On the design drawing the drainage run is one clean line. On site, the bottom of the pipe meets a beam flange and the ductwork has already taken the space underneath. The design was not wrong. It said what size of pipe was needed and where it had to go. It never said at what height the pipe passes under that particular beam.
MEP shop drawings are the set the MEP contractor produces to answer exactly that: what is installed, where, at what height, and with which equipment. This article places them between the construction design and the as-built record under the two Vietnamese decrees in force from 1 July 2026. It then lists the eight groups of sheets in a set and walks through six steps to produce them from a Revit 2027 model. Newcomers may want to read what MEP is first. To build a full set on a sample building, the Institute runs a Revit MEP course.
What is a shop drawing, and what makes MEP ones different
A shop drawing is prepared by the party doing the work, from the approved design, to show exactly how something will be fabricated and installed. It does not replace the design. It adds three things the designer did not have when drawing.
The real equipment. The design gives a pump's flow and head. The shop drawing shows the actual approved pump, with its base, flanges and maintenance clearance.
The real structure. Beams, slabs and sleeves as cast can differ from the structural drawings. Services follow what was cast.
The other trades. Ductwork, chilled water, plumbing, sprinklers and cable trays all compete for the same ceiling void. That is why most of the effort in MEP shop drawings goes into coordination between systems.
Legally, the term does not exist in Vietnam. Decree 207/2026/ND-CP on construction quality, construction work and maintenance, and Decree 210/2026/ND-CP on construction contracts, never use the words "shop drawing". The closest provision is Article 8 of Decree 210. The scope of a construction contract "may also include … producing the construction design drawings developed after the technical design, as agreed in the contract" (our translation).
So who prepares, who reviews, who approves and how long it takes are all set by each project's contract and specification.
Construction drawings, shop drawings and as-built drawings
The three follow one another. The construction design says what the system needs, the shop drawing says how it will be installed, and the as-built drawing records what was actually installed.
On as-built drawings the decree is specific. Article 2 of Decree 207 defines them as drawings of the completed work "showing the location, dimensions, materials and equipment actually used". The construction contractor prepares them under Appendix II (Article 15), and the construction supervisor checks and certifies them (Article 20).
Appendix IIb sets out how. Where the actual dimensions stay within the permitted tolerance, the construction drawing is photocopied, stamped and signed by the parties. Where a value changed, the actual figure is written in brackets beside the old one. Parts that will be hidden must have an as-built drawing, or be measured, before the next piece of work goes ahead.
That last rule touches MEP more than any other trade: pipes above ceilings, in shafts, cast into slabs. Which sheet counts as the "construction drawing" to be photocopied, the design sheet or the approved shop drawing, the decree does not say. Settle it in the contract.
Eight sheet groups in a set of MEP shop drawings
No decree prescribes a list of sheets. The list below is the usual split of work for an MEP contractor, enough for a crew to install without having to ask.
| # | Sheet group | What the sheet must show |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Index, general notes, legend | Sheet list with revisions, symbols, the elevation datum, materials per system |
| 2 | Plans per system per level | One system per sheet, dimensioned to grids, with sizes and bottom elevations |
| 3 | Combined services plans | All systems overlaid to expose the crossings |
| 4 | Coordination sections | Which system sits above which, and the clearance left to the ceiling |
| 5 | Plant rooms | Pump rooms, mechanical rooms, switch rooms: plinths and maintenance access |
| 6 | Risers and schematics | Risers floor by floor, valves, branch connections |
| 7 | Openings and sleeves | Penetrations through slabs, walls and beams, issued to the structural team before the pour |
| 8 | Supports and typical installation | Hangers, anti-vibration mounts, equipment connection details |
Groups 2 and 4 are the backbone: the plan gives the route, the section proves the route fits.
The Snowdon Towers sample project that ships with Revit 2027 splits its plumbing set the same way, by system and by level. P100–P106 are sanitary plans per level, P200–P206 reflected ceiling plans, P300–P303 sanitary riser sections, and P400–P406 domestic water plans.
What plumbing shop drawings need on top
Gravity drainage must fall continuously, so plumbing shop drawings give the slope of every run and the bottom elevation at both ends of it. A 160 mm uPVC run at 2% over 5 m horizontally has bottom elevations 100 mm apart: 2720 and 2620. One number for the whole run is wrong at one end at least.
Fixture rough-ins follow the catalogue of the exact model approved, because each model places its outlet differently. The pump room needs its own sheet for the valve assemblies, drawn around the real pumps.
Every sheet answers five questions from the installer
A good sheet is one the fitter can pick up without phoning anyone. Use these five questions as the check before signing.
| The installer asks | Shown on the sheet as | In Revit |
|---|---|---|
| Where? | Dimension to the nearest grid | Aligned dimension |
| How high? | Bottom elevation, with its datum | Spot Elevation, Bottom Elevation |
| How big? | Pipe diameter, duct and tray size | Tag by Category |
| What is it? | System, material, approved equipment code | Parameters in the tag |
| Which issue? | Sheet number, revision, date, signatures | Title block, Revisions |
"How high" has two things to pin down: bottom or centreline of the pipe, and measured from the finished floor of that level or from the project datum. State both once in the general notes and use them across the set.
The shop drawing process: prepare, coordinate, submit
The shop drawing process has eight steps. The loop between submitting and producing the sheets repeats until the sheet is accepted.
Steps 1, 4 and 8 deserve a word. Until the equipment is chosen, the plant rooms cannot be drawn. MEP coordination means linking the models, running clash detection with Collaborate › Coordinate › Interference Check or Navisworks, then agreeing an elevation zone for each system. The as-built step means measuring what will be hidden before the ceiling closes.
When the zones are allocated, gravity drainage usually keeps its route first. It needs a continuous fall, so it cannot rise over a beam, whereas pressurised pipes and cable trays change level far more easily. Linking models and clash checks are covered in linking Revit models. The people doing this work are often called shop drawing engineers; the article on MEP engineers covers that career.
Revit MEP shop drawings in six steps
Producing Revit MEP shop drawings means taking the sheets straight from the coordinated model, so one change in the model updates every related sheet. Each command already has its own article; what follows covers only what is specific to MEP.
Step 1: split plans by system with filters
Use View › Create › Duplicate View › Duplicate View to make one copy of the plan for each system. Type VV to open Visibility/Graphic Overrides and go to the Filters tab. Each row is a rule-based view filter, for example by pipe system, created with Edit/New. Clear Visibility and every element matching that filter leaves the view.
Add and Remove are greyed out because the view has a sanitary plan view template applied, so the template controls the filters. That is the right way to work: one template per sheet type, applied to every level. Building templates is covered in Revit templates.
Step 2: a coordination section through the ceiling void
Use View › Create › Section, click two points across the corridor, then double-click the section head to open it. On the view control bar, set Detail Level to Fine; at Coarse, a pipe is a single line and the clearances cannot be read.
This section was made in the plumbing model. The joists and ducts appear because the structural and HVAC models are linked in. Jogged sections and naming are covered in creating sections in Revit.
Step 3: setting-out dimensions
Annotate › Dimension › Aligned, click the grid, then the pipe centreline. Every run needs at least one dimension to the nearest grid. Dimension strings and locking are in dimensioning in Revit.
Step 4: pipe size and bottom elevation
Select a sloped pipe and the Properties palette already lists Upper End Top Elevation, Upper End Centerline Elevation, Lower End Centerline Elevation, Lower End Bottom Elevation, Lower End Invert Elevation and Slope.
To put the bottom elevation on the sheet:
- Annotate › Dimension › Spot Elevation.
- On the Modify | Place Dimensions tab, set Display Elevation to Bottom Elevation. The four choices are Actual (Selected) Elevation, Top Elevation, Bottom Elevation and Top & Bottom Elevations.
- Click the pipe near the end of the run, click again for the leader shoulder, and a third time to place the text.
- Repeat at the other end. A sloped pipe gives two different figures, +2.71 m and +2.62 m in the picture.
Pipe size goes on with Annotate › Tag › Tag by Category, shortcut TG. The pipe tag in the Institute's sample file reads TX-D160: the drainage system abbreviation and the diameter.
The 2027 page Elevation Properties for MEP Elements says these elevation parameters "can be tagged and scheduled, except for spot-based elevation parameters which can be tagged but cannot be scheduled". So a tag that shows the bottom at both the upper and the lower end only needs those two parameters in its label, as described in tags in Revit.
Step 5: place views on sheets
View › Sheet Composition › Sheet creates a new sheet; drag the view onto it from the Project Browser. Sheet Number and Sheet Name in Properties appear in the title block automatically.
Title blocks with approval boxes and a self-updating sheet list are covered in creating a title block in Revit.
Step 6: revise and issue
For every resubmission, add an entry under View › Sheet Composition › Revisions and mark the change with Annotate › Detail › Revision Cloud. Export PDF and DWG as described in exporting Revit drawings to CAD.
Why shop drawings come back rejected
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Installed height differs from the sheet | Sheet gives the centreline, the fitter measures the bottom; or no datum stated | Spot Elevation set to Bottom Elevation; datum in the general notes |
| Drainage run shows a single height | A sloped run has two bottom elevations | Give both ends, or put both end parameters in the tag |
| Section shows no beams or ducts | Models not linked, or switched off on the Revit Links tab | Link them and switch them back on under VV › Revit Links |
| Pump room dimensions are wrong | A generic family instead of the approved unit | Swap in the manufacturer's family before issuing |
Three common misunderstandings
| What you often read | What is actually the case |
|---|---|
| Shop drawings go to a state authority for approval | Decrees 207/2026 and 210/2026 do not mention shop drawings; the approving party is set by the contract |
| The shop drawing process starts with concept options and the building permit | That is the owner's and designer's work; shop drawings start once the design is approved and the equipment chosen |
| As-built drawings follow Decree 06/2021 | That decree ceased to have effect on 1 July 2026 and was replaced by Decree 207/2026 and its Appendix IIb |
In short, a good set of MEP shop drawings has eight groups of sheets, every sheet answers the installer's five questions, and every sheet comes from a coordinated model. Starting from scratch, the article on learning Revit MEP sets out the route stage by stage.
Frequently asked questions
Who approves MEP shop drawings?
The project's contract and specification decide. The reviewers are commonly the supervising consultant and the design consultant, and the approving party the owner.
How do shop drawings differ from as-built drawings?
Shop drawings are prepared before installation and say how it will be done. As-built drawings are prepared afterwards and record what was done, under Decree 207/2026.
Should MEP shop drawings be drawn in AutoCAD or Revit?
Both are in use. Revit produces sections, bottom elevations and tags from the model itself, so one change updates every sheet; Revit sheets still export to DWG.
Is there a sample plumbing set to practise on?
Revit 2027 installs the Snowdon Towers sample project in the Samples folder of the installation directory. Snowdon Towers Sample Plumbing.rvt contains drainage and water models and a design sheet set, enough to practise filtering, sectioning, elevations and sheets.
Should elevations be given at the centreline or the bottom of the pipe?
Hangers support pipes from below, so the bottom elevation is the figure the fitter uses directly to cut hanger rods. Either works, provided the general notes say which.