A commercial floor plan shows how a business will actually work in its space: where customers walk, where goods come in, where the kitchen, till and storeroom sit and how everyone gets out in an emergency. Landlords, councils and the fire department all want to see one. Whether you are opening a takeaway, fitting out an office, setting up a salon or planning a warehouse, send one request and studios that draw commercial layouts quote you directly, free and without obligation.
Layouts that fit the way you trade
A good commercial layout starts with flow rather than furniture. In a restaurant or bakery, the drawing follows food from the delivery door through storage, preparation and cooking to the pass and the customer, with the scullery and waste kept apart. Extraction and ducting, a grease trap and the number of toilets for the seating are normally checked against the National Building Regulations and your municipality's health by-laws, so ask early, and keep the kitchen's hot and cold areas, waste route and staff entrance in mind from the first sketch. A salon needs basins and plumbing points, an office needs desk clusters and a server cupboard, and a workshop or warehouse needs loading space, racking aisles and turning room.
Fire, escape routes and access
Public buildings are drawn with escape routes, exit widths and travel distances that follow SANS 10400-T, and the fire department often reviews the plans before approval. Fire extinguisher positions, fire detection and sprinklers (where required) are normally shown on the plan. SANS 10400-S covers access for people with disabilities: ramps, wider doors and an accessible toilet. Requirements differ by occupancy class and floor area, so ask your draughtsperson or the municipality what applies to your premises.
Zoning, change of use and the landlord
Before you sign a lease, find out whether the zoning allows your business at that address. Turning a shop into a restaurant or a house into an office is usually a change of use, which can require town planning consent and a fresh submission. Tenants also need the landlord's written approval for walls, plumbing and any structural changes, and many shopping centres have their own tenant design rules. Drawings made for a lease or fit-out also help when you apply for an occupancy certificate. See building plan approval for the process.
Measuring, drawing and pricing
If the premises have no usable plans, the studio measures them up first, much like as-built drawings. Commercial drawings are usually priced from about R60 to R160 a square metre, though fit-outs with many details, mezzanines or services layouts cost more. Mention if you also want an electrical plan for the equipment, or a 3D view for a franchisor, landlord or investor.
What to include in your request
- The type of business and how many customers or staff
- The address and the floor area of the premises
- Whether you rent, and the landlord's requirements
- Existing plans or a lease drawing, if any
- Equipment that needs space, power or plumbing
Commercial Floor Plans for different clients
- Families building a new house: plans to run a home business from a converted garage, with the zoning questions checked
- Owners adding or changing rooms: a layout for turning part of a house into a studio, consulting room or small shop
- Developers and builders: tenant layouts and shell drawings for a small retail strip or office park
- Estate agents, sellers and landlords: measured layouts of commercial premises to market a lease or sale
- Shops, offices and restaurants: the shop, restaurant, salon or warehouse layout for the landlord, fire department and council
- Farms, smallholdings and rural homesteads: plans for a farm stall, packing shed or workshop with loading and turning space
- Churches, schools and crèches: layouts for a church hall, crèche or clinic with escape routes and accessible toilets
- Rental and granny flat investors: layouts that divide a building into lettable units with separate entrances and services
Frequently asked questions
Do I need plans to open a restaurant or shop?
Who draws commercial floor plans?
How many toilets does a restaurant need?
Can the same drawing be used for my lease and for council?
Commercial Floor Plans by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg