Why approvals go wrong
Most approval trouble is not about design. It is about records. A client says yes on a call, the contractor builds from an older print, and nobody can show which version was agreed.
Other times the client approves a lovely render but never really reads the plan with the dimensions on it. Or ten drawings go out at once and come back with one vague comment.
A simple, repeatable process fixes most of this. It does not need special software, just the same steps every time.
Before you send a drawing
- It carries a revision number and a date, and it is the version you mean to send.
- You have written down what changed since the last revision.
- The client can read it. A dimensioned plan may need a 3D view, a sketch or a marked-up photo beside it.
- You know what you are asking for: an approval, or comments by a date.
- It is a manageable amount. One decision, or one small set, at a time gets real attention.
Number drawings and revisions
A clear numbering habit does half the work of an approval record. Give every drawing a number and a title that never change, such as “A-201 Kitchen elevations”, and a revision that does.
- Start each drawing at revision A, or 1, and move up with every issue. Pick one style and keep it.
- Put the revision and its date in the title block, with a one-line note of what changed.
- Never reuse a revision. If revision C went out, the next one is D, even if C had a mistake.
- Name files the same way: number, title, revision. “A-201 Kitchen elevations rev C” is easy to find. “kitchen final v2 new” is not.
How to ask for an approval
Say what the drawing is, what changed, what you need and by when. Keep it short enough to read on a phone.
- To
- Mia (client)
- Drawing
- Kitchen layout, revision C
- What changed
- Island 200 mm shorter. Tall units moved to the left wall, as discussed on 2 May.
- What we need
- Your approval, or what you would like changed
- By
- Friday 12 May, so the joiner can start the workshop drawings
Ask for the answer in writing, in one place. A thumbs-up in a busy group chat is hard to find three months later. If the client approves on a call, confirm it the same day:
As agreed on our call today, you approved the kitchen layout, revision C. Thank you, Ana.
Handling change requests
- Ask the client to point at the exact spot. A circle on the drawing saves three rounds of messages.
- Answer every comment, even when the answer is “not possible, because the beam is there”.
- Issue the next revision with a new number, and say what changed.
- Keep each earlier revision and the comments that led to the change. Never overwrite.
- If a change adds cost or time, agree that first, as extra work. The extra work guide shows how.
Approving finishes and samples
Finishes need approvals too: tiles, paint, worktops, hardware. They go wrong in the same ways, with one extra trap. A photo on a screen can look very different from the real thing.
- Show a physical sample where colour or texture matters, and photograph the approved one.
- Record the exact product name, code and supplier, not just “the grey tile”.
- Note the room or area each finish is for.
- If a finish changes after approval, send it for approval again.
Keep a clean approval record
For every drawing, you should be able to answer four questions: which revision is current, was it approved, by whom, and on what date. A simple table does it.
| Drawing | Revision | Sent | Answer | By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground floor plan | C | 2 May | Approved, 5 May | Mia |
| Kitchen elevations | B | 2 May | Change asked, 4 May: “Lower the open shelf” | Mia |
| Kitchen elevations | C | 6 May | Approved, 8 May | Mia |
| Bathroom tiling layout | A | 6 May | Waiting | Not yet |
Over a whole project, this becomes your drawing register: every drawing, its current revision, its status, and who it was sent to.
Approved is not the same as issued to site
An approval means the client agrees with the design. The contractor still needs the drawing, formally, as the version to build from. Many “built from the wrong drawing” problems happen in this gap: the approved revision sits in the studio while site works from the old one.
Before you release a drawing for construction, check:
- The client approved this exact revision.
- Consultants' comments are in and dealt with.
- The previous revision is marked as replaced.
- You have logged who received it, and on what date.
When an approved drawing has to change
It happens: the engineer changes a beam size, a product is discontinued, the client changes their mind. Revise the drawing with a new number and a one-line reason, such as “beam size changed by the engineer”, and send it back for approval.
Keep the approved revision in the record. Never quietly change a drawing someone has already agreed to, even for a small fix. The record is only useful if it is true.