What to Look For in Your Own Details Before You Issue
- Gil Rosa
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
Because if you're confused by your own drawing, imagine how the field feels.
Architectural sets get bloated.
Details multiply.
And somewhere between the intent and the linework, clarity gets lost.
Here's the hard truth:
A beautiful detail isn't helpful if it isn't buildable.
Before you hit "submit," run your details through this five-part sanity check:
1. The 10-Second Test
Can someone understand the details without a 10-minute explanation?
Stand back. Zoom out. If it takes longer than a breath to grasp what's happening, you're not done.
2. Flag Critical Transitions
Are my connections complete?
Most problems show up at the seams. Look closely at:
Floor-to-wall connections
Roof edges and parapets
Door thresholds
Waterproofing handoffs
These are the make-or-break moments. Don't just show them solve them.
3. Simplify Repetition
Are you drawing the same window head twelve different ways?
Stop.
Use a standard detail and Note it properly. Repetition is fine, but redundancy is lazy. A well-organized set lets the builder build, not hunt.
4. Don’t Rely on Boilerplate Details
Did I really address the actual project?
Just because it’s in your office library doesn’t mean it belongs in this project.
Boilerplate details are like stock answers to custom questions. They often miss the nuance.
Site conditions, material systems, and sequencing vary. Copy-pasting without thinking is how waterproofing gets skipped, transitions get missed, and blame gets passed.
Every detail must earn its place. Otherwise, you’re not designing; you’re dragging.
5. Align Your Details Across All Trade Sets
A detail that looks perfect on your sheet but contradicts the structural or MEP set is a field failure waiting to happen.
Is the slab edge in your detail the same as in structural?
Does your waterproofing mesh with the mechanical roof layout?
Are your wall types coordinated with electrical conduit runs?
Coordination isn’t extra it’s essential. Because the field doesn’t care which consultant drew it wrong. They just want to build it once.
Final Thought:
One of my professors drilled this into me:
"If it's not called out, it doesn't exist."
That line changed how I draw.
Because the field doesn't build your intentions, it builds your instructions.
If it's not crystal clear, it's not ready.
Field confusion doesn't mean they're unskilled; it means the drawing didn't do its job.
Make your drawings feel like leadership. Not riddles.
Want to Clean Up Your Set?
Grab our Detail Quality Control Sheet, a quick checklist to audit your drawings before they hit the street.
Contact GRPM Services to request your copy and streamline your next issue.
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