A draughtsman, or draughtsperson as the profession now says, is the person who turns your wishes and a tape measure into drawings that a builder can price and a municipality can approve. For most houses, additions and small commercial buildings, a registered draughtsperson is the right and affordable choice. Send one request with your stand and what you want, and draughtspersons who work near you quote you directly. It costs nothing, and you are under no obligation.
What a draughtsperson actually does
The work runs in four parts. First comes the measure-up: a visit to the stand, or to the existing house, to record sizes, levels, trees and services. Then the design within your brief, the rooms you listed and the zoning rules. Next the CAD drawings: floor plans, elevations, sections, a site plan, drainage and the schedules. Last, the council submission, including the answers to council queries. A good one also tells you what the design will cost to build, roughly, before you commit. See floor plans for the drawings in more detail.
Draughtsperson, technologist or architect?
SACAP, the South African Council for the Architectural Profession, registers four categories: professional architect, senior architectural technologist, architectural technologist and architectural draughtsperson. The category limits what a person may sign, mostly by building size and complexity, so ask which category the person holds and whether your project falls inside it. A draughtsperson usually handles houses and small buildings. Larger, heritage or more demanding sites often call for a technologist or an architect.
Structural work is different again: an ECSA-registered engineer designs the foundations, slabs and beams, whoever draws the plans.
Rates, copyright and turnaround
Draughtspersons charge either per square metre, about R60 to R160 for the drawings, or by the hour, usually R600 to R1,100. Per square metre suits a clear brief; hourly suits a vague one that keeps changing. Whichever you pick, agree how many revisions the fee covers.
The drawings remain the author's copyright unless agreed otherwise. That matters if you want to reuse the design on a second stand or move to another builder, so put it in writing. A house usually takes two to six weeks to draw; an extension can be quicker, and approval is extra time on top.
How to choose and what to ask
- What is your SACAP registration number and category, and does this job fall inside it?
- Which municipality do you submit to most often?
- Does the fee include the measure-up, the council submission and the energy calculations?
- How many revisions come with the fee?
- Can I see two houses you have drawn that are now built?
Check the registration on the SACAP website rather than trusting a business card. Compare at least three quotes on the same brief.
What to include in your request
- The suburb, erf number and stand size
- The rooms you need, or the building you own
- Whether the drawings must go to council
- Old plans, title deed or photos you hold
- Your budget and the date you hope to build
Draughtsman for different clients
- Families building a new house: a draughtsperson who listens to the brief and draws a house that suits the stand and budget
- Owners adding or changing rooms: someone to measure the existing rooms and draw the additions in a way council accepts
- Developers and builders: a draughtsperson to produce house types and unit layouts that can be repeated across stands
- Estate agents, sellers and landlords: quick measured drawings of a property, or approved plans traced for the transfer
- Shops, offices and restaurants: a draughtsperson who knows shopfitting, escape routes and what the landlord will approve
- Farms, smallholdings and rural homesteads: a draughtsperson who will travel to a farm or village stand and understand rural conditions
- Churches, schools and crèches: someone to draw a hall or classroom block within a modest budget and a committee's wishes
- Rental and granny flat investors: repeatable drawings for backyard rooms or small flats, priced for several units
Frequently asked questions
Is a draughtsman cheaper than an architect?
Can a draughtsman sign plans for council?
Do I need to come to a meeting?
Who owns the drawings once I have paid?
Draughtsman 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