increase risk assessment.
- Damaging concealed services — drilling into a hidden water pipe or electrical cable during renovation because no as-built showed the route.
- Renovation cost overruns — 20-40% cost increase when contractors must survey an undocumented building before starting work.
- Emergency delay — inability to quickly locate isolation valves during a water leak or gas leak.
- Compliance failure — fire inspector asks for sprinkler layout; no drawing available.
- Complete as-built drawing set (architectural + MEP + fire protection)
- Drawing revision history showing updates after modifications
- Digital copies (DWG/DXF format ideally, PDF minimum)
- Drawing index with sheet numbers and latest revision dates
- Ask to see the drawing cabinet or digital drawing system — does it exist?
- Check a recent renovation area — were drawings updated to reflect the changes?
- Are drawings accessible to the FM team or locked away?
- Are as-built drawings available for all disciplines?
- When were the as-builts last updated?
- Are drawings in digital format (CAD/BIM) or paper only?
- Were as-builts updated after the most recent renovation/fit-out?
- Is there a process to update drawings when modifications are made?
- Measured survey — architect or surveyor for building measurement and drawing production.
- MEP survey — MEP engineer for concealed services documentation.
- 3D scanning — laser scanning firm for accurate as-built capture.