Below I will outline the standard paper sizes used in the architectural millwork industry and the AWI (Architectural Woodwork Institute) and WI/NAAWS (Woodwork Institute / North American Architectural Woodwork Standards) standards.
The most common sizes of shop drawings are 11×17 (Tabloid) and 24×36 (Arch D) I have seen some other sizes occasionally, but these are the most used, with 11×17 being used the most, I would say 80%+ of the time.
11×17 – best scales and practices:
The best scale to use for your elevations is typically 3/8” as this usually allows you to fit the elevation with a plan view above it with ceilings up to 10 feet. 1/2″ is also a good scale for 11×17 and provides a little more detail, at the expense of space, only about 8-foot ceiling height can be achieved. For the section pages, you can go with a full section showing the uppers and lowers at a 3/4″ scale, or you can go with a 1-1/2” scale, which will allow you to put up to 3 individual cabinet sections on a page. However, your tall cabinets will have to be vertical on the pages. I prefer 1-1/2″ as it is easier to read and you can provide more detail easily, but 3/4″ can be used if you want to go for a more minimal approach. However, 3/4″ is not allowed if you are doing a project that needs to meet AWI or WI/NAAWS standards.
24×36 – best scales and practices:
24×36 gives you a lot of space to work with at the expense of more expensive printing and less manageable paper, also a lot more zooming when viewing PDFs. A good elevation and plan view scale is 1/2″ it’s a little bigger than 3/8″, and it works well on the 24×36 canvas however, you may opt for a 3/4″ scale if you really want to see some detail on your elevation and plan views. For sections 1-1/2″ works great and you can fit the uppers and lowers together or talls on the same page, you may even be able to fit all of the projects sections and details on one page. The other nice thing about 24×36 is that you can fit multiple rooms on a page, so your drawing package is fewer overall pages. Some people like the size so they can lay the plans out and see more of the project at once.
AWI and WI/NAAWS standards:
If you are working on projects that require AWI or WI/NAAWS standards, below are the requirements.
- Sheet size must be a minimum of 11×17 and a maximum of 24×36
- Plans and elevations must be a minimum of 3/8″
- Sections must be a minimum of 1-1/2″
- Details must be a minimum of 3″ – (blow-up details as an example)
- Reference plans must be a minimum of 1/4″
In the end, the best paper size and scales are really up to what works best for your company. But maybe you have just been using a certain combination because that’s how it’s always been. Maybe try something different and see how it works for your company.