If you’re an owner-builder or renovator blessed with the budget to afford a full-time project manager and/or hands-on architect, chances are you’ll be oblivious to the myriad specialist trades involved in creating your dream home. However, most of us don’t have that luxury, which makes renovation the mother of all learning experiences.

Your average home renovation involves installing a new bathroom so it’s obvious you’ll need a plumber, but many a rookie renovator has neglected to factor a waterproofer into the equation. If there’s a tree in the spot where you plan to build your house extension, it’s just a matter of hiring a chainsaw, right? Um, probably wrong. In many cases you’ll need a report by a qualified arborist to satisfy your local council’s conditions. Uncovered a mystery stormwater drain or sewer pipe during your house renovation adventure? Congratulations, you’re going to need a hydraulic engineer.

The lexicon of obscure trades goes on and on… and under D you’ll find drafting and drafter – or draftsman and even draughtsman, if you want to be particularly old-school. An expert in technical drawing, a drafter is an essential troop in your renovation army, whether you require basic plans to communicate your vision of your home design to your builder, or need the full raft of documentation and drawings to submit a Development Application (commonly known as a DA) to council.

Here at Design Plus Drafting, our qualified building designers – who are well versed in Sydney council codes – offer building design services that are tailored to your needs and budget. The more predictable contributions we make include dimensioned floor plans, sections and elevations, but we are also your go-to for intriguing stuff like shadow diagrams. Shadow what? Well, you’ll need one of these to predict the amount of shade your new build, extension or addition will cast over neighbouring properties at different times of day in mid-winter, and in some cases throughout the year. Yep, we can actually do that. The magic of drafting also conjures up site survey plans that show the contours of the land you’re building on and its boundaries.

So whether you’re just repurposing a garage or require a full new building design, give us a call or pop into our Newtown offices and find out what an expert drafter can do for you.

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