Title blocks explained: every field and what to check

Title block fields at a glance

Firms lay out title blocks differently, but the same fourteen fields show up on almost every architectural and engineering sheet. Each field has one job, and each one can disagree with another sheet in the set.

Where does the title block sit on a sheet?

On most US sheets the title block is a vertical strip along the right edge. The sheet number goes in the lower right corner, where it stays visible when a bound set is flipped from the left. Some firms run a horizontal band along the bottom instead, which leaves a wider drawing area on landscape sheets.

The layout usually follows the firm's office standard or the US National CAD Standard, which organizes the sheet into a drawing area and a title block area. Whatever the layout, every sheet in one set should use the same template. A consultant sheet dropped into the set on its own template is the first place fields go missing.

What goes in the project and firm fields?

The top of the title block identifies the job and the people responsible for it. These fields rarely change between issues, which is exactly why errors in them survive for months.

• Project name and address. Use the legal address on the permit application. A working name from schematic design often lingers on consultant sheets.
• Owner. The client entity named in the contract, which may differ from the brand on the building.
• Architect or engineer of record. The firm that holds responsibility for the discipline on that sheet. On a structural sheet that is the structural engineer, not the architect.
• Consultant list. Every firm whose drawings are in the set, usually with addresses and phone numbers. Check it against the disciplines in the sheet index.
• Project number. The firm's internal job number. Consultants often print their own number too, so two numbers on one sheet is normal.

Who has to seal and sign each sheet?

The seal identifies the licensed professional who takes responsibility for the sheet. State licensing boards set the rules for when a seal is required, what it looks like, and whether a digital signature is accepted, so the answer depends on the project's state.

In practice, permit reviewers look for the right discipline's seal on each sheet: architectural sheets sealed by the architect, structural sheets by the structural engineer, and so on. Common gaps are a seal missing from sheets added late, a seal from an engineer licensed in a different state, and a set marked Issued for Permit with seals still blank. Sets marked preliminary or not for construction often leave the seal off on purpose, which is fine as long as the issue purpose says so.

How do the sheet number, sheet title, and scale fields work?

The sheet number is the address every callout in the set points to. Most firms build it from a discipline letter, a sheet type digit, and a sequence, so A-201 is an architectural elevation sheet. The full scheme is in standard sheet organization. The number and title in the title block must match the sheet index word for word.

The scale field states the scale of the main drawing, such as 1/8 inch = 1'-0". When a sheet holds views at different scales, the field says AS NOTED and each view title carries its own scale. Check that the field agrees with the view titles and with any graphic scale bar. If a sheet was plotted at the wrong size, the scale bar is the only reference that still measures true. The construction drawing scale guide lists which scales belong on which drawings, and architectural paper sizes covers what happens to scale on a half-size print.

How should the revision block be read?

The revision block is a small table of revision number, description, and date. Each row matches a numbered triangle, called a delta, placed next to a revision cloud on the drawing. Every cloud on the sheet should trace back to a row in the block, and every row should point to a cloud.

Firms differ on whether old clouds stay on the sheet after the next revision. Some keep every cloud, some clear clouds and keep only the deltas, and some show only the current revision. Pick up the convention from the general notes before deciding a cloud is missing. Cloud conventions are covered in the drawing revision cloud guide, and finding changes that never got clouded is covered in how to compare drawing revisions.

What do the issue purpose and date fields tell you?

The issue purpose states what the set is for: Issued for Permit, Issued for Bid, Issued for Construction, Addendum 2, Bulletin 4, or a design phase such as 50% Construction Documents. A builder should only build from sheets marked for construction. Sheets marked Not for Construction carry that stamp for a reason.

The issue date should be the same on every sheet in one package. A mixed set, where half the sheets show the permit date and half show the bid date, usually means some sheets were reissued and some were not. That is how the field ends up building from two different versions. After bid addenda are folded in, the conformance set of drawings should carry one date and one issue purpose across the board.

What are drawn by, checked by, north arrow, and key plan for?

Drawn by and checked by hold the initials of the drafter and the reviewer. A blank checked by field on an issued sheet suggests the sheet skipped internal QA. Same initials in both boxes says the same thing.

The north arrow and key plan often live in the title block on plan sheets. North should point the same way on every plan and agree with the site plan. The key plan is a small outline of the whole building with the area on this sheet hatched. On a large floor plate split across several sheets, check that the hatch matches the area actually drawn and that the match lines agree with the key plan.

Title block checklist before a set goes out

Run these checks across the whole set, not one sheet at a time. Most title block errors only show up when two sheets are compared.

1. Every revision cloud and delta on the sheet has a matching row in the revision block, and every row has a cloud.
2. Every sheet that requires a seal carries one, from the right discipline and licensed in the project's state.
3. Every sheet number and title matches the sheet index exactly, with no sheets missing from either.
4. The scale field matches the drawing, the view titles, and the scale bar.
5. The issue date and issue purpose are the same across every sheet in the package.
6. Project name, address, and project number match on architectural and consultant sheets.
7. Checked by is filled in on every issued sheet.
8. North arrows agree with the site plan, and key plan hatches match the area drawn.

These checks sit inside a broader set review. The guide to reviewing construction drawings covers the order to work through a full set, and drawing types explained describes what each discipline's sheets should contain.

How does Helonic check title blocks?

Helonic reads the title block on every sheet of a PDF set and compares the fields across sheets. It flags sheet numbers and titles that disagree with the index, mixed issue dates, revision blocks that do not match the clouds on the sheet, and scale fields that disagree with view titles. The sheet index validation and revision comparison checks cite the sheet for each finding.

Findings are decision support. The design team decides what to correct, and a licensed professional still seals the sheets.

Title Block FAQs