What a joinery elevation must carry
- Overall width and height, and the dimension of every shutter and drawer front.
- Heights from finished floor level, not from the slab.
- Shutter opening direction, hinge side, and the reveal between shutters.
- Handle or profile positions with dimensions.
- Material callouts keyed to a finish schedule, not described in words on the drawing.
- Adjacent conditions: the switch plate beside it, the window reveal, the skirting return.
Why it matters more than a render
A 3D render cannot be measured. A carpenter cutting a wardrobe needs to know that the top drawer front is 220 mm and the one below it 280 mm, that the handle sits 900 mm above finished floor and that the reveal is 3 mm. None of that exists in a perspective image. Projects where the client approved renders but nobody drew the elevations are where site decisions get made by whoever is holding the saw.
Reading one before you approve it
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Do the part dimensions add to the overall? | If not, something is wrong or missing |
| Is every height from FFL? | Slab-referenced dimensions shift once flooring is laid |
| Are shutter reveals shown? | 3 mm reveals are what make an elevation look even |
| Are services marked? | A switch discovered later ends up in the middle of a panel |
| Is the finish keyed to a schedule? | “Laminate” on a drawing is not a specification |
Every sheet needs a drawing number, a revision letter and a date, and only the current revision should be on site. Most joinery built to the wrong dimension was built correctly to a superseded print that nobody withdrew. Issue revisions formally and collect the old ones.
Elevation, section and plan
A plan looks down, an elevation looks straight at a vertical surface, and a section cuts through to show what is inside. A complete joinery set carries all three — plan for position, elevation for face layout, section for build-up. See working drawings and turnkey interior design.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an elevation and a render?+
An elevation is a flat, dimensioned, measurable drawing. A render is a perspective image with no usable dimensions. The first is what gets built from; the second is what gets approved from. You need both.
At what scale are interior elevations drawn?+
1:20 or 1:25 for joinery elevations, 1:50 for general wall elevations. Anything smaller loses the detail that makes the drawing useful, and a drawing without a stated scale is not a drawing.
Should every wall have an elevation?+
Every wall carrying joinery, panelling, tiling or a significant service. A plain painted wall does not need one. A typical 2BHK set runs to twelve to twenty elevations.
Who prepares elevations, the designer or the carpenter?+
The designer, as part of the working drawing set. When a carpenter produces them, they reflect what is convenient to build rather than what was designed — which is sometimes fine and always worth knowing.