IFC Drawings: A Guide for Contractors and CAs

By

Josh Krissansen

Last Updated Jul 16, 2026

By

Josh Krissansen

Construction can only proceed when there is an agreed, authorised record of what is to be built. 

Without it, contractors are committing labour and materials to work that may need to come down if the design hasn't been finalised, subcontractors are fabricating from unconfirmed details, and any work that doesn't match the approved design may become a rectification problem the contractor owns.

IFC drawings resolve that uncertainty by establishing the authorised basis from which the contractor is entitled to build. Issued after the full design and approval process, they are the formal instruction to proceed, the point at which design intent becomes a construction obligation.

In this article, we cover what IFC drawings contain, where they sit in the drawing status lifecycle, and how contractors and contract administrators manage them across the construction phase, so you can control scope, protect your position, and reduce variation exposure.

What are IFC drawings?

IFC stands for "issued for construction."

An IFC drawing is a construction document that has completed the full design and approval process and has been formally issued by the architect or engineer as the authorised basis for building work.

It is the drawing status that tells the contractor: this is what you build.

IFC is one of several construction drawing statuses used across a project lifecycle. Others you will encounter include:

• IFT (issued for tender): IFT drawings establish the scope basis for pricing but carry no construction authority.
• AFC (approved for construction): AFC drawings are used in engineering and infrastructure projects in place of IFC, with the same meaning and construction authority.
• As-built: As-built drawings record what was actually constructed once works are complete.

Pro tip: Terminology is not fully standardised across Australian projects, and drawing registers should always define what each status means on that specific project.

The first set of IFC drawings represents the approved design intent at the time of issue.

Where the design changes during construction (via the variation and RFI processes), a revised IFC drawing is issued and supersedes the previous version. As-built drawings are produced at the end of the project to record what was actually constructed, reflecting all revisions issued across the construction phase.

What is contained in an IFC drawing set?

A complete IFC drawing set spans multiple disciplines. Each package governs a distinct scope of work, and contractors need to read across all of them to understand the full construction obligation.

• Architectural drawings

  Architectural drawings include floor plans, elevations, sections, reflected ceiling plans, door and window schedules, and finishes schedules. These establish the layout, spatial organisation, and architectural intent that the contractor must deliver.

• Structural drawings

  Structural drawings outline foundation plans, framing layouts, connection details, reinforcement schedules, and structural specifications. These govern the load-bearing elements and must be read alongside architectural drawings to resolve interface conditions.
  

• Civil drawings

  Civil drawings cover site layout, earthworks, road and pavement design, drainage, and utility connections. On commercial projects, civil drawings often govern early works sequencing and sit on the critical path.
  

• Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) drawings

  Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) drawings outline mechanical (HVAC), electrical, and hydraulic (plumbing) layouts, schematics, and specifications. Coordination between MEP disciplines and with structural and architectural drawings is a common source of RFIs on commercial projects.

• Schedules and specifications

  Schedules and specifications include material specifications, performance requirements, and finish schedules that supplement the drawn information. These form part of the IFC set and carry the same contractual weight as the drawings themselves.

How IFCs inform shop drawings

IFC drawings establish what must be built. Shop drawings go to the next level, establishing how specific elements will be fabricated and installed.

They’re prepared by subcontractors and fabricators using the IFC drawings as the source document, translating the design intent into the detail required for manufacture and installation.

The typical process looks like this:

• The subcontractor prepares shop drawings from the IFC set and submits them to the superintendent or relevant design reviewer, as required under the contract
• The superintendent responds with either approval, approval with comments, or a rejection decision
• In the case of a rejection, the subcontractor revises the shop drawings and resubmits until approval is granted
• Once drawings are approved, fabrication and installation can proceed

The shop drawing submission and approval cycle happens as construction is underway. While one trade is being built, another trade's shop drawings are still going through the review and approval process.

Not every IFC drawing generates a shop drawing.

Shop drawings are required where standard construction methods cannot be directly read from the IFC set, such as structural steelwork, precast concrete, or bespoke joinery. Determining which packages require shop drawings, and when those submissions need to be made to protect the programme, is part of the CA's role from day one.

How to manage staged and incomplete IFC issue

On commercial projects, IFC drawings are not typically issued as a complete set at a single point in time. 

Instead, consultants issue drawings by discipline and by zone as design is finalised, and contractors regularly commence work against partially issued packages.

This creates specific risks that need active management:

1. 1. Proceeding on a drawing that has not yet reached IFC status may leave the contractor without a clear authorised basis for the work and can make recovery harder if the design changes.
2. 2. Building from a superseded revision may expose the contractor to non-conformance and potential demolition and rework at its own cost.
3. 3. Starting work in an area where IFC drawings for interfacing trades have not yet been issued creates coordination gaps that surface later as variations, rework, or programme loss.

The practical controls are straightforward.

Confirm drawing status in writing before commencing any work package to avoid working from a drawing that hasn’t yet reached IFC status. Document which revision was current at the time work was carried out to protect the contractor’s position against rework due to superseded revisions. Raise RFIs for any scope that cannot be fully determined from the IFC set, as these records are essential for variation and EOT claims later in the project.

Timeliness is a risk factor, too, and one that contractors should have a control in place for.

Where the principal's failure to issue IFC drawings on time affects the programme, issue a notice under the contract as soon as the delay is identifiable. Waiting until the delay has fully crystallised weakens the contractor's position and may extinguish entitlement altogether under strict notice regimes.

How to keep document revision tight through delivery

Drawing registers are undermined by the same problems on almost every project: they are set up late, maintained inconsistently, and only taken seriously once something goes wrong. 

By the time something does go wrong, the record isn’t accurate enough to figure out what happened and why.

Here’s how to manage IFC drawing revision across delivery.

Establish the register before first issue

Set up the contractor's own drawing register at project commencement, before the first IFC issue arrives. Don’t wait for the superintendent or principal's consultant to provide one.

The register should record every drawing by document number, title, discipline, current revision, status, issue date, and issuing party.

From there, reconcile the register against every new issue received.

Manage incoming revisions actively

When a new revision is issued, remove all superseded versions from the site immediately. Mark them as superseded in the register and confirm in writing that the new revision has been distributed to the relevant subcontractors and site managers.

Check the register before commencing work

Don’t assume the most recent drawing in circulation is the current IFC revision.

Check the register before commencing any work package and again at any point where drawing coverage is incomplete or a new issue is expected. Confirm the revision against the register, not against what is on site.

Treat the register as a commercial record

The register is the evidence base for demonstrating which revision governed the works at any given date.

In a variation dispute, it tells you what the contractor was instructed to build and when. In an EOT claim, it shows when information was received and whether delays to issue affected the programme. In a defect dispute, it establishes whether the work was built to the current revision or a superseded one.

IFC drawings are the commercial and contractual foundation of construction delivery

Every decision made on site, from what gets built to what gets claimed, traces back to the authorised drawing set. Contractors and contract administrators who manage IFC drawings with discipline, from first issue through to final revision, protect their position, reduce variation exposure, and give themselves the evidence base to defend it.

Written by

Josh Krissansen

99 articles

Josh Krissansen is a freelance writer with two years of experience contributing to Procore's educational library. He specialises in transforming complex construction concepts into clear, actionable insights for professionals in the industry.

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