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A missing dimension on a foundation plan almost cost me a job in Albuquerque | Drafters - Rigidtalk

A missing dimension on a foundation plan almost cost me a job in Albuquerque

I was working on a set of foundation plans for a custom home build in Albuquerque last month. The architect sent over the initial drawings, and I was detailing the footings. I got through the whole thing, sent it to the contractor for review, and thought I was done. He called me back an hour later, his voice tight. He said, 'Xena, the west wall footing is missing a critical dimension. The crew is on site ready to dig, and they can't start.' I opened the file and sure enough, I had only called out the length, not the width. It was a simple oversight, but it would have meant a wrong pour and a huge delay. I told him to hold for ten minutes. I pulled up the original architect's notes, found the spec, and added the 18-inch width callout right there on my tablet. I sent the corrected PDF back before he even hung up. He said it saved the schedule. Has anyone else had a close call with a missing dimension that almost shut a job down?

3 comments

3 Comments

rosebennett6mo ago

Totally feel that! I once labeled a whole elevation with the wrong scale, like I was designing a dollhouse. The contractor called asking if the windows were really only six inches tall.

ben136mo ago

Missing a dimension is a big deal, but calling it a close call seems off. That's a basic error that should have been caught in your own check before it went out. Relying on the contractor to find it puts them in a tough spot. Good on you for fixing it fast, but the real lesson is to slow down and review your own work more carefully.

davis.diana5mo ago

Have you ever read about the idea of a "fresh eyes" review? I heard a talk once that said our own brains fill in missing information. That's why a second person checking plans, even informally, can catch things we miss.