In this guide — 6 sections
Buildiyo’s 3D + Working Drawings package is priced at ₹31 per sq.ft of built-up area. It adds a 3D exterior view, a second elevation option, an approval submission set, four revision rounds and a foundation-stage site visit to the basic drawing set. One distinction matters before you buy: working drawings are not structural drawings — confirm which the package covers.
This is the package most homeowners land on after realising a basic drawing set leaves too much undecided. It does two quite different jobs at once — it helps you see the house, and it gives the site team something to build from. Those are worth understanding separately. To discuss your project, Buildiyo is on +91 70921 66366, +91 70921 66266 and +91 70921 66177.
₹31 per sq.ft is Buildiyo’s own package rate for 3D + Working Drawings. It is not a market-wide rate for Chennai, and fees charged by other architects will differ. Final pricing and scope depend on built-up area, number of floors, design complexity, drawing requirements and the applicable package terms. Confirm current pricing on the packages page or with our team before planning.
Two Different Documents, one package
A 3D house design and working drawings package bundles two things that look related and do entirely different jobs.
A rendered, photorealistic image showing how the finished building will look — materials, colours, light and proportion, seen at eye level rather than as a flat drawing. It is a communication tool: it lets someone who cannot read technical drawings judge the design and object while objecting is still cheap.
The measured, dimensioned drawing set a site team builds from — plans, elevations and details with every element sized, together with schedules for doors, windows and finishes. Where a concept drawing shows intent, working drawings show execution: how thick, how high, how far apart and made of what.
3D Architectural Design vs working drawings
3D and working drawings are not alternatives. Each answers a question the other cannot, and the last row explains why a package pairs them.
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| Aspect | 3D architectural design | Working drawings |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | To help you decide | To let someone build |
| Shows | Materials, light, proportion, appearance | Dimensions, details, schedules, specifications |
| Read by | The client and family | The site team and contractor |
| Measured? | No — a visual representation | Yes — every element dimensioned |
| Used when | Before decisions are locked | During construction, on site |
| Answers | Is this what we want? | How exactly is it built? |
| Without it | You approve something you cannot picture | The site improvises the details |
That pairing is the logic of the package. A 3D view without working drawings gives you a picture nobody can build; working drawings without a 3D view give you a buildable design you approved without being able to picture it. Our 3D rendering service in Chennai page covers visualisation in more depth.
What Is Included at ₹31 per sq.ft
Per the current specification published on the packages page. Confirm scope before engaging, since it may be revised alongside pricing.
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| Item | What it covers | In this package? |
|---|---|---|
| Floor plans | 2D plans for each level | Included |
| Elevations | Front and side, two design options | Included |
| 3D visualisation | One exterior view | Included |
| Approval drawings | Submission set for the local authority | Included |
| Design revisions | Four rounds | Included |
| Site visit | One, at foundation stage | Included |
| Vastu guidance | Basic level | Included |
| Structural drawings | Foundations, columns, beams, reinforcement | Not stated — confirm |
| Bar bending schedule | Steel cutting and bending details | Not included |
| Plumbing layout | Supply and drainage routes | Not included |
This is the distinction most worth checking, because the names sound similar and the documents are not. Working drawings are architectural — they dimension walls, openings and details, and schedule doors and windows. Structural drawings are engineering — they size foundations, fix the column grid and specify reinforcement. A house needs both. The current specification for this tier does not state structural drawings clearly, and the bar bending schedule is listed as not included, so ask specifically whether structural design is covered and budget for it separately if it is not.
List what moving up actually adds: a 3D view, a second elevation option, an approval set, two extra revision rounds, a site visit. Now ask what each one is for. Seeing. Choosing. Getting permission. Reconsidering. Checking. Every single addition concerns the client’s relationship to the design — and not one of them adds a piece of information a site team could build from that the basic set did not already have. Which makes the structural ambiguity considerably more dangerous than it first appears. A homeowner moving up a tier reasonably assumes they are getting closer to ready-to-build; what they are actually getting is closer to ready-to-decide. The distance between this package and a buildable set is unchanged, because structural design and services layouts sit outside both tiers. That is why the warning above is the most valuable paragraph in the specification: the upgrade improves everything about how you arrive at the design, and nothing about what remains between the design and the foundation.
Is Structural Design Covered, or Not?
The specification does not state it clearly and the bar bending schedule is listed as excluded. Get the answer before you sign, and budget separately if it is not included.
The Upgrade That Matters Most may not be the 3D
The package name leads with 3D, but for many homeowners the decisive addition is something else: approval drawings. The basic drawing set does not include a submission set for the local authority; this one does. If you need planning permission — and for a new build you almost certainly do — that inclusion often matters more than the rendered view.
The second practical gain is revisions. Moving from two rounds to four changes how the design process feels: two rounds means settling almost everything before the first draft, while four leaves room to explore an alternative and come back. For families who need to discuss and reconsider, that headroom is worth real money.
How Each Part Supports the Project, and using the package well
What one 3D view can and cannot settle
One exterior view is enough to settle the facade — proportion, the relationship between wall and opening, and the exterior material palette. It is not enough to settle interiors, which need views of the spaces themselves. Set expectations accordingly: this tier is about seeing the outside of the house before you commit to it. Our house elevation design page explains how the elevation itself is developed.
What working drawings prevent
A floor plan settles where walls go. Working drawings settle everything the plan leaves open — how thick a wall is, how a threshold is detailed, which door goes where, what the skirting is. Where those are undocumented they are decided on site, usually quickly and by whoever is doing the work. See house floor plan design for what the plan itself covers.
What still sits outside the package
Bar bending schedules and plumbing layouts are not included, and structural drawings need confirming. Before construction you will need structural design — see structural design drawing — along with services layouts. Once the drawings exist, quantities can be measured, and a BOQ estimator turns them into a construction budget.
Using the package well
- Agree the brief before the first draftFour revision rounds go further when the first draft is based on a complete brief rather than a partial one.
- Use the 3D view for the facade decisionJudge proportion and materials, and ask what time of day the light represents.
- Confirm the structural position earlyAsk in writing whether structural drawings are included, and price them separately if not.
- Check the approval set covers your authoritySubmission requirements differ; confirm what the set includes and what liaison, if any, is covered.
- Plan the foundation site visitOne visit is included — use it at the stage where being present matters most.
- Compare total design costAdd everything outside the package before comparing this tier with a higher one.
Where the details are undocumented, they are decided on site — usually quickly, and by whoever is doing the work.
— What working drawings prevent
The Approval Set May Matter More Than the Rendered View
The basic tier has no submission set for the local authority. For a new build you almost certainly need one — check the set covers your authority’s requirements.
Who This Package Suits and frequently asked questions
- Owners who need approval drawings as well as a design set.
- Anyone who wants to see the exterior before committing to it.
- Families who expect to discuss and revise more than twice.
- Projects arranging the rest separately, where structural design and services layouts will be handled on their own.
If you want structural drawings, services layouts and site involvement bundled, compare against the higher tiers on the architecture packages page — bundling is often more economical once you need most of the extras, and always better coordinated. Our architect design service in Chennai team can advise on which tier fits.
What are 3D and working drawings?
3D architectural design is a rendered visual showing how the finished building will look — materials, light and proportion. Working drawings are the measured, dimensioned drawings a site team builds from. One helps you decide; the other lets someone build. A complete architecture package normally needs both.
What does the 3D + Working Drawings package cost?
Buildiyo’s 3D + Working Drawings package is priced at ₹31 per sq.ft of built-up area. On a 1,500 sq.ft house that works out at roughly ₹46,500. This is Buildiyo’s own package rate rather than a Chennai market rate, and final pricing and scope depend on project requirements and the applicable package terms.
Are working drawings the same as structural drawings?
No, and the distinction matters. Working drawings are detailed architectural drawings — dimensions, details and schedules that describe how the building is put together. Structural drawings are engineering documents covering foundations, columns, beams and reinforcement. Confirm which of the two a package includes before assuming it covers both.
What is included in this architecture package?
On the current specification: 2D floor plans for each level, front and side elevations with two design options, one exterior 3D view, an approval submission set, four rounds of revisions, one site visit at foundation stage, and basic Vastu guidance. Bar bending schedules and plumbing layouts are not included.
How does 3D visualisation help with design decisions?
It shows proportion, material combinations and how the building sits in context — things a flat elevation cannot communicate to a non-architect. A single exterior view is enough to settle the facade and the exterior material palette. Interior decisions generally need more views than one.
Why do working drawings matter for construction?
Because a floor plan alone leaves many decisions undocumented. Working drawings dimension the elements, specify materials and schedule doors and windows, so the site builds from instructions rather than judgement. Where they are missing, those details get decided on site — usually by whoever is holding the trowel.
See it, then build it
Four points to close onA complete architecture package needs both halves: something that lets you judge the design, and something a site team can build from.
This tier delivers a 3D view, a fuller elevation set, approval drawings and room to revise.
Just confirm the structural position before you sign.
Working drawings and structural drawings are different documents, and a house needs both.
Find the Right Package for Your Project
Tell us your plot details and what you need the drawings to do. We will confirm pricing for your built-up area and show exactly what this tier covers. Sree Narayana Complex, Velachery, Chennai 600042.
See it, then build it
A complete architecture package needs both halves: something that lets you judge the design, and something a site team can build from. At ₹31 per sq.ft this tier delivers a 3D view, a fuller elevation set, approval drawings and room to revise.
Just confirm the structural position before you sign — working drawings and structural drawings are different documents, and a house needs both. See how design and build connect at our house construction company in Chennai page.