There are a ton of reasons to make detailed design drawings and documents, like helping convey our design intent to our clients and helping the building team execute the plans accurately. But maybe the most important reason interior designers invest so much energy into our drawings is to help us avoid risk and liability.
Our plans protect us if something goes wrong (and they usually do), and they also serve as written proof of the decisions you’ve made with your clients. Sometimes all our planning won’t be enough, so we also recommend that you put legal disclaimers on your drawings. So today we thought we’d share an example of these disclosures with you.
Before we do that, we recommend that you seek advice from a lawyer to ensure your disclosures actually cover the type of work you do and the intent of your disclosures is clear and enforceable. In addition to legal disclosures, we also include our common building standards in the notes for contractors. Here’s an example:
GENERAL NOTES:
These drawings are for design intent and information only for General Contractors to use for general arrangements. They have been made from available information; however, measurements are to be verified on the project site. These drawings must be verified and approved prior to final detailing and fabrication. Structural design integrity must be conducted by qualified persons. These drawings are only to be used for the project and site identified here, and are not to be used on any other project(s).
CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS:
- All recessed and decorative lighting to be placed on a dimmer switch except shower and closet locations.
- No Schluter strips to be used in bathroom tile or kitchen backsplash installations. Coordinate edge and niche details with designer prior to installation.
- All hardware and accessories locations like towel bars, tissue holders, etc. are to have blocking installed for anchoring. Bathrooms should have blocking installed from 33-36″ A.F.F. for future handrail installations in showers and around toilets.
- If walls and ceilings are being demolished, new drywall should be installed plumb and level. Unless otherwise noted, drywall should be finished in level 4 or 5.
If this if the first time you’ve thought about adding these disclosures to your plans, don’t worry! You’re not the only one. Working these into your design process will help you avoid costly mistakes and ensure your clients get the design they paid you for. Are there any disclosures you add that aren’t mentioned here?
