Plan approval is the formal process by which a construction drawing is released for execution: the drawing is reviewed (technically, professionally, by the client), change requests are incorporated, and only the approved revision may be used on site. The approval documents who approved which revision, and when.
Why plan approvals are so critical
The most expensive standard mistake in construction: building from an outdated or unapproved drawing. The consequences range from demolition and change orders to disputes over who distributed the wrong revision. A clean approval process answers at any time: which drawing is valid, who approved it, and who was informed?
How a clean plan-approval workflow runs
- Plan intake: the new plan version is filed centrally and versioned automatically
- Review: the authorized reviewers are notified and comment directly on the drawing
- Approval or rejection: with reasons, documented and timestamped
- Distribution: everyone affected is informed automatically about the new valid revision — old versions stay archived but are unmistakably marked as superseded
Plan approvals in XBuild
The plan approval system in XBuild maps exactly this workflow: automatic versioning on every upload, an approval status per drawing (every XBuild user knows “plan approval requested” as the amber badge), push notifications to everyone affected and a complete history of who approved what and when.
A drawing without a documented approval is not a drawing on a construction site — it is a risk with a scale bar.
Frequently asked questions: plan approval
Who approves construction drawings?
Depending on the type of drawing: the client (design, fit-out), the specialist planner (services), the site supervision or the general contractor (execution). The contract governs responsibility — the workflow should mirror it.
What happens with old plan versions?
They are archived and marked as superseded, but remain traceable — important for the question of which revision was built from at which point in time.
How quickly do participants learn about plan changes?
In a digital system: immediately and provably, via push, email or web notification — instead of word of mouth or email distribution lists.