IS 962 : 1989Code of practice for architectural and building drawings

IS 962:1989 is the code of practice for architectural and building drawings. It standardises how building drawings are prepared and presented — sheet sizes and layout, scales, line types and weights, symbols and conventions, dimensioning, abbreviations, the title block and revision control. It is the drawing-language standard that makes a set of construction documents unambiguous across architects, structural and services engineers, contractors and approving authorities.

It is read with the wider drafting/documentation stack:

• IS 696 — code of practice for general engineering drawings
• IS 11065 (parts) — recommendations for building/services drawing practice
• NBC 2016 Part 2 — administration / drawing submission requirements
• IS 1200 — measurement (drawings are the basis of BoQ and measurement)

The conventions that matter on every drawing set:

• Sheet sizes — the A-series (A0–A4), with defined borders, folding and the title block (project, drawing title, scale, number, revision, dates, signatories)
• Scales — preferred ratios for site plans, general arrangement, sections and details (e.g. 1:100/1:50 GA, 1:20/1:10/1:5 details)
• Line types and thickness — continuous thick (visible edges), thin (dimension/leader), dashed (hidden), chain (centre/grid), so a section reads correctly without ambiguity
• Symbols and material hatching — doors, windows, sanitary fittings, materials in section (brick, concrete, earth, insulation)
• Dimensioning — chains, running dimensions, levels (FFL/SFL), grid references, north point
• Revision control — clouding, revision triangle and the revision table — the part most often ignored, and the cause of most build-to-superseded-drawing errors

Task: prepare a ground-floor general-arrangement drawing to IS 962.

Step 1 — sheet: A1 sheet, standard border and title block; title block carries project, drawing no. (with discipline + zone code), scale, revision, prepared/checked/approved.

Step 2 — scale: GA at 1:100; enlarged toilet/stair details cross-referenced at 1:20.

Step 3 — grid + levels: structural grid lettered/numbered, north point shown, finished-floor level (e.g. +0.000 = FFL, datum noted) and key levels tagged.

Step 4 — line discipline: walls in continuous thick lines, grid in chain-thin, hidden services dashed, dimensions/leaders thin — so the sheet is legible at print scale.

Step 5 — dimensioning: overall → grid → opening chains, no missing or contradictory strings; openings scheduled, not dimensioned twice.

Step 6 — revisions: any change clouded with a revision triangle and logged in the revision table before re-issue 'Good For Construction'.

1. No or sloppy revision control. Un-clouded changes and a blank revision table are *the* cause of work built to a superseded drawing — the single most expensive documentation failure.

2. Inconsistent line weights/types. When everything is one line thickness, sections and hidden detail become ambiguous and get misread on site.

3. Scale not stated / drawings scaled when 'do not scale' applies. Always dimension; never let site measure off a print whose plot scale is uncertain.

4. Missing datum/north/grid. Levels without a stated datum and plans without a north point and grid produce setting-out errors.

5. Non-standard title block / numbering. A drawing register only works if numbering and the title block are disciplined and consistent across all disciplines.

• IS 696 — code of practice for general engineering drawing
• IS 11065 (parts) — building drawing practice / services drawings
• IS 8888 / IS 10711 — sizes and layout of drawing sheets
• NBC 2016 Part 2 — administration (drawing/document submission)
• IS 1200 — methods of measurement (BoQ derives from the drawings)
• [IS 962] companion: IS 962 itself for architectural/building-specific conventions

IS 962 predates CAD/BIM, so its sheet/line/symbol conventions now live inside CAD layer standards, plot-style tables and BIM template/CDE workflows rather than ink pens — but the underlying discipline (consistent line hierarchy, correct scales, rigorous revision control, a clean title block) is exactly what a coordinated BIM deliverable still needs, and ISO 19650 information-management practice is essentially IS 962's revision/issue discipline at project scale.

The enduring, costly failure mode has not changed with technology: building to a superseded revision. Whatever the toolset, enforce clouded revisions, a maintained revision table, a single source of truth in the CDE, and a controlled 'Good For Construction' issue. IS 962 is reaffirmed and still the locally-referenced drawing-practice code for statutory submissions and contracts.