Planning
How to read shed and backyard office construction plans
Floor plans, elevations, sections and schedules, explained in plain language.
A construction set is not a manual to be read front to back while you build. It is a set of views of the same building, each answering a different question. Once you know which sheet answers which question, the drawings stop being intimidating.
The five kinds of drawing
| Drawing | What it shows | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Floor plan | A view straight down, roof removed | Where do the walls, doors and windows go? |
| Elevations | Straight-on views of each exterior wall | What will it look like from the yard? |
| Wall section | A vertical slice from roof to footing | How is it actually built up? |
| Framing plan | Every structural member, laid out | What do I cut, and where does it go? |
| Schedules | Tables of doors, windows and materials | What do I order? |
The floor plan
Imagine the roof lifted off and the building viewed from directly above. Walls appear as thick lines, and numbers around the edges are dimensions — usually to the face of the framing rather than the finished surface, which matters when you are setting out.
A quarter-circle arc at a door shows which way it swings. Windows appear as breaks in the wall line. Read this sheet first, always, because it is the one that tells you what the building is.
Elevations
Four straight-on views, one per exterior wall, usually labelled by compass direction or as front, rear, left and right. Elevations show siding, the position of every opening, the roofline and the overall height.
These are the sheets to use when you are choosing siding and roofing, because they show proportion in a way a photograph of a different building never will.
The wall section — the most important sheet
A vertical slice through the building, from the top of the roof down to the footing, showing every layer stacked in order: roofing, underlayment, sheathing, framing, insulation, vapor barrier, interior finish.
This is the drawing your building inspector will study hardest, because it is the one that proves the assembly is built correctly. It is also the drawing that answers most of the questions that come up mid-build.
Scales, symbols and dimension strings
- Scale is stated on each sheet — 1/4" = 1'-0" means a quarter inch on paper is a foot in reality. Print at full size or the scale is wrong.
- Dimension strings are the chains of numbers along an edge. They add up to the overall dimension — check them as you set out.
- Hatching — diagonal or patterned fill — indicates a material cut through, which is why sections look busier than plans.
- Section markers are circles with arrows, showing where a section is cut and which way it looks.
What is in a BlueWood set
Every construction set includes a cover sheet and floor plan, full elevations and sections, foundation and framing layouts, construction details drawn at large scale, and schedules with a complete material list — delivered as printable PDFs you can take to any print shop.
Read them in this order: floor plan for layout, elevations for appearance, wall section for assembly, framing plan for the actual cutting, schedules for the shopping. In that sequence, the set explains itself.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between an elevation and a section?
- An elevation is a straight-on view of the outside of a wall — what you would see standing in the garden looking at it. A section is a cut through the building showing the layers inside the assembly, from roofing down to the footing.
- What scale are construction drawings printed at?
- Each sheet states its own scale, commonly 1/4" = 1'-0" for plans and elevations and a larger scale for details. Print at full size rather than "fit to page", or the printed scale will no longer match the stated one.
- Do BlueWood plans include a material list?
- Yes. Every set includes schedules for doors and windows plus a full material take-off, so you can price the build and order from it directly.
- What format are the plans delivered in?
- Printable PDF files, downloaded instantly after purchase. There is no physical shipping, and you can print them as many times as you need.
Keep Reading
Related guides
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Do you need a permit to build a backyard office or shed?
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How to choose a backyard office or shed plan
Match the footprint, layout and roofline to how you will actually use the building.