| Sheet | Shows | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Plan view | Every cabinet from above, with sizes | Matches the room and the walkways |
| Elevations | Each wall, face on | Heights, door and drawer layout |
| Cabinet list | Each box, its size and type | Nothing missing, nothing doubled |
| Appliance openings | Sizes built to spec sheets | Model numbers match what was bought |
| Panels and trim | End panels, fillers, scribes, crown | How each run finishes |
| Finish and hardware | Door style, finish, pulls | Matches the client’s selections |
What are cabinet shop drawings?
Shop drawings are the cabinet maker’s own drawings of exactly what will be built. A designer’s or architect’s drawings show the intent: where the cabinets go, how the room should look. Shop drawings turn that intent into instructions: every box, its exact size, how its doors and drawers divide, how it meets the walls, the appliances and the next cabinet.
They are the last point at which a mistake costs an eraser rather than a remake.
How are shop drawings different from design drawings?
- Design drawings are made to choose a look and a layout. They may round dimensions and leave construction details open.
- Shop drawings are made to build from. Every dimension is exact, every box is accounted for, and every finish and fitting is named.
If a shop builds straight from design drawings, the questions those drawings leave open get answered on the shop floor, by someone who has never seen the room.
What should a set of shop drawings include?
- A plan view of every run from above, with cabinet widths and depths, and the walkways around islands.
- Elevations of each wall: cabinet heights, door and drawer layouts, uppers against the ceiling or soffit.
- A cabinet list naming each box, its size and type.
- Appliance openings built to the manufacturers’ spec sheets, with model numbers.
- Panels, fillers, scribes and trim: how each run ends and how it meets an uneven wall or ceiling.
- Finish and hardware: door style, finish, and pulls or knobs.
What should you check before signing off?
- Appliances. Do the model numbers match what the client actually bought? An opening built to last month’s choice is the most common late surprise.
- Plumbing and electrical. Do the sink base, outlets and vents land where the rough-in is?
- Clearances. Walkways, door swings, dishwasher and oven doors opening past a corner.
- Heights. Upper cabinets against the ceiling, a hood or a window.
- Ends of runs. Is every exposed end finished? Is there a scribe where a wall is out of plumb?
- Selections. Door style, finish and hardware as the client chose them.
Who should review the shop drawings?
Everyone who will be blamed if they are wrong. Usually that is the contractor, the designer, and on a custom job the client, at least for the elevations. Reviewing them together on a call, sheet by sheet, catches more than three people reading the PDF separately.
What happens after sign-off?
The drawings become the build. Changes after sign-off usually mean redrawing and can move the build date, so the sign-off is a real commitment. On delivery, every cabinet should be labeled to match the drawings, so the installer can set each box in its place without guessing.
How does Crafted Cabinetry do shop drawings?
We take your plans and design intent and draw the job in KCD, producing shop drawings and renderings. Before anything is cut, we go through the drawings with you on a video call to make sure they meet the design intent. Appliances go on a spec sheet before production, every box is cut to the drawings in 1/16-inch increments, and every cabinet arrives fully assembled and labeled to match them.
See how it works on our pages for designers and contractors.
Frequently asked questions
What are cabinet shop drawings?
The cabinet maker’s exact drawings of what will be built: plan, elevations, every box and size, appliance openings, panels, finish and hardware.
Who approves cabinet shop drawings?
Usually the contractor and designer, and the client for the elevations. Sign-off comes before anything is cut.
What should I check on cabinet shop drawings?
Appliance model numbers, plumbing and electrical locations, clearances, heights, finished ends and scribes, and the selected door style, finish and hardware.
Does Crafted provide shop drawings?
Yes. We draw every job in KCD and review the shop drawings with you on a video call before anything is built.
Related reading
- How contractors should choose a custom cabinet shop: 9 questions to ask first
- How to measure your kitchen for cabinets, step by step
- Kitchen cabinet layouts: one-wall, galley, L-shape, U-shape and island
We build every kitchen in our Concord shop and ship it fully assembled, including to Fort Collins, CO, Phoenix, AZ, Riverside, CA and Vancouver, WA. See every city we deliver to.
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