Structural Steel Shop Drawing Checklist: What Fabricators Need Before the Job Starts
Steel fabrication cannot start without a complete, reviewed shop drawing set. Fabricators who begin cutting steel from incomplete drawings end up with material waste, field fit-up problems, and costly RFIs that delay erection schedules. This checklist covers everything that needs to be confirmed before a structural steel shop drawing set goes to the fabrication floor.
Why Shop Drawings Matter to Fabricators
Contract structural drawings show the engineer's design intent. Shop drawings translate that intent into fabrication-ready instructions: exact member dimensions, connection details, bolt patterns, weld symbols, camber requirements, and surface treatment specifications. A fabricator working from contract drawings alone is guessing at details the shop drawing is supposed to resolve.
A complete shop drawing set signed and sealed by the engineer of record is also a contractual milestone — it is typically required before the general contractor releases the fabrication purchase order.
Input Documents: What to Collect Before Detailing Begins
Before sending a scope to a detailing firm, confirm you have the following:
Structural steel contract drawings (plan views, elevations, sections, connection schedules) in PDF and DWG or Revit format
Project specifications — Division 05 structural steel section covering material grades (ASTM A992, A36, A500), bolt type (A325, A490, A563), weld process, and surface treatment
AISC Code of Standard Practice and RCSC Bolt specification references if applicable
Architectural drawings for coordination at interface conditions — facades, curtain walls, slab edges, and roof penetrations
MEP drawings to flag openings, hangers, and equipment support attachments
Geotechnical report for anchor bolt design at column bases
Any existing RFIs or addenda that modify the contract drawings
Erection sequence plan if the structural engineer has issued one
Shop Drawing Checklist: What Each Sheet Should Show
Connection Details
Bolted connections: bolt grade, diameter, quantity, spacing, edge distances, and hole type (standard, oversized, slotted)
Welded connections: weld symbol, process (SMAW, FCAW), electrode classification, and pre-heat requirements for thick plates
Moment connections: stiffener plates, continuity plates, doubler plates, and their welds
Base plates: plate dimensions, anchor bolt layout, grout clearance, and weld to column
Member Details
Member marks consistent with the erection drawing
Exact cut lengths including cope and block dimensions
Camber requirements for beams over the specified span threshold
Hole locations for field-bolted connections
Shop-applied surface treatment: paint system, blast profile, or hot-dip galvanizing specification
Erection Drawings
Piece marks keyed to the bill of materials
Setting dimensions for anchor bolts at each column base
Elevation of each finished top-of-steel (TOS) elevation
Sequence notes for multi-phase erection or phased occupancy projects
General notes covering code references, material grades, and inspection requirements
Bill of Materials
Complete listing of all members by mark, section, grade, length, quantity, and weight
Separate listing for connection material: plates, angles, gussets, anchor bolts, nuts, and washers
Totals by material grade for procurement
Pre-Fabrication Verification Steps
Before the drawing set goes to the fabrication floor, run through these checks:
Confirm the engineer of record has reviewed and stamped the shop drawing set — fabrication without EOR approval is a liability exposure
Verify all RFI responses are incorporated and clouded on the affected sheets
Check that anchor bolt layouts on the shop drawings match the civil or structural foundation drawings exactly
Confirm bolt grades specified on shop drawings match what is on order from the supplier
Verify camber values are called out on beams over the project-specified span length
Check surface treatment specs against the project's coating system — shop paint and field paint must be compatible
Working with a Detailing Partner
When outsourcing structural steel shop drawings, the checklist above is also your briefing document. A detailing firm that asks for all of these inputs at the start of a project is doing its job correctly. One that starts detailing without the complete input set will need to stop and ask — or worse, will make assumptions that cost you rework.
Shop Drawings Pro produces structural steel shop drawings using AutoCAD, Tekla, and Revit for fabricators and structural engineers across commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects. Our detailing team includes connection details, erection drawings, and bill of materials as standard deliverables.
Request a Free Evaluation
Send us your contract drawings and project specifications and we will review your scope and return a quote within 24 hours. Contact Shop Drawings Pro at shopdrawingspro.com to get started.