Blueprints Deciphered: How to Read Residential Plans (For Electricians)

Most of us in the industry know that in order for us to build something, we must have blueprints to understand exactly WHAT is needed. If it weren’t for those drawings, the framer, concrete contractors, the plumbers, even us electrical contractors wouldn’t know what or how to build it. But knowing HOW to interpret what is on those blueprints is an art in itself. In today’s episode of Electrician U, Dustin explains how to read and understand what is on a residential set of drawings.

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For most residential drawings, they will usually always be an “A” set of drawings. This stands for an Architectural set. Commercial drawings usually have the full complement (Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, etc.). This is because in a residence, the architect is the one who draws it, and the architectural components are the most prominent features. Sets of drawings for different buildings will be different in the way they look. So, what is on one set of drawings won’t be the same for the next building.
The first sheet of a residential set of drawings shows an overall of the lot itself- the house, trees, pool (if one is being installed), etc. It will also have an address and/or a map, which can be very useful when coordinating getting manpower and deliveries to the site. It may also have important details regarding trees- to have us stay away from them when installing underground so as not to disturb the root ball or have the wiring destroyed years down the road as the tree grows.
The architectural details portion of the drawings will take up the most sheets. If it is an existing residence, there may be a Demo plan. This is very helpful in understanding which components of the building are being removed and which ones are staying/being added to or changed. There will be Elevation drawings- both interior and exterior. These show what the building will look like if you are facing a particular wall. The exterior will show the different siding types- whether its stone or siding. Interior elevations will show the wall covering materials/bookcases/cabinets- super useful to the electrician as it will show you WHERE/HEIGHTS to rough in for things like sconces or receptacles above the counter.
If there are electrical detail sheets, that is a huge plus! Not every set of residential drawing has these- usually only the larger residences. Smaller houses or track type homes may require the electrician to do the full layout and figure out what goes where. If the electrical sheets are present, look at the legend- usually the first sheet in the electrical series. It will delineate the different types of fixtures/switches/receptacles. The lighting fixtures will usually be linked together with an arc line showing which fixtures are to be linked together under the same switch leg. It will also show you the different fixtures. So you know whether it is a can light or a chandelier (and what type of box to install) and rough it in appropriately. The power set will tell you whether it’s a single receptacle or a quad and will also usually tell you if it’s above counter or below (you will still need to refer to the architectural elevations to figure out HOW HIGH to rough the box in.