Visual Drawing Guide

How to prepare plans for DesignSure

The quality of your DesignSure compliance report depends on the quality of your drawings. This guide shows you exactly what to annotate, how to dimension, and what to avoid — so DesignSure can extract your measurements with maximum accuracy and confidence.

Every measurement that is annotated on the drawing — written as a dimension label, e.g. "3.500" with a dimension line — is a value DesignSure can read directly. Where a dimension is not annotated, DesignSure may need to measure it from the stated scale or infer it from the geometry of the drawing. Both are less reliable than an explicit annotation: scale can distort in PDF export, and inferred measurements depend on the clarity of the linework.

Key takeaway

Every measurement you annotate is one less value DesignSure has to estimate. More annotations = more reliable report.

Cross-checking with your form entries

DesignSure compares the values it finds on your drawings against the values you enter on the project form. Where there is a meaningful discrepancy, you'll be asked to resolve it before payment — confirm one value over the other, or mark the field as not applicable. This is part of how DesignSure protects you from a misread.

What appears in your report

Each value in your compliance report shows how it was sourced:

CONFIRMED BY PLANS

Value annotated on drawing and matches your form entry

FORM VALUE USED

Not found on plans — your manually entered value was used instead

DISCREPANCY

Extracted value differs from form entry — you'll be asked to resolve this before payment

Aim for "confirmed by plans"

The more values confirmed by your plans, the stronger your compliance report. If DesignSure can't find a dimension on your drawing, the report will flag that value as unconfirmed — which may reduce confidence in the assessment.

Section 2

Site plan — the most important drawing

Your site plan is where DesignSure extracts the majority of its measurements. Getting this right is critical.

What to annotate on your site plan

All boundary dimensions — frontage, depth, side lengths Regs 73, 74, 76
All setbacks — boundary to external wall face Regs 73, 74, 79
North point — true north, clearly labelled All provisions
Total site area (or dimensions to calculate) Regs 76, 76A, 77

Existing buildings on the lot
Driveways, paths, paved areas Regs 76, 77
Car parking spaces with dimensions Reg 78
Private open space — area + min width/depth Reg 86
Walls on boundaries — length and height Reg 80
Fences — height, setback, material Regs 89–91

Bronze squares = critical items (must annotate). Blue squares = recommended items (improve report quality).

Section 3

Setbacks — how to dimension correctly

The most common error in uploaded plans. DesignSure needs setbacks measured to the external wall face — not the eave, gutter, or internal wall.

Correct

Setback to external wall face

Measured perpendicular from boundary to external wall face. This is what the Regulations require.

Incorrect

Setback to eave / gutter

Measured to eave/gutter line — not what the Regulations require. Will cause extraction errors or discrepancies.

Best practice

Show both measurements if your eave projects past the wall face. Annotate the setback to wall face as the primary dimension, and note the eave projection separately (e.g., "600mm eave overhang"). DesignSure will use the wall face setback.

Multi-storey buildings — dimension each level separately

If your building has different setbacks at ground and upper levels, annotate both on the site plan or floor plans.

Setback measurement rules

Rule	What to do
Always perpendicular	Measure at 90° from the boundary to the wall — not diagonally, not along the wall.
To external wall face	Not to internal wall face, not to cladding centreline, not to eave or gutter.
Each boundary separately	Annotate setbacks to front, left side, right side, and rear boundaries individually.
Upper storeys separately	If upper floors step back from ground floor, dimension each level.
Closest point	If the wall is not parallel to the boundary, annotate the minimum setback (closest point).

Common mistake — internal dimensions

Some designers annotate internal room dimensions only. DesignSure needs external dimensions — if only internal dimensions are shown, DesignSure must estimate wall thickness, reducing confidence.

Section 4

Elevations — heights and NGL

Elevations are the primary source for wall heights and building heights. A clearly labelled NGL datum is essential.

Do this

Clear NGL datum line

Show a consistent NGL datum line across all elevations. All heights are measured from this line. If ground slopes, show the NGL at the relevant face of the building.

Avoid this

Inconsistent or missing NGL

If NGL references differ between elevations, or are missing entirely, DesignSure cannot reliably determine wall heights. This is the #1 cause of height extraction errors.

Key heights to annotate

Dimension	Measured from	Measured to	Regulation
Building height	NGL	Ridge / highest point	Reg 75
Wall height (each face)	NGL	Top of wall / eaves line	Reg 79
Window sill height	FFL (finished floor level)	Bottom of window opening	Regs 81–84
Boundary wall height	NGL	Top of wall on boundary	Reg 80
Fence height	NGL (at fence location)	Top of fence	Regs 89–91

Match elevations to boundaries

Label each elevation clearly: "Left (South) Elevation", "Rear (North) Elevation", etc. DesignSure maps each elevation to the correct boundary using your north point — clear labelling helps it match correctly.

Window sill heights matter

For Full Check assessments, window sill heights are critical for overlooking provisions (Regs 81–84). Annotate sill heights on all windows facing side and rear boundaries, measured from finished floor level.

Section 5

Floor plans — rooms and windows

Floor plans help DesignSure identify habitable rooms, window locations, and calculate total building footprint area.

What to show on your floor plans

Room labels — name every room (Bedroom, Living, Kitchen, etc.). DesignSure uses these to identify habitable rooms for overlooking assessment.
External dimensions — overall width and depth of the building footprint at each floor level.
Window and door positions — especially those facing side and rear boundaries.

North point — consistent with site plan orientation.
Floor level label — "Ground Floor", "First Floor", etc.
Stair locations — helps DesignSure understand multi-storey layout.

Why room labels matter

Regs 81–84 (overlooking) only apply to habitable room windows. If rooms aren't labelled, DesignSure can't determine which windows require overlooking assessment. Habitable rooms include: bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, studies, and family rooms. Bathrooms, laundries, hallways, and garages are non-habitable.

Additions and alterations

If your project is an addition to an existing dwelling:

Do this

Show existing and proposed clearly. Use different line weights or hatching to distinguish existing from new work. Label existing footprint area and proposed additional area separately. DesignSure assesses site coverage (Reg 76) cumulatively — it needs to know the total post-construction footprint.

Avoid this

Showing only the new work without existing building context. DesignSure must assess site coverage, permeability, and garden area for the entire lot after construction, not just the addition in isolation.

Section 6

Shadow diagrams (Full Check only)

Required for Full Check assessments only. Shadow diagrams must show shadows at three specific times on 22 September (spring equinox).

Date is critical — 22 September only

Shadow diagrams at any other date will not be assessed. The Building Regulations 2018 specifically require overshadowing assessment based on 22 September (spring equinox) shadows. If your shadow diagram shows a different date, the overshadowing provisions will be flagged as "Unable to Assess".

Shadow diagram checklist

Three shadow outlines — clearly labelled 9am, 12pm (noon), and 3pm
Date: 22 September — stated on the drawing
North point — consistent with site plan
Shadows on adjoining lots — extend shadows past your site boundary
Neighbour recreational private open space — show POS on adjoining lots Reg 83
Differentiated shadows — use different hatching or tones for each time so they can be distinguished where they overlap

No shadow diagram?

If you select Full Check but don't provide a shadow diagram, the overshadowing provision (Reg 83) will automatically flag as "Unable to Assess — supporting documents required". Your report will include guidance on what's needed. You won't be penalised — but those provisions won't be assessed.

Neighbour context for Full Check

Full Check also assesses daylight to existing windows (Reg 81), solar access (Reg 82), overshadowing (Reg 83), and overlooking (Reg 84), which require knowledge about neighbouring properties. If possible, annotate on your site plan or shadow diagram:

Neighbouring habitable room windows within 9m of your building, facing the shared boundary
Height of sills of those windows (if known)

Location and extent of neighbour's recreational private open space

Section 7

File format and upload tips

Drawing quality is the single biggest factor in extraction accuracy

A vector PDF exported directly from CAD software will always produce better results than a scan of the same plans. If you have access to the original CAD files, export a fresh PDF — do not scan a printed copy.

Format	Recommendation	Notes
PDF (from CAD)	Preferred	Export directly from CAD software. In AutoCAD, use the “DWG to PDF.pc3” plotter (not “Microsoft Print to PDF”). In Revit, use Export → PDF. In ArchiCAD, use File → Save as PDF. Text stays selectable and all line work is crisp at any zoom.
PDF (from scan)	Avoid	Scanned paper plans are low-resolution images — dimension text becomes blurry pixels that DesignSure may misread. If scanning is unavoidable, use 300 DPI minimum in colour (not greyscale). A 150 DPI scan will have significantly reduced accuracy.
JPG / PNG	Acceptable	Minimum 300 DPI. Ensure annotation text is sharp and legible. PDF from CAD is always preferred.
Phone photos	Not recommended	Photos of plans suffer from uneven lighting, perspective distortion, and low effective DPI. Results will be unreliable.

Upload limits

Maximum 10 files per submission
Maximum 30 MB total across all files
Name files clearly — e.g., Site-Plan.pdf, Elevations.pdf, Shadow-Diagram.pdf

Separate your sheets

Split multi-sheet PDFs into separate files by drawing type where practical
One file per drawing type helps DesignSure process plans faster and more accurately

Scale-only plans

Plans with a stated scale but no written dimension annotations can still be processed, but DesignSure will rely on scale measurement (medium confidence). PDF export from CAD software can distort scales. Always add text annotations for critical dimensions.

Section 8

Pre-upload checklist

Use this checklist before uploading to maximise the accuracy and confidence of your DesignSure report.

Site plan

North point — true north, clearly labelled
All boundary dimensions annotated (sum all segments for irregular lots)
Boundaries labelled with position + compass direction (e.g. “LEFT (WEST) BOUNDARY”)
Total site area shown or calculable
All setbacks to external wall face (front setback to main wall, not porch)
Driveways, paths, paved areas shown
Car parking spaces dimensioned
Private open space — area (m²) and minimum dimension (m) annotated
Walls on boundaries — length and height per boundary (left and right separately)
Fence heights and setbacks noted
Neighbour building setbacks from boundary + HRW positions shown
Porch/verandah setback and height annotated separately (if closer than main wall)

Elevations

NGL datum line on every elevation
Wall height — NGL to top of wall (eave/gutter, NOT ridge)
Building height — NGL to ridge (separate from wall height)
Boundary wall height shown separately on elevation if different from main wall
Window sill heights (boundary-facing)
Each elevation named with compass direction (e.g. “North Elevation”)
Consistent NGL across all elevations

Floor plans

All rooms labelled by name (habitable: bedroom, living, kitchen, study. NOT habitable: WIR, ensuite, laundry)
External dimensions shown
Windows and doors marked
Separate floor plans for each level (ground and upper)
North point consistent with site plan
Existing vs proposed distinguished with legend (additions)

Shadow diagram (Full Check only)

Date stated: 22 September
Three shadows: 9am, noon, 3pm
Shadows extend onto neighbouring lots (include fence shadows)
North point consistent with site plan
Neighbour windows within 3m shown
Neighbour POS locations and areas shown
Both existing AND proposed shadows shown (additions)

Additions & alterations (extra items)

Drawing legend showing existing vs proposed vs demolished line styles
Setbacks annotated to PROPOSED walls (not existing building)
Proposed boundary wall length and height annotated per boundary
Cumulative site analysis table (existing + proposed totals)

File format

PDF exported directly from CAD (not scanned or photographed) — this is the preferred format
Text on the PDF is selectable (not a raster image)
Files named clearly by drawing type
Under 10 files / 30 MB total
If scanned, minimum 300 DPI in colour