Home › FAQ › Floor Plan Dimensions FAQ › How to read a floor plan for a house?

How to read a floor plan for a house?

To read a floor plan for a house, start with the title block, scale, and north arrow. The title block identifies the sheet, drawing scale, date, and revisions, and the north arrow orients the house on the site. Then find the exterior walls, interior partitions, room names, and room dimensions.

A label such as 12'-0" × 14'-0" generally gives a room's width and depth.

Next come the symbols. Doors show as breaks in walls with a curved swing arc for the direction of travel. Windows are breaks or thin lines in exterior walls. Cabinets, sinks, toilets, showers, appliances, stairs, closets, and fireplaces each have conventional symbols. Walls drawn thicker than the rest may be exterior or structural, though the plan notes should confirm that.

Take dimensions from the dimension lines rather than guessing from the page, and check whether they reference finished walls, framing, exterior walls, or centerlines. Look for notes on ceiling heights, materials, electrical outlets, plumbing, and sections. The floor plan explains the layout; other sheets carry the structural and construction details.