Which drawing software should you use?
There are many programs for creating drawings. The right choice depends on what you need to draw, your experience, and how quickly you need a finished document.
What software is available for creating drawings? #
There is a large amount of software for producing technical drawings. Here we go through the most common options and help you pick the right tool.
Professional CAD programs #
AutoCAD is one of the most widely used CAD programs in the world. It is the industry standard for architects and engineers and offers enormous possibilities. The price is high, however, and the learning curve is steep.
ArchiCAD is specialised for architecture and has powerful features for building modelling. This too is a professional tool with a matching price and complexity.
Revit from Autodesk focuses on BIM (Building Information Modeling) and is popular for larger construction projects where many disciplines collaborate.
Simpler 3D and drawing programs #
SketchUp is a popular 3D modelling program that is easier to learn than traditional CAD software. There is a free version and it works well for visualisation. Read more in our comparison between Drawblueprint and SketchUp.
Floorplanner is an online tool for creating floor plans and 3D visualisations. It is easy to use, but it is built for interior layouts rather than the technical documents a permit office or a contractor asks for. Read more in our comparison between Drawblueprint and Floorplanner.
Sweet Home 3D is a free program for drawing floor plans and viewing them in 3D. It suits interior planning but is less suitable for permit drawings.
Specialised building document tools #
Drawblueprint is built specifically for producing the drawings you need for a building project - site plans, elevation drawings and floor plans - at the correct scale, in the correct format, straight from your browser.
What makes a tool right for building drawings? #
If you are applying for a building permit or handing drawings to a contractor, the document itself has to hold up:
- The drawing has to be at a correct, stated scale (typically 1:100 for elevations and floor plans, 1:400 or 1:500 for site plans)
- It needs a proper title block with the property details, scale, date and drawing type
- Measurements, symbols and notations need to be readable by someone who was not involved in drawing it
- The output has to be a clean PDF that can be printed and reviewed
A tool that produces a nice-looking picture but not a scaled, annotated document will send you back to the drawing board.
Comparison of drawing software #
| Software | Difficulty | Installation | Price | Suitable for permit drawings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AutoCAD | Professional | Desktop install | Expensive | Yes, with knowledge |
| Revit | Professional | Desktop install | Expensive | Yes, with knowledge |
| SketchUp | High | Desktop / web | Free / Paid | Yes, with knowledge |
| Floorplanner | Low | None, runs in browser | Free / Paid | No |
| Drawblueprint | Low | None, runs in browser | Free to try | Yes |
Advantages of the different types of software #
CAD programs #
- Maximally powerful and flexible
- Industry standard
- Support for every type of drawing
- Require training, experience and a desktop installation
Online tools #
- Easy to get started with
- Good for visualisation and room layouts
- No installation required
- Often a free basic version
Specialised tools like Drawblueprint #
- Focused on one job and do it well
- Correct scale and format automatically
- Run entirely in the browser
- No 3D modelling or photorealistic visualisation
Advantages of Drawblueprint #
For anyone who needs finished building drawings without becoming a CAD user first, Drawblueprint offers several advantages:
- Nothing to install. Drawblueprint runs in your browser. Open it on any computer, sign in, and your drawings are there - no licence keys, no downloads, no updates.
- Simple enough to use straight away. There is no course to take first. You draw lines, rectangles and symbols directly in the drawing, and the tool takes care of the scale.
- Correct scale and format from the start. You choose the scale once and every line you draw is measured for you.
- Import your base material. Bring in a map extract from the municipality, or an existing drawing of the house, as a PDF or image and draw straight on top of it.
- The drawings a project actually needs. Site plans, elevation drawings, floor plans and sections - the documents a permit office reviews and a contractor builds from.
- A guiding checklist helps you get the required details onto each drawing instead of discovering them missing after submission.
- Export a finished PDF with the press of a button, ready to send to the authority or the builder.
Which drawings do you actually need? #
For most smaller projects - an extension, a garage, a carport, an outbuilding - the set of documents is fairly predictable:
- A site plan showing the property, the existing buildings and the new one, with distances to the boundaries
- Elevation drawings of each affected facade, showing heights and materials
- A floor plan showing the layout and dimensions of the new space
- Sometimes a section drawing showing heights, floor build-up and roof pitch
These are all 2D, scaled, annotated documents. That is exactly what Drawblueprint is built to produce, and it is why a full 3D modelling program is often more work than the job requires.
Requirements vary between authorities, so check with your local building authority or municipality for the exact list before you start drawing.
When should you choose which software? #
Choose Drawblueprint if: You need site plans, elevation drawings or floor plans for a building project or permit application, you want to start drawing today without installing anything, and you want a correct PDF at the end.
Choose a CAD program if: You work professionally, need to produce many different kinds of drawings, and have a complex project requiring detailed construction documentation.
Choose a 3D program if: You mainly want to visualise the project, enjoy 3D modelling, or want to show a client what the finished building will look like.
Drawblueprint.com - draw simple building documents yourself #
With Drawblueprint, you can draw simple building documents yourself. Drawblueprint is a tool that's easier to use than CAD and more powerful than drawing programs that aren't adapted for building documents.
In Drawblueprint, you draw at the correct scale and get help using the right symbols and notations on your drawing.
To use Drawblueprint, go to https://app.drawblueprint.com/sign-up and follow the instructions. Drawblueprint is free to try.
