A shop drawing is the factory’s drawing of what it will build: each piece, its joints and its finishes. Until it is approved, a change costs a pen stroke; after approval, the factory cuts. Turkish partner factories issue shop drawings for each item on a hotel order. Rovers checks them against the BOQ and the design drawings before they reach the designer, and the designer’s review then decides what gets made.
The checklist per sheet
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Title block | Item code matches the FF&E schedule; drawing number; revision letter; date; scale |
| Overall sizes | W × D × H against the design drawing and against site sizes from the survey |
| Site fit | Wall-to-wall runs, ceiling heights, door swings, skirting, columns and risers |
| Plans, elevations, sections | A section through every joint that matters: carcass, top, plinth, drawer, headboard to wall |
| Material and core | Board type and thickness (for example 18 mm MDF), solid timber species, moisture-resistant board near water |
| Finish codes | Every face carries a finish code that matches an approved sample: veneer, lacquer sheen, laminate, metal |
| Edges | Edge type and thickness per edge (solid lipping, ABS, veneer), and which edges are exposed |
| Hardware | Brand and model of runners, hinges, locks, handles, with finish; load ratings where shown |
| Fixings | How each piece fixes to the wall or floor, what the wall is, anti-tip fixing on tall units |
| Electrical cut-outs | Sockets, USB, switches, reading lights, cable routes and grommets: position from the finished floor and wall |
| Appliances | Minibar, safe, TV bracket: model, cut-out size and ventilation gap |
| Upholstery | Frame, foam grade and density, fabric code, fire standard for the market |
| Tolerances | Stated tolerance on overall size and on the gap to walls; scribe allowance on fitted joinery |
| Quantities | Count per room type matches the schedule |
| Revision clouds | Every change since the last issue is clouded and listed in the revision table |
Read the sections first. Most site problems trace back to a joint nobody drew: a headboard that hides a socket, a desk top that meets a wall that isn’t straight, a wardrobe that can’t pass the door.
Status codes
Return each sheet with one status. Many consultants use the four letters below. The contract may use its own set: the US Army Corps of Engineers, for example, runs codes from A to G, where C is “approved, resubmission required” and E is “disapproved”.
| Code | Meaning | Can the factory start? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Approved, no comments | Yes |
| B | Approved with comments | Yes, with the comments built in; corrected sheets are resubmitted for record |
| C | Revise and resubmit | No. The sheet comes back revised and is reviewed again |
| D | Rejected (or for information only, where so marked) | No. A new submission is needed |
Write comments on the sheet, next to the detail they refer to, in a colour that copies well. A comment that says “check” without saying what is right sends the sheet round again.
How long reviews take
There is no single standard. The contract sets the review period. As a reference point, the US federal guide specification for submittals (UFGS 01 33 00, August 2026) sets 30 calendar days for review, and says each resubmittal gets the same period as the first.
On a hotel order, the review period is set per package in the programme. Two things keep it short:
- Package by family. Send all casegoods for one room type together, then upholstery, then joinery, so the reviewer sees related pieces side by side.
- One round of comments. A sheet that goes A or B on the first pass goes into production. Each C adds a full review period to that item’s lead time.
Production dates are counted from approved drawings and approved samples, not from the order date. A late approval moves the delivery date by the same amount.
What Rovers checks before you see a sheet
Every sheet is checked against the BOQ line, the design drawing and the site survey, and every finish code against the sample register. Questions the factory can’t answer from the drawings are sent as a short list with the submission, so they are answered once.
What to send us
Send the design drawings, the FF&E schedule, the finish schedule, any site survey and the review period your contract sets. Shop drawings come back per package, with a sheet register and a status column ready for your codes.
- Construct & Commission: Status A, B, C and D, what they mean (J. Curtis, updated 23 Feb 2026) · accessed 2026-10-04
- US Army Corps of Engineers RMS/QCS: what the submittal codes mean (A approved as submitted, B approved except as noted, C approved resubmission required, E disapproved) · accessed 2026-10-04
- WBDG: UFGS 01 33 00 Submittal Procedures (August 2026), review within 30 calendar days; resubmittal review period same as initial · accessed 2026-10-04