As-built drawing or record drawing

For engineering plans, we always used AS-BUILT PLANS because everyone knows what it means. RECORD PLANS sounds to me like something that is recorded in the deeds office.

I was reading that the term "as-built" may open the door to liability.

The term record drawing sounds more flexible to me. Our record drawing indicates...

Probably a grey area.

I get drawings labeled "As-Built" and below that is a statement telling me that the plans may not reflect field construction changes. So now we get "Drawing of Record" instead and they are just as useless.
I times gone by, an "As-Built" meant a copy of the original plan was remarked with the actual data, inverts, rims etc., in the field. Not any more. That means that you are never quite certain what lies underground or where.

We always used "As Constructed" to designate what the final product was.

To me you are talkin about two different types of documents.

The Record Drawing Set would be the City Approved set that has been maintained and updated during the project (with revised drawings added to the set and the old drawing it replaced either completely removed, or the corner folded over where you can no longer read the page number) by the General Contractor.

The Asbuilt Drawing Set would be marked up (usually in red ink) to confirm the final location of items as built by the individual subcontractors. We try to keep this updated at the weekly meetings.

So, record drawings would be "where things should be according to plan" and asbuilt drawings would be "where the subcontractor actually put it".

We changed from As-Built to Record Drawings over 20 years ago at the direction of our E&O carrier. Since we did not measure every stick of pipe that went into the ground they "suggested" that Record Drawings was a more appropriate term.

Andy

Florida gives surveyors the option to use either title, and considers them both to the same type of survey. That being said I prefer to use the "Record Drawing" title as I have been informed that there is more liability when using the "As-Built" title. It is just semantics though...

Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. warned about the term "as built" at least 35 years ago because the courts had held that "as built" means you are certifying everything on the plan is accurately shown as built. If that water line is cracked and you don't show the crack, you are liable.

They strongly advised using the term record drawings, and if that's good enough for a major insurance carrier, it's good enough for me.

Yes, Florida law states the terms are one and the same.

However, I've always thought of it along the same lines of Tim's thinking.

As-Builts are from the contractor.

Record Drawings are from the Engineer (of record).

> Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. warned about the term "as built" at least 35 years ago because the courts had held that "as built" means you are certifying everything on the plan is accurately shown as built. If that water line is cracked and you don't show the crack, you are liable.
>
> They strongly advised using the term record drawings, and if that's good enough for a major insurance carrier, it's good enough for me.

I always quantify what it is I am as-building.

NOTE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS DRAWING IS TO PROVIDE AS-BUILT INFORMATION
ON THE STORM SEWER IMPROVEMENTS FOR subdivision phase 3,
DESIGN FEATURES ARE SHOWN FOR ORIENTATION PURPOSES ONLY.

I may show the relationship to the road and curb, but I'm not as-building the road and curb. And I've pointed that out in my note.

I've worked in the AEC Industry for 15 years, but now sell equipment working for EngineerSupply.com. You said "Final Deliverables". Lets start from the beginning of the process to see if it will fully clarify. I apologize for going full circle but think it may help explain.

From my understanding the project starts with concept drawings, which can be a mixture of aerial photos, aerial surveys, sketchs, photos, cad drawings/sketchs. This is when you give the client an idea of the direction you'll be taking.

Then from there, you submit "construction drawings" meaning a set of drawings that something can be built from. Usually nearly always these drawings are accompanied by a set of "specs" (which are specifications, usually based on a standard, but specifications are a different subject but very much related). The drawings and specs are usually submitted to a muncipality or governing body that would approve, stamp and sign off on if approved. This is usually called a comprehensive plan submittal or review. At this point, if approved, the set is called a set of construction drawings. They are then submitted to contractors to bid upon. The contractors have estimators on board that estimate the job so the contractor will know how much to bid on the job and make money but come in the lowest priced contractor for the job. The contractor uses the construction drawing set.

Then, once the job is complete, the contractor goes to the owner with a punch list so final approval and sign off of the project is complete. The above processes can take multiple iterations until everything is satisfied. If it goes the first shot, you're lucky.

Then, as part of the contract (or should be) the owner has with the contractor, the construction drawings are then marked up to show where/how things were actually built. Sometimes lines were not put in due to an unforeseen problem in the field. For example, maybe the original survey didnt show an existing manhole that it should have, so a new manhole had to be installed a slightly different location. The "as-built drawings" can also be called "record drawings". These drawings are usually marked in the field, then a CAD operator modifys the drawings to show the as-built situation. Usually construction drawings are stamped with a big red "AS-BUILT" stamp once they are marked up and deemed the way things are built as. The messed up thing is , almost always the contractors staff did things in the field they didnt tell anyone about, the as-built drawings are still only as good as the people that produce them. Many as-built drawings are fudged, or just done in a hurry to satisfy the contract and the owner is so tired and spent (literally $$) that they accept the as-builts as gospel and they are wrong. Sometimes, good firms will go and use surveying equipment to locate the final as-built location of utilities and provide excellent as-built drawings, but it all depends on the people involved, what you have in the contract and how its written, and the size of the job, all affects the quality of as-built drawings.

Hope this helps. If someone disagrees or has better information or I left something out, please join the discussion.