Let’s be honest—architecture is not all pretty sketches and dramatic reveals of Space-Age models. Behind every blow-your-mind design is a fat stack of mundane tasks: drafting elevations, adjusting 3D models, correcting floor plan dimensions for the fifth time because a bathroom somehow encroaches on the kitchen. Ring a bell?
Architects, particularly owners of their own architectural design firms, typically find themselves wedged between their artistic vision and a blizzard of technical specifics. That’s where outsourcing to the experts at industry giant Cad Crowd comes in like a suave consultant in the midst of a disorganized site meeting—calm, productive, and with skills to make your work simpler.
Whether you’re a one-person studio designing eco-lodges or a mid-size firm juggling urban residential towers, the key is knowing what to outsource and why. So, sharpen your pencils (or, more realistically, adjust your mouse grip), and let’s explore the top design and drafting tasks that architectural firms should seriously consider outsourcing.
🚀 Table of contents
- 2D drafting and construction documentation
- 3D modeling & rendering
- BIM modeling and Revit family creation
- As-built drawing preparation
- Schematic design drafting
- Permit set preparation and code compliance reviews
- CAD standards & template development
- Post-design presentation graphics
- Interior detailing & joinery drawings
- Quantity takeoffs and BOQs
- BONUS: Virtual design assistance
- Outsourcing doesn’t mean losing control
- Final thoughts: Work smarter, not harder
2D drafting and construction documentation
Let’s get real: no one graduates from architecture school envisioning notching door swings or marking the fire exit path. However, construction documents are what make each and every project possible. They’re important, technical, and—let’s face it—time consuming.
Tasking an outside party to complete 2D drafting services such as:
- Floor plans
- Elevations
- Sections
- Reflected ceiling plans
- MEP coordination overlays will give your internal team time to spend on higher-level design and client consultation.
Most outsourced architectural drafting services focus on producing code-compliant, permit-ready construction sets. They’ll take your schematic drawings and make them shine, usually overnight (time zone magic, anyone?). And companies that experience high-speed growth—i.e., from five to fifteen projects simultaneously—tend to find this work easiest to outsource without compromising control.
3D modeling & rendering
We all know how clients insist, “It’s difficult for me to visualize.” Here come: professional 3D models and photorealistic renderings.
But creating realistic renders with flawless lighting, shadow dance, and natural textures requires ability, tooling, and hours of your time. By farming out services such as:
- 3D massing studies
- Interior & exterior rendering
- Animation flythroughs
- Furniture and material modeling
You provide your company a dramatic boost in visual storytelling—without tapping out your team’s bandwidth.
Pro tip: There are dedicated 3D rendering services that specialize in nothing but kitchen renders. Or high-end bathrooms. Or Bauhaus-style minimalist office spaces. Mastering their niche can help turn your idea into reality sooner and better than the majority of internal generalists.
BIM modeling and Revit family creation
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is no longer a buzzword—it’s an expectation from the client and more often than not, a requirement in the contract.
If you’ve attempted to build parametric Revit families from scratch, you already know: it’s not exactly page-turning. The advantage of outsourcing BIM work is the accuracy and detail that specialists provide. You can outsource:
- Entire BIM model creation from 2D plans
- Clash detection and coordination models
- Custom Revit family libraries
- LOD 100 to LOD 500 deliverables
To offshoring professionals who do this day in, day out. That’s hours (if not days) saved, and coordination problems avoided down the line.
Outsourced BIM modeling is particularly useful during design development and documentation phases, and it is particularly important when working with engineering design experts and consultants in different time zones.
As-built drawing preparation
Got a renovation or adaptive reuse project? You likely require as-built drawings—those accurate records of current conditions. Cue the feared tape measure (or, in current times, the laser scanner) and the task of recording every nook and cranny of the building.
Instead, you can outsource it in two ways:
- Hire a local (or your own) person to conduct a digital site scan.
- Send the point cloud or photos to an outsourced team that converts the data into clean CAD or BIM files.
This task is often overlooked when it comes to outsourcing, but can be a real bottleneck if you’re managing multiple renovations at once. A specialist team can deliver polished as-builts in days, complete with structural and MEP elements.
RELATED: Why architects outsource 3D modeling services and the benefits for your design company
Schematic design drafting
Even early-stage design work can be outsourced with the right team and a clear brief. Let’s say you’ve got a backlog of site analysis, zoning research, and conceptual sketches to convert into viable layouts. Why not outsource the initial blocking and space planning?
Many architectural firms send rough site sketches and bullet-point programs to external architectural design experts who return them with:
- Basic massing studies
- Bubble diagrams
- Preliminary layouts and room allocations
This allows the firm to refine, not start from scratch. It’s particularly useful when deadlines overlap or when you’re preparing design options for client presentations.
The key here? Communication and iteration. This task is best outsourced to people you’ve worked with before—or to someone open to frequent feedback loops.
Permit set preparation and code compliance reviews
Let’s get real: building codes are the kale of the architectural world. Good for you? Yes. Fun to work with? Not often.
Coding research and documentation outsourced to skilled professionals translates to:
- Less time spent deciphering amendments in building ordinances
- Permit a set delivery that is quicker
- Less redlining by city planners
Some offshore architecture teams work in U.S., Canadian, or Australian code regulations and are able to produce permit-ready drawings custom-tailored for local authorities. It’s similar to employing your own virtual compliance department.
CAD standards & template development
Your studio employs three individuals who are each utilizing three disparate title block designs and some obscure font dubbed “Helvetica-ish” when it should have an eight-figure draft standards list:
- Title blocks
- _LINE weights
- _Layers
- View templates
Keeps everyone on the same page. You can outsource this once and save a lifetime of hours later.
This is a one-time or regular chore that doesn’t require your design input but greatly enhances your team’s productivity. Bonus: Most outsourced CAD experts will freshen up your templates and libraries each year if you have them on retainer.
RELATED: How 3D rendering helps collaboration between clients and design services companies
Post-design presentation graphics
The design’s complete, the sketches are crisp—but now the client needs a slick presentation board for their investors, or a mockup of a site sign. Come in:
- Diagrams
- Graphics of site analysis
- Marketing flyers
- Infographics
- Project portfolios
Presentation graphics aren’t necessarily hard to do technically, but they suck away precious creative juice. Instead, outsource to a graphics-aware team who can give your work that Canva-speed finesse and Adobe Illustrator-grade sophistication.
Plus, if you’ve ever spent Saturday night fine-tuning a color-coded zoning diagram, this one’s a no-brainer.
Interior detailing & joinery drawings
Detailed millwork drawings are essential for interiors. And time-consuming. Custom cabinetry, restaurant counters, hotel wardrobes—they all need precise joinery sections, material callouts, and coordination with MEP services.
Outsourcing detailing services to a dedicated joinery documentation team gives you:
- Faster turnaround for interior packages
- Fewer on-site surprises
- Professional-grade, fabrication-ready outputs
This exercise is particularly helpful for companies carrying out retail, hospitality, or luxury residential interiors where detailing will make or break the design.
Quantity takeoffs and BOQs
You may think this is in the contractor’s territory, but early quantity takeoffs can assist architects in remaining within budget and impressing clients with cost-saving decisions from the start.
Works such as:
- Material takeoffs
- Area calculations
- Bill of quantities (BOQ)
- Cost estimation sheets
It can be farmed out to experts who know cost-estimating software and standards. Especially at schematic or design development phases, these reports can enhance your proposals’ competitiveness.
BONUS: Virtual design assistance
This is not one task—it’s a job. A virtual design assistant (VDA) can do a little of everything:
- Managing files
- Updates to drafting
- Meeting notes for clients
- Redline revisions
- Research on building systems
Imagine it as your studio sidekick at home. Countless companies across the US, UK, and Australia have employed VDAs to their workforce for less than half the expense of hiring in-house junior architect talent. It’s a solution to keep your projects rolling overnight (again, hello time zones).
RELATED: Pros and cons of outsourcing 3D rendering services and visualization for your company
Outsourcing doesn’t mean losing control
One of the greatest outsourcing myths? That it compromises on quality or imagination. Nope. When done properly, outsourcing:
- Amplifies your core strengths
- Expands your service offering
- Boosts turnaround times
- Reduces overheads
The secret is selecting the right partner. Begin small, set expectations, and utilize collaborative tools such as Trello, Asana, Slack, or BIM 360. Clear briefs, regular feedback, and frequent video check-ins will make your outsourced team an effortless extension of your in-house studio.
Final thoughts: Work smarter, not harder
Architecture is half poetry, half logistics. The poetry half? Keep that in-house—your creative essence, your personal style, your client connections. But the logistics? Those can be farmed out to experts who live on redlines and parametric modeling for breakfast.
Whether you’re drowning in deadlines, wanting to grow, or simply tired of working 14-hour days, strategic outsourcing can assist you in staying focused on what you do best: designing spaces that inspire, last, and delight.
So go ahead. Assign that rendering. Outsource that BIM model to the professionals at Cad Crowd. And leave your creative juice where it should be—at the center of your next work of art. Call us today and ask for a free quote.
