When Are Shop Drawings Approved in a Custom Project?
Approve shop drawings when the information needed to manufacture the agreed cabinetry is sufficiently resolved, not merely when the rendering looks attractive. Ask LeVika to identify the actual approval package and decision owners.
Review the coordinated set
Check plans, elevations, relevant sections and the cabinet schedule together. Confirm the project address, revision date and appliance references. Review fronts, interiors, exposed panels, finishes and interfaces with other work. A drawing may contain notes or assumptions that are easy to miss when looking only at the main elevation. Ask which selections remain open and whether any part of the package is being held from production until those questions are answered.
Separate comments from approval
Use clear language when responding: approved, changes requested or awaiting information. Identify the exact page or item and explain the requested change. A message saying looks good can be ambiguous if other questions remain in the same conversation. The client workspace provides decisions and document exchange, but the project team still needs to identify the specific revision covered by an approval. Do not assume approval of a 3D concept automatically approves every manufacturing detail.
Control the next revision
After changes, review the updated set and confirm which earlier version it replaces. Ask how a later request affects scope, cost and schedule before it reaches the shop. Keep one current package available to the people responsible for manufacture and coordination. The approval stage is most useful when it closes a defined set of decisions and leaves any exceptions visibly recorded. It should not become a formality that hides unresolved appliances, measurements or material choices behind a signature line.
Your next useful steps.
Three questions to bring.
- Does the set include plans, elevations, sections and the cabinet schedule?
- Which items are still open or held back from production?
- Which revision number does our approval cover?
Approval guidance. Approving a 3D concept does not approve manufacturing details; approvals are recorded against a named drawing revision.