

An elevation is a ground-level view of a wall. Measuring for Elevation DrawingsĪ floor plan is an overhead view of a space. It's also a good idea to measure and locate electrical switches and outlets, thermostats, circuit boxes, radiators, heating and air conditioning registers, and any other elements on your diagram. Typical residential construction uses 6" exterior and 4" interior walls. If your plan includes multiple rooms, make sure to account for the interior and exterior walls. Measure Other Featuresįireplaces, cabinets, built-in bookshelves, and any other features should be measured and added to the plan next.
#House layout plan windows#
Letter or number doors and windows on your plan, then note the various dimensions and notes on your schedule. Rather than trying to write all of these on your diagram, use the back of the page as a door/window schedule. Depending on the purpose of your floor plan drawing, you may want to also measure the height of windows and their distances from the floor and ceiling. Measure windows from frame edge to frame edge, without the casings or trim. Now measure the width of the casings around the door and note those on your drawing. Note the direction that the door swings and show this on your drawing with an arc. Also, make sure to note the orientation (north, south, east, and west) of the room on your drawing.įrom the nearest corner, measure the distance to the door opening and note this on your drawing. If they don't, your measurements aren't accurate and you need to check them again. Once you get the perimeter of the room (or building) measured, check your math to make sure the dimensions close. The reason is that it will be a lot easier for you to check your math later. For example, if your wall is 10' 6-1/2" long, use 126.50 inches. Hint: If you're using US/Imperial measurements, it's easier to use inches rather than a combination of feet/inches and use decimals instead fractions.
#House layout plan full#
What you want is an accurate measurement of the full wall dimensions. Don't worry about door openings at this point. Repeat this process for the remaining walls. For outside walls, simply go from one corner of the building to the other.


If this is impractical, run it along the floor and make an adjustment for the width of the baseboards. Run the tape along the top of the baseboard so you get a full wall-to-wall dimension. Do this by running your tape measure along the baseboard from one corner to the other. Look at the room (or outside of the building, if you're taking exterior measurements) and make a rough outline of the dimensions, so you have a good visual starting point. The contractor is going to measure again before ordering materials, so your drawing can be "close enough." If you're doing the work yourself, then be as accurate as possible - measure to the nearest 1/16 inch. If you're simply drawing a preliminary plan to give to a contractor, measure to the nearest 1/4 inch. When space planning an interior remodel, such as a kitchen, you will want to be more precise. Measuring within the nearest 1/4 or even 1/2 foot of outside walls is probably sufficient. If you're a real estate agent or appraiser and your floor plan drawing is simply to measure the approximate size of the building and show the general interior layout, you don't need to be overly accurate.
