As-Builts Explained and Why You Should Consider It For Your Next Project

Cortland Design knows that as-builts are a key part of every construction project and can be leveraged by contractors, design professionals, and property owners. In fact, we recommend having them created for any new build or renovation, whether it’s a home, commercial space, or multifamily property.

What are As-Builts?

As-builts are sets of drawings that reflect modifications made during the construction process that deviate from the original design. They document what the existing conditions are and can be produced as a 2D drawing set or a 3D model showing size, shape, and location. With an as-built, you can decide on the level of detail you want to have for your property assets.

The final sets of as-built drawings can be useful for asset management and building records as they hold important information, such as:

Design changes
Field changes
Any minor or major modification to the final project

If you have 3D models of your site, then you can create site safety procedures as well as maintenance zoning requirements.

How As-Builts are Created

Cortland Design creates as-builts with the help of 3D scanning. 3D scanning provides visual information about a property or site, delivering the data needed to create project documentation throughout each phase of the construction process.

With the advancement of scanning technology, 3D scanning is now faster and less expensive for our clients, allowing them to obtain more detailed and accurate measurements.

We utilize LIDAR scanning equipment to map a building, home, or site into an intelligent three-dimensional coordinate system, known as point cloud. This allows us to generate a Revit model, a dynamic database model, of the physical and functional characteristics of a building. This gives architects, engineers, and contractors the insight and tools needed to efficiently plan, design, and develop their project.

Why are As-Builts Important?

As-builts represent the existing conditions of a space with an extreme level of detail and accuracy. Therefore, as-builts are important for a number of reasons. They can:

Make renovations efficient: As-builts are extremely important for the owner or occupant of a residence or building. They can provide a legacy of what was built by detailing the full history of a renovation, allowing owners to save time by learning about existing conditions up-front and any possible safety issues. They can also be used as the foundation for a new design.

Assist with maintenance and operations: With a full record of changes, as-builts can make the maintenance and repair of the building easier since it can deliver accurate blueprints for what has been built. Plumbers, electricians, and other contractors can solve issues faster, saving owners money due to improved operations and speed.

Help with sales: Confidently presenting prospective buyers with a comprehensive set of as-built drawings can mean all the difference in closing the deal, especially if you added upgrades as the project moved along.

Our As-Built Process

Our team at Cortland Design uses a methodical approach when producing as-builts in order to maintain the level of accuracy needed.

Scanning: Our skilled team comes on-site and scans your project. This provides the essential data needed to map out your space.

Webshare: Webshare gives remote video access within days of scanning, and once the scans have been cleaned you will have access to the scans from anywhere. This allows you to:
- Accurately measure site elements to assist in pre-design phases.
- Once you’ve started construction, you’ll be able to easily verify that plans match the as-built as necessary changes are made.
- Have access to a visual walkthrough to measure space and determine accurate quantities for materials.

Point clouds: Once LIDAR scanning is complete, you’ll be able to use point clouds as a background for design reference.
- Point clouds give you large amounts of measurement data
- We use point clouds to generate Revit models existing conditions with unprecedented detail
- You can design and build with more precision and less double work

Revit models: Scanned data is used to create a true as-built of your existing property in a Revit model. These Revit models can be made to your specifications.
- We produce 3D models that document changes as well as the finished home as it was actually built.
- Our models can be used for renovation and new development, as well as progress construction.