What is the construction documents phase?

The construction documents phase is when the architect produces the drawings and specifications a contractor prices and builds from. It follows design development, once the major design decisions are locked, and it's usually the largest share of the design fee — typically about 40%.

What goes into construction documents?

Construction documents are the architectural drawings — plans, elevations, sections, details, and schedules — plus the specifications that describe materials and workmanship. They're coordinated with the consultant set so a bidder can price the job and a builder can build it.

How much of the architect's fee is the construction documents phase?

A commonly cited rule of thumb puts construction documents at about 40% of the design fee — more than schematic design, design development, bidding, or construction administration. Every firm and contract splits it differently; the figure is approximate, not a requirement.

How does Arcarrow help during the construction documents phase?

Arcarrow treats Construction Documents as a real project phase. You issue the current CD set so your client and contractor always see the latest revision, log hours against CD as you go, and invoice labor grouped the same way the owner-architect agreement is written.

For architects in the heaviest phase of the job

Construction documents phase

Construction documents are the drawings and specs a contractor prices and builds from. Arcarrow keeps the current set in one place and logs hours against CD, so the invoice matches the phase that's eating the week.

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Current set and CD hours, together.

What CD is

Drawings and specs a contractor can build from

The construction documents phase sits after design development, once materials, systems, and dimensions are locked. You produce the architectural drawings and specifications — coordinated with structure, MEP, and the other consultants — that a contractor uses to price the job and build it.

It's typically about 40% of the design fee, the largest share of the five core AIA phases. Smaller firms still run CD even when they fold bidding into construction administration. Arcarrow projects start on SD, DD, CD, and CA for that reason.

The problem

CD is where the set actually has to be right

Design development locked the major moves. Now you're producing the drawings and specifications a contractor will price and build from — floor plans, elevations, details, schedules, and the spec book that has to agree with them. This is usually about 40% of the design fee, and it's the phase that eats the most hours.

The week goes two ways at once. You're issuing the next CD revision while logging time against Construction Documents so the invoice can say what the contract says. When the current set lives in email and the hours live in a spreadsheet, both of those jobs fall apart.

Arcarrow hangs both on the same phase: one current CD set your client and contractor can trust, and hours that roll up as Construction Documents — not as a pile of unlabeled timesheet rows.

How it works

Issue the set. Log the hours. Same phase.

Run CD as a real phase

Every project starts on schematic design through construction administration. Construction Documents is a phase with a budget and a timeline — not a folder name you invent when it's time to issue drawings.

CD is on the sequence from day one
Budget vs. actuals broken down by phase
The project timeline tracks the current phase

Keep the current set current

Issue the next CD revision and it becomes the set your client and contractor see. Superseded revisions are marked and out of reach, so nobody prices or builds from last month's drawings.

One current revision per set — enforced
Superseded CD sets marked and out of reach
Issuance history stays on the project

Log hours against CD as you go

The hours that belong to Construction Documents land on that phase, and the invoice groups labor the same way. You can see CD running hot before closeout, and the client reads the phase their contract already names.

Time entries carry their phase
Invoice lines grouped as Construction Documents
Hours and the current set live on the same project

The current CD set, and the hours on it

Maple Street Residence

Construction Documents

Current RevisionIssued Jul 18

CD Drawings — Revision 4Client & GC viewing this revision

Revision 3Superseded

Hours on Construction Documents

CD drawings — Revision 46.0 h

Spec coordination3.5 h

CD drawings — in progress38.5 h · this phase

The issued CD revision everyone is looking at, with hours logged against Construction Documents.

Don't let the heaviest phase live in email

Keep the current CD set where the hours already are, and let the invoice speak the same language as the contract.

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Construction documents, answered

What is the construction documents phase?: The construction documents phase is when the architect produces the drawings and specifications a contractor prices and builds from. It follows design development, once the major design decisions are locked, and it's usually the largest share of the design fee — typically about 40%.
What goes into construction documents?: Construction documents are the architectural drawings — plans, elevations, sections, details, and schedules — plus the specifications that describe materials and workmanship. They're coordinated with the consultant set so a bidder can price the job and a builder can build it.
How much of the architect's fee is the construction documents phase?: A commonly cited rule of thumb puts construction documents at about 40% of the design fee — more than schematic design, design development, bidding, or construction administration. Every firm and contract splits it differently; the figure is approximate, not a requirement.
How does Arcarrow help during the construction documents phase?: Arcarrow treats Construction Documents as a real project phase. You issue the current CD set so your client and contractor always see the latest revision, log hours against CD as you go, and invoice labor grouped the same way the owner-architect agreement is written.

Keep exploring

More ways architects use Arcarrow

Project structure

AIA phases, SD through CA

Projects are structured the way you already work — schematic design through construction administration, with time, documents, and milestones organized by phase.

Drawing revisions

One current revision. No version chaos.

Your client and your contractor always see the latest issued drawings, superseded revisions are marked and out of reach, and nobody has to ask which version is current.