A comprehensive guide to
drawing floor plans
A comprehensive guide to
drawing floor plans
As a property photographer you can add further value to your services
by being able to provide accurate floor plan sketches to accompany
the photographs you are asked to produce.
A floor plan is a visual aid for a buyer, helping them get a sense of the
room sizes and layouts of the property. The plan, therefore needs to
be clear and accurate, with precise measurements.
This guide will help you understand how to efficiently produce professional floor plans for
your client. It includes information on:
• Accuracy
• The sketch – levels of detail
• The kit list
• What to measure
• The step by step process
• What to do with additional features
• The common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• A guide to symbols
• A useful checklist
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Accuracy
Accuracy of measurements and the level of detail are arguably the most critical parts of
developing a floor plan. The requirements regarding accuracy and the detail are governed
by the clients’ expectations, these can vary from client to client.
The core aim of your measurements is to provide potential homebuyers with accurate and
realistic floor plans so that they get a visual understanding of:
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A property’s overall size
The scale of the rooms, for example the relative size of a master bedroom compared to
that of a second bedroom
The general layout of the property
The dimensions of each room
The sketch
The sketch produced at a property should contain all the necessary details so either you or
someone else can use it as a guide to produce an accurate floor plan later.
If you are working on behalf of an estate agent you should ask them if they have a brochure
or plan available, especially when attempting your first few sketches. This will serve as a
useful guide, as estate agents often take property dimensions and room names (i.e. lounge
instead of living room).
It is, however, a good idea to take your own measurements due to structural changes or
possible inaccuracies on the original floor plan.
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3
Kit list
Your essential kit for drawing floor plans consists of:
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Laser measurer, available for purchase on Amazon for £10-100 (calibrate this regularly).
Leica Disto is our recommended product due to durability and reliability.
Engineering graph paper (provided by us at the end of this document)
Symbols guide (provided by us at the end of this document)
Sharp pencil (rubber and pencil sharpener)
Compass (or a compass app)
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4
Measurements
Here is a list of what to measure to create a complete floor plan:
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Interior wall-to-wall measurements of each room
External walls of the property to establish the footprint
Internal garage measurements to reflect the maximum space between the main wall faces
Rear garden measurements (length followed by width) - to be indicated on the floor plan
using dotted lines
Fixtures and fittings – any permanent items attached to the floor, as well as cupboards,
wardrobes and smaller fixtures that are attached to the external walls of the property or
are exceptionally large
When taking measurements record them all in metres, rounded up or down to the
nearest centimeter.
Note: front gardens and communal gardens are not required, whereas windows,
doors and utility features need not be measured only sketched to scale.
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Interior Measurements
Standard rooms
These are the interior measurements you will need to
take and how to take them:
L-Shaped rooms
• Take measurements at a point above skirting board
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12 12
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level but no higher than 1.5 metres above the floor
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level
• Take at least two measurements for each
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10 room of10the 10
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property (width and length), including utility rooms
and garages
• Write all measurements on the plan against the
corresponding wall. Non-standard rooms, suchStandard
as
Room
Standard
L-Shaped
Room
L-Shaped
Room Room
L-Shaped
Room Room
Standard Room Standard
L-Shaped Room
StandardRoom
Room
L-ShapedRoom
Room
L-Shaped
Standard
rooms with bay windows, will require more than two
measurements (for example width, minimum length
and maximum length)
• Measure and label ‘L’ shaped rooms using arrows, to
Non-standard rooms
give clarity to the people drawing from the sketch
• Where there is a stepped change in floor level,
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5
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measure and express each section separately. For
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2.5 2.5 2.5
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2.5
2.5
7 2.5
2.5
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2.5
split level floors, add notes to the plan to explain and
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ensure the steps are clearly identifiable
• Measure and express annexes separately as if they are
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a separate floor, unless they are integral to the main
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building
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66
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Bay WindowBay
Bay Window
Bay WindowBay Window
Recess
BayWindow
Window
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10
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Recess
RecessRecess
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Recess
Recess
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Angled
Corner
Angled
Angled
CornerCorner
Angled Corner
Apex
AngledCorner
Corner
Angled
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See these examples opposite.
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Apex Apex Apex
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Apex
Apex
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Large garden measurements
To accurately measure large gardens, when your laser measurer doesn’t work, we recommend these
affordable options:
• Buy a measuring wheel; this affordable Amtech model costs £11.19:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amtech-P1910-Am-Tech-1000m-Measuring/dp/B009Y89LD6/ref=sr_1_3
?ie=UTF8&qid=1428926036&sr=8-3&keywords=measuring+wheel
• Download a measuring app such as the free Android app Smart Measure, available here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.sira.measure
• Use a large tape measure, such as this Stanley version:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stanley-Case-GLass-Tape-100Ft/dp/B0001IW6T4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&
qid=1428924769&sr=8-1&keywords=tape+measure+long
• If you are ever caught short, use a piece of string marked at 1 metre intervals as a measuring device:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tallon-Just-Stationery-100m-String/dp/B00F896ST0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF
8&qid=1428924847&sr=8-2&keywords=ball+of+string
• Another resourceful method is to measure a fence panel and
then count the number of panels. Bear in mind that this can
be less accurate.
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The step-by-step process
1. Set up
6. Clearly identify the front door
Use engineering graph paper, where large squares
are divided into 5 minor squares. Assume a scale of
1 metre to 1 large square or 20cm per small square.
2. Familiarise yourself with the overall
layout of the property
If possible choose a room or corner to start at that
will enable you to move from one room to another
until you arrive back at your starting point.
Alternatively, choose the longest wall that is shared
by several rooms. A good reference point would be
an internal wall that runs true from the ground to the
upper floors of the property. Use this to insure your
upper level(s) are in proportion with the rest of the
property. In a semi-detached property that might be
the external wall nearest to the front door.
3. Start each new floor in a common position
Ensure it’s the same position on the paper as the
corresponding position on the previous floor. This
way you can check both floor levels are accurate
and that the stair walls are properly aligned.
4. Label each floor
Do this by calling them ground floor, 1st floor, 2nd
floor, etc.
5. Show floor level for flats
For example Flat 4, level/floor 5.
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For example Flat 4, level/floor 5.
7. Show doors and windows in their correct
positions and to scale
Ensure you check the swing direction and hinge
side of each door you draw, and be aware of
different door types e.g. double, sliding etc. (refer
to the floor plan symbols sheet at the end of this
guide).
8. Label all rooms and spaces
Use clear labelling and state the current usage of
each room or space.
9. Remember fixtures and fittings
Floor plans include any fixtures and fittings that are
permanently attached to the floor. These include:
• Kitchen counters, breakfast bars, kitchen hobs
and kitchen islands.
• Bathroom cupboards, sinks, toilets, showers and
baths.
• Fireplaces, chimney breasts, fitted wardrobes,
airing cupboards and structural columns
• Show gas hobs or solid hobs and the correct
type of sink, basin and showers.
11.Remember the rear garden
Show the width and depth of the garden, as well
as indicating how the garden is attached to the
property with access details, for example a gate
attached to the property.
12.Garages and out buildings
Check that any garages or purpose built
outbuildings have been included on the sketch.
13.Add notes
Make notes on the drawing if there is something
unusual or non-standard about a room, such as a
kitchen without a hob, to avoid any problems when
it comes to interpreting the plan once you have left
the property.
14.Double check
Walk through each room on a floor and check you
have recorded all details correctly before moving to
the next floor.
15.Compass and radius
Measure from the front door of the property,
including the 360-degree radius with ‘North’ clearly
labelled.
10.Get the staircases right
Staircases and steps can be the most complex
elements of a floor plan. Ensure you clearly show the
position, direction, turns and landings of a staircase.
Show staircases and steps with arrows labelled up
or down.
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What to do with additional features
You may come across some additional features which could include:
Chimney breasts with no working fireplace:
should be shown by a hatched rectangle.
Large fireplaces within older and rural properties: may require you to include void
wall areas to the sides of the fireplace. Add measurements as you think necessary, making
notes on the floor plan to describe any non-standard objects.
Eaves storage: should be labelled and measured.
Low ceiling heights: if less than 1.5 metres should be drawn using a dotted line and
labelled with a note.
Balconies and terraces: should be measured, sketched and labelled.
Thick walls of older cottages: if more than 0.5m thick these should be drawn on.
Basements and attics: should only be measured if they are a feature or selling point of the
property. If a basement or attic is a closed-off, empty space it is not required.
Potential selling points should be included on your floor plan, i.e. rooms and
features that could be seen as an asset to the property when selling. Examples
include converted attics, converted basements, and outdoor structures such as
swimming pools, annexes and summer houses.
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The common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
To ensure you don’t make mistakes that mean your floor plan sketches are incomplete or inaccurate make
sure you have considered these points:
• Check that all rooms on your floor plan have windows correctly shown.
• Make sure you include all doors, with the correct swing direction.
• Wobbly lines can sometimes be misinterpreted as curved lines. Take care especially when drawing long
walls; use a sturdy ruler and don’t forget your eraser.
• Clearly label open-plan rooms. For example, a room that is both a kitchen and a reception room should
be called ‘kitchen/reception room’.
• Write the address on each sketch to avoid any confusion later when completing floor plans for multiple
properties.
In your floor plan make sure you have:
Readability
Drawn on graph paper using a ruler and all information is clear, clean, organized. Property address
included.
Clarity
Extra definition on the plan to show the different styles of doors, windows, thicker walls and additional
property features such as patios, gardens, fireplaces and inglenooks.
Correct measurements
All walls have measurements that can be read clearly, additional information saying min/max or into bay.
No missing items
All windows, doors, kitchen/ bathroom utilities, gardens, patios included as well as more detailed
property specific features.
Labelling
All rooms labelled clearly and in full (example: master bedroom instead of bedroom).
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A guide to symbols
Checklist
Walls
The top line represents an exterior wall and the second line an interior
wall. Sometimes there may not be as much of a difference between the
two. Walls can also be represented by a black outline rather than a solid
line.
Third from the top is an interior wall with a thicker block section.
Bottom shows how to represent a fireplace.
Always check that you have included all details on floor
plans before leaving the property. Questions to ask
yourself:
Is the plan fully legible?
Is the front door included?
Doors & windows
From the top:
Single door
Double doors
Sliding door
Do all the doors have the correct hinge side, swing
direction, door type?
Are there windows in every room?
Is every room correctly labelled?
Bi-fold doors
Pocket door
Are all permanent fixtures and fittings included?
Window
Is there a minimum of two measurements per room?
Stairs
Examples of stair layouts. There’s straight up, up and back on yourself,
turning a corner and sweeping staircase styles.
Always show the direction in which the stairs run upwards.
Are rear garden measurements included with
approximate max length and width?
Are there notes explaining anything complicated
or unclear?
Is the image quality of the scan or photograph
good enough?
Bathrooms
From the left:
Bath, shower, wash basin, toilet, bidet, corner bath. Note that showers
may vary in size.
Kitchens
Top row, from the left:
Sink with draining board, 1½ bowl sink with draining board,
double sink with draining board, 6-ring hob, 4-ring hob.
Bottom row:
Dishwasher, oven, refrigerator.
Note: It is only necessary to include permanent fixtures and fittings.
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KeyAGENT Limited
3 Loughborough Street, London SE11 5RB
T/ 0845 475 4165
www.keyagent.co.uk