Shop drawing
Also: Shop drawings, Fabrication drawing
Quick definition: A drawing, diagram or set of details prepared by a contractor, trade or supplier to show exactly how a specific part of the work will be fabricated and installed.
Explanation
Beginner explanation
The design drawings show what is wanted; shop drawings show how a fabricator will actually make it — every connection, dimension and part — so it can be checked before it is built.
Technical explanation
CCDC 2 defines shop drawings broadly to include drawings, diagrams, illustrations, schedules, performance charts, brochures, product data and similar information provided by the contractor to illustrate details of portions of the Work; AIA A201 treats them as one type of Submittal. Shop drawings are reviewed by the consultant but remain the contractor's responsibility for dimensions, fabrication and coordination. On VDC projects, trades increasingly produce fabrication models (for steel, ductwork, piping, precast) from which shop drawings are extracted, after coordination in the federated model.
Practical example
The steel fabricator issues erection drawings and connection details extracted from its fabrication model. The structural engineer reviews the connection design for conformance; the fabricator remains responsible for fit-up dimensions.
Why it matters
Shop drawings translate design intent into buildable detail. Errors caught at shop-drawing review avoid fabrication errors that are expensive to fix on site.
Standards and references
- CCDC 2 2020 — CCDC 2 – 2020 Stipulated Price Contract. Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC), 2020. Definitions.Original VDC Stack.io wording, based on the standard
Supports: CCDC 2 definition of Shop Drawings (paraphrased) · Status: Definitions and GC numbering reviewed from a copy included in a public tender package; confirm against a licensed copy. - What Is a Submittal in Construction? Common Types and Why They Matter. AIA Contract Documents.Widely accepted professional interpretation
Supports: Shop drawings as one submittal type prepared for the project by the contractor
VDC Stack.io writes its own explanations and does not reproduce copyrighted standards text. Consult the cited standard for normative wording.
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VDC Stack.io. (2026). Shop drawing. In VDC Stack.io Knowledge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://vdcstack.io/dictionary/shop-drawing/