Shop drawings are a set of plans for the making and assembling of custom parts. In our case the parts are made of stone and the assembly is a wall.
The stone shop drawing process begins with a review of all of the available architectural drawings, specifications, sketches, photographs etc.
A preliminary set of shop drawings is prepared to first show details of all of the required shapes and features. These drawings are submitted to the customer for review and approval prior to production.
Site measurements are taken when the framing of the building is complete and the windows are installed. The shop drawings are then updated and all adjustments are made to ensure a good fit.

Mark numbers are added onto the shop drawings to identify each stone. The mark number is used by the fabricator to track production and by the mason to locate each piece. It is common for a 1000 square foot wall to have over 300 individual stones.
The production shop drawings are now ready for ticketing. Ticketing is a process where each stone is drafted into a part drawing showing all the required fabricating specifications. These tickets are used throughout production for scheduling, cutting, finishing, tagging and packaging.
As each load is shipped the accompanying packing slips will show the mark numbers, quantities and pallet numbers needed to keep track of inventory and to find packaged stones. An extra set of shop drawings can be highlighted as a method to confirm which parts have been delivered. Shop drawings are a guide for the masons and they provide a clear point of reference for the entire building team.