Starter Guide · Foundation
The foundations of reading drawings
Connect grids, levels, sections and details with confidence.
Your route
6 steps
Last updated: 24.08.2026Content is prepared to be clear, practical and technically responsible. Project-specific decisions require assessment by an authorised professional.
- 01
Check sheet name, scale and revision
Read discipline, sheet number, scale, date and latest revision from the title block, and confirm that printing has not altered the scale before measuring.
- 02
Follow the grid system
Follow grid bubbles as letters in one direction and numbers in the other; describe an element by two grids plus any required offset.
- 03
Match plans with sections and elevations
Find stairs, voids, walls and openings from the plan in the relevant section and elevation; do not make a three-dimensional decision from one drawing.
- 04
Read levels from the stated datum
Identify the real-world datum represented by ±0.00 and compare slab, ceiling, foundation and terrain levels from the same reference.
- 05
Cross-check architectural and structural sheets
Check columns, walls and shafts against architectural use, and include mechanical and electrical service routes in the coordination review.
- 06
Turn conflicts into questions before construction
Turn each conflict into a clear question with sheet number, grid, level and screenshot; do not build from an assumption before a written answer.