Approval Drawings
What to Include on a Structural Steel Approval Drawing Cover Sheet
A cover sheet checklist for steel approval packages: project identity, index, holds, purpose of issue and the facts a reviewer looks for first.
The cover sheet is the front door of the approval package. Reviewers decide in thirty seconds whether the set looks controlled or chaotic. That decision is not vanity; it affects how carefully they read the plans. A cover that still shows the previous client’s name has already spent your credibility.
This article lists what belongs on a steel approval cover and what should move to the notes sheet so the cover stays readable. It is written for both conventional steel and PEB packages.
If you generate covers, generate the index from the same list that names the PDFs. A pretty cover with a lying index is worse than a plain one. The MBS Approval Package treats this sheet as part of the package, not as decoration.
Identity block
- Project name and location as the client uses them
- Client, owner, and fabricator/detailer names
- Job or contract number
- Purpose of issue: FOR APPROVAL (not “for construction” unless it is)
- Package revision letter and date
- Contact for questions
The drawing index is the cover’s real job
List every sheet number, title and revision. If the package is long, the index can spill to sheet two, but it must start on the cover or immediately after. Reviewers use it to see missing elevations and mixed revisions. See numbering systems.
Holds and exceptions on the front
If crane data is missing, say so on the cover. Buried hold notes on sheet 17 are missed. A short hold table (area, reason, waiting on whom) earns more trust than a package that pretends to be finished.
| Cover item | Why it is on the front |
|---|---|
| Purpose of issue | Stops the shop treating an approval set as construction |
| Index | Proves completeness |
| Hold table | Honest scope |
| Design drawing references | Shows which structural issue you interpreted |
| Legend of stamps | APPROVED AS NOTED vs HOLD vs VOID |
What not to put on the cover
Do not paste the entire specification. Do not paste every typical weld symbol. Those belong on notes and typicals. The cover should remain usable when plotted and when viewed as a thumbnail in a portal.
PEB extras
PEB covers often include building size, eave height, frame type and a simple key plan. Those facts help a reviewer who has several similar buildings in one programme. Keep them consistent with the plans; a key plan that disagrees with the roof plan is a loud error.
A practical workflow
- Fill identity from the contract, not from memory.
- Generate or type the index from the live drawing list.
- Add holds and the design-issue reference.
- Leave stamp space.
- Plot a thumbnail test: still readable?
Engineering tips
- Match the project name to the purchase order. Searchable files depend on it.
- If you issue a partial set, the cover should say PARTIAL in the purpose line.
- Include the file-naming pattern so recipients can find sheets in a zip.
Common mistakes
An index typed by hand and never updated
Generate it or check it against files on issue day.
FOR CONSTRUCTION on a first approval
Words matter to the shop.
No reference to the structural design issue
The reviewer cannot tell which design you used.
Checklist
- Correct client and job number
- Purpose of issue correct
- Index complete
- Holds listed
- Design issue referenced
- Stamp space present
- Date and revision match transmittal
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a cover on a three-sheet job?
A simple title block on sheet 1 can act as a cover if it includes purpose, index and holds. Do not skip those facts.
Should calculations be on the cover?
No. Point to them if they are part of the submittal.
Can the cover be the transmittal?
Keep a separate transmittal for distribution history. The cover travels with the drawings; the transmittal travels with the email or portal upload.
What about bilingual projects?
If the contract requires it, duplicate critical purpose and hold notes, not necessarily every title.
Where this leaves the work
A cover sheet is a control document. Make it true, complete and quiet. Then let the plans do the engineering talking.
When the cover is right, run the rest of the submission checklist.
This article provides general educational information. Project-specific structural design, calculations and drawings should be reviewed by appropriately qualified engineering professionals and checked against applicable project requirements and standards. StruTools does not replace engineering judgement or professional design review.