What drawings do we need for a church reordering project?

Church reordering projects are exciting, complex and highly scrutinised. Whether you’re removing pews, improving accessibility, introducing a servery or weaving new services through an ancient fabric, success rests on one thing: robust, accurate drawings. Here’s a clear guide to the drawings you’ll need, why they matter, and how a measured building survey using laser scanning sets your project up for smooth approvals and careful delivery.

Start with a laser-scanned measured building survey

Churches aren’t square boxes: walls wobble, floors settle, and vaults, arcades and roofs often deviate from symmetry. A laser-scanned survey captures this reality with millimetre-level precision, generating a point cloud from which we produce 2D CAD drawings and, where needed, high-fidelity 3D models. This accuracy is invaluable for architects, engineers and conservationists planning sensitive interventions.

Learn more about our approach to laser scanning surveys, our specialist measured surveys for churches, and when to choose Revit/Scan-to-BIM for complex coordination.

The essential drawing set for church reordering

• Plans (all floor levels): Show structural grid (where present), wall thicknesses, piers, steps/ramps, thresholds, existing furniture (pews, screens, monuments), accessibility clearances and floor levels. These underpin layouts for seating changes, new WCs/servery and safeguarding egress.
• Elevations (external and internal): Record buttresses, openings, tracery, parapets, stone courses and condition notes externally; and arcades, wall monuments, niches, fixings and finishes internally. Conservation detailing and stone repairs depend on this precision.
• Sections (longitudinal and cross): Reveal spatial relationships - nave to aisles, chancel steps, roof structure, galleries and organ lofts. Sections de-risk route planning for new services (heating, electrical and AV) and confirm sightlines and headroom.
• Reflected ceiling plans (RCPs): Crucial for lighting, cable paths, speakers and sprinklers; capture vault geometry, ribs, bosses and existing fittings to avoid harmful penetrations.
• Roof plans and roof/void sections: Essential for solar/MEP coordination, drainage, fall directions, access routes and timber conditions, especially where new insulation or ventilation is proposed.
• Detailed drawings: Window tracery, door mouldings, arch profiles, capitals, screens and joinery. These safeguard heritage significance and guide like-for-like repair or sensitive alteration.
• Topographical survey of the churchyard: Levels, paths, boundary walls, trees, graves and utilities to manage drainage, step-free access and external lighting routes. See our topographic survey services.
• Underground utilities survey: Mitigates risk when introducing new drainage, power or data. We combine GPR and radio detection - read more on underground services tracing.

Why accuracy and detail matter

Laser scanning delivers reliable geometry for decision-making and risk reduction. Accurate plans, elevations and sections help you model options credibly, quantify change and avoid clashes. High-detail drawings also protect the building’s significance by documenting what must not be harmed and where reversible fixings are feasible. For clarity on drawing standards, see our quick guide to CAD measured survey drawings. If you’re preparing formal submissions, our advice on plans and elevations for Listed Building Consent is a helpful companion.

How architects and conservationists use these outputs

With a complete, consistent survey set, design teams can test seating layouts, plan accessible routes, assess daylight, integrate underfloor heating, route new cabling and set out joinery with confidence. Conservation officers and DACs can see precisely what is proposed against current fabric, accelerating feedback and reducing queries. For intricate schemes, a Revit/BIM model supports clash detection and coordinated drawing extraction, while Matterport tours or reality capture aids stakeholder briefings and fundraising.

From approvals to site: drawings that keep everyone aligned

Measured drawings support faculty applications, Listed Building Consent and planning submissions with clear, scaled documentation. Including scale bars and control notes ensures contractors, specialists and funders are all referencing the same baseline. The same survey data then feeds tender packages and site setting-out, preventing costly last-minute changes. For church-specific examples, visit our page on measured surveys for churches and our 3D model of a church showcase.

Getting the most from your survey

1. Brief early: Share your reordering goals, likely MEP upgrades and conservation priorities so we can target detail where it matters.
2. Specify deliverables: Confirm required scales, CAD/Revit formats, RCPs, roof/void access and any priority detail drawings.
3. Coordinate externals: Pair the building survey with a topographical survey and utilities trace to avoid surprises outside.
4. Plan for approvals: Ensure drawings clearly differentiate existing and proposed, with annotations that speak to heritage impact and reversibility.

Ready to begin?

If you’re preparing a church reordering project, our team can help you choose the right survey scope - from core 2D drawings to fully coordinated 3D models, so your design, heritage case and delivery all stand on solid ground. Explore our measured building survey service, and when you’re ready, request a survey quote. We’ll make sure you have the accurate, detailed drawings you need to move forward with confidence.