PERMIT PLAN SETS
Permit drawings for a price you know before we start
Send a sketch, photos or an old plan set. Within 2 working hours you get a written quote with a fixed fee and a delivery date, and that number doesn't move: not for revisions, and not for the corrections your building department sends back.
- ✓ Site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections
- ✓ Electrical and plumbing layouts
- ✓ Title 24 or REScheck energy forms
- ✓ PDF plus native DWG files you own
- ✓ Plan check corrections included
How much permit drawings cost here
A residential permit set from ArchWorkPro costs $1 per square foot of drawn floor area, with a $1,200 minimum. New construction under 1,200 sq ft is priced by sheet instead, at $195 per sheet, because a 400 sq ft house needs nearly the same 10 to 13 sheets as a large one. You see the sheet count in writing before you approve anything.
Drawn area means every square foot that has to appear on a sheet, which isn't always the size of the new work. A 272 sq ft sunroom we drew in New Jersey in 2026 needed 1,480 sq ft of drawn area, because the set had to show the existing rooms the sunroom opens into. The quote said so, and explained why, before the client paid anything.
For comparison, an architecture firm usually charges 8 to 15% of construction cost for full design services, and independent drafters run $1 to $3 per sq ft, often with hourly billing on top (sources on our 2026 drafting cost breakdown).
| Project | Drawn area | Fixed fee | What sets the fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garage conversionProject minimum | 400 sq ft | $1,200 | Project minimum |
| New-construction ADU12 sheets × $195 | 400 sq ft | $2,340 | 12 sheets × $195 |
| Interior remodel$1 per sq ft | 1,560 sq ft | $1,560 | $1 per sq ft |
| Custom home$1 per sq ft | 2,800 sq ft | $2,800 | $1 per sq ft |
Examples use the published rules on our pricing page. Your quote states the billable area or sheet count before you approve it.
What the drawing set includes
Sheet names and numbering vary by jurisdiction, and we follow your building department's submittal checklist when it publishes one. A typical residential set looks like this:
G / A-0Cover sheet and code summary
Project data, the code editions your jurisdiction enforces, occupancy and construction type, and a sheet index the plan checker can work from.
A-1Site plan
Property lines, setbacks, easements, existing and proposed structures, utility runs and drainage, drawn from your survey or parcel data.
A-2Floor plans
Existing and proposed layouts, fully dimensioned, with wall types, door and window schedules, egress and smoke/CO alarm locations.
A-3Exterior elevations
Every side of the building with heights, roof pitch, materials and window placement.
A-4Sections and details
Wall, floor and roof assemblies with insulation values, plus the connection details plan checkers ask for most.
E / P / MElectrical, plumbing and mechanical
Outlet, lighting and panel layouts, fixture and venting plans, and HVAC equipment locations as your department requires.
T-24 / ENEnergy compliance
California Title 24 forms or REScheck/IECC documentation, packaged with the set.
SStructural sheets, when required
Drafted to your engineer's design and sealed by them. We coordinate with the engineer; we don't seal anything ourselves.
What the fee doesn't cover
We'd rather you hear about these now than at plan check. None of them are hidden fees of ours; they're paid to other people, and we tell you up front which ones your project needs.
- An architect's or engineer's stamp
- We're a drafting firm and we don't seal drawings. When your jurisdiction or project needs a structural engineer, you hire and pay them directly, and we draft to their design and carry the coordination. On recent residential jobs that has run roughly $1,200 to $1,800.
- A survey
- Many counties want a boundary or topographic survey behind the site plan. You contract the surveyor; we tell you exactly which survey to order. A boundary and topographic survey we arranged for a vacant lot in Englewood, Florida in September 2026 quoted $575, plus $150 to expedite.
- City permit and plan check fees
- Those are paid to your building department at submittal. We don't touch them.
- Approval itself
- Approval is up to the building official, so no honest drafter promises it. What we promise is to answer every round of plan check comments, free, within the scope you approved.
Who orders permit sets from us
Most of our 2026 requests came from property owners with one project and a deadline: owner-builders pulling their own permit, homeowners converting a garage or adding a room, and small investors renovating a rental. The rest come from contractors who need drawings to bid or permit a job and don't keep a drafter on staff.
If you're building it yourself, read permit drawings for owner-builders and homeowners. If you run a contracting business, the contractor page covers white-label sets with your title block.
How the order runs
You send what you have through the request form: a hand sketch, photos, an old plan set or a written scope with rough dimensions. Within 2 working hours we reply with questions and a written quote that states the fee, the sheet list and the delivery date.
Payment is split: half to start and half on delivery. Smaller sets come back in days; full permit sets usually take 5 to 10 business days from the day we have your measurements. When the building department returns comments, you forward the correction letter and we revise the sheets until every comment is answered.
Questions people ask before they order
How much do permit drawings cost?
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At ArchWorkPro, $1 per square foot of drawn floor area with a $1,200 minimum. New construction under 1,200 sq ft is $195 per sheet instead, usually 10 to 13 sheets. Stamps, surveys and city fees are separate and paid to other people.
Will the city accept drawings from an online drafting service?
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Building departments review drawings on their content, not on where the drafter sits. Plans get sent back for missing information, code problems or a missing seal where one is required. We draft to your jurisdiction's submittal requirements and tell you up front if your project needs a licensed professional's seal.
Do I need a stamped set?
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It depends on your state, your city and the work. Many single-family remodels and additions can be permitted without an architect's seal, while structural changes often need an engineer. We check your jurisdiction's rules when we quote and name anything that needs a licensed professional.
What if plan check sends corrections?
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We revise the drawings free, as many rounds as it takes to answer the comments, within the scope you approved. Send the correction letter and we turn the sheets around fast.
How long does a permit set take?
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Smaller sets are delivered in days. Full permit sets usually take 5 to 10 business days, counted from when we have your measurements. Your quote gives a firm date.
What do I get at the end?
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Print-ready PDFs for submittal plus the native DWG or RVT files. You own them outright, with no licensing terms.
Related: Full price rules · ADU plans · Garage conversion plans · Home addition plans · As-built drawings · Permit drawings by city
Get your permit set quoted today
Send the project now. You'll have a written fixed fee, a sheet list and a delivery date within 2 working hours.
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