HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a CAD designer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to CAD designers. Here is how to brief drawings for their real purpose, own the files and get the right formats.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a CAD designer in five steps

  1. Say what the drawings are forPlanning, building regulations, a builder's quote, a kitchen layout or manufacturing; each needs different detail.
  2. Provide measurements or book a surveyYour own measurements, old plans, or a site visit by the CAD designer at an agreed cost.
  3. Agree the drawing setFloor plans, elevations, sections, part drawings, with scale and annotations listed.
  4. Name the file formatsPDF for printing, DWG or DXF for builders and architects, STEP for manufacturers.
  5. Agree who owns the CAD filesCopyright in the drawings and the editable files assigned to you, or clearly licensed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses CAD designers or draughtspeople in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is required to produce drawings. The drawings do not themselves grant planning permission or building regulations approval.

Ask for sample drawings made for the same purpose as yours and a client you can contact.

Planning permission and Building Regulations are separate

Getting planning permission does not cover Building Regulations, and gov.uk notes many projects need both approvals; Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own systems. Drawings prepared for one may not satisfy the other.

Ask the CAD designer which approval the drawings are for and whether they will meet that body's requirements. gov.uk →

Building warrant in Scotland

In Scotland the owner is responsible for having a building warrant where one is needed, and drawings for it are part of the application. Work without one can lead the council to act.

If you are in Scotland, ask who will prepare and submit the warrant drawings. mygov.scot →

Copyright in the drawings

Drawings are artistic works under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, owned by the freelance CAD designer until assigned in writing and signed (section 90). Without that, reusing them with another builder or manufacturer can be disputed.

Get an assignment, or a licence letting you use and share the drawings for the project. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Drawing work is standard-rated, so a registered CAD designer adds 20% to the drawing set, the measured survey and later revisions; planning and Building Regulations fees paid to the council are separate. Registration becomes compulsory once a CAD designer has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the CAD designer for the VAT number and for the drawing fee, the survey and the VAT to appear as separate figures. gov.uk →

“Have you drawn CAD plans for this purpose before?”

A good answer: Examples for planning, building regulations or manufacturing, matching your need.

“Who measures, and how accurate will the design drawings be?”

A good answer: A site survey or your measurements, with the tolerance the drawings are good to.

“Will the drawings be enough for the application or the manufacturer?”

A good answer: An honest answer: a CAD designer who knows what a planning or building control application needs, or who says when an architect or engineer is required.

“Which file formats will the designer deliver?”

A good answer: PDFs plus the editable DWG, DXF or STEP files, named in the quote.

“How many rounds of CAD changes are included in the design price?”

A good answer: A number, and the cost of later dimension or layout changes.

“Will I own the design drawings and files?”

A good answer: Yes, by a signed assignment, or a licence that lets you share them with anyone working on the project.

“Are structural calculations or application fees included in the design fee?”

A good answer: Usually not; the CAD designer says who provides them and what they cost.

Getting the quote right

  • The drawing set: each plan, elevation, section or part drawing listed
  • Who actually attends the site survey and draws the plans: the CAD designer named, an employee, or a subcontracted draughtsperson
  • Site survey or measuring: included or extra
  • Revision rounds and the rate for later changes
  • File formats: PDF and editable CAD files
  • Ownership or licence of the drawings
  • What is not included: fees, structural calculations, renders
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the drawing and survey fee as a separate line

Walk away if

  • Says the drawings will "get you planning" on their own
  • No samples for the purpose you need
  • Only PDFs, no editable files
  • No measuring plan, with drawings based on guesses
  • Refuses to let you share the drawings with your builder
  • Full payment before a first draft

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

CAD designers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BriefPurpose, references, sketches and measurements agreed.
  2. SurveyMeasurements taken or checked where included.
  3. DraftingThe 2D drawings or 3D model produced in CAD.
  4. ChecksDimensions and notes checked against the brief and any application requirements.
  5. DeliveryDrawings in the agreed formats, with the assignment or licence.

DWG
The common editable CAD file format used by architects and builders.
DXF
A CAD exchange format many programs and cutting machines can read.
Elevation
A drawing of one face of a building or object.
Section
A drawing showing a slice through a building or part.
Tolerance
How far a dimension may vary in manufacture.
Building warrant
The approval needed in Scotland before certain building work starts.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the dimensionsMeasure a few key distances on site against the drawings before anyone orders materials.
Keep the editable filesDWG, DXF or STEP files with the PDFs, so changes later do not start from scratch.
Track the applicationIf the drawings go to planning or building control, keep the reference and any requests for changes.
Your reviewBooked work is the only kind reviewed on Locufy, which makes each review of the CAD designer worth reading. Use the make-it-right step first if anything is unresolved.

STEP 1Tell the CAD designer, in writingEmail the CAD designer with the facts, the evidence and a date for a reply. Reasonable care and skill is a term the Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads into every service a trader sells you, and a shortfall entitles you to have it redone or pay less.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the job under four stars and you can send it to the CAD designer through the make-it-right step. We keep track of it, then you post the review.
STEP 3No regulator: use the consumer helplineNo regulator oversees CAD designers. If the CAD designer will not respond, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Claim the money backWhen the CAD designer has had a fair chance and nothing has changed, small claims is built for you to use yourself: £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a CAD designer: questions people ask

No. No licence, register or qualification applies in any UK nation.

No drawing does that alone. Planning permission and building regulations approval are separate decisions by the authorities, and you may need both.

The CAD designer owns the copyright until it is assigned to you in a signed document. Ask for an assignment or a licence to share them with your builder.

We have not found a UK publisher whose CAD designer figures we can stand behind. 2D or 3D, the level of detail, measuring on site and redrawing old plans set the price. Get written quotes from two or three CAD designers for the same brief, and read the CAD designer price guide for what drives them.

PDFs to print, plus editable DWG or DXF for builders and architects, or STEP for manufacturers.

Simple drawings take hours or days; detailed sets one to three weeks.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: 3D ModellerHow to hire: Graphic DesignerHow to hire: IllustratorHow to hire: Project ManagerHow to hire: UX / UI DesignerHow to hire: AnimatorHow to hire: Brand DesignerHow to hire: Web DesignerAll 701 hiring guides →

CAD designers near you

CAD designers in LondonCAD designers in ManchesterCAD designers in BirminghamCAD designers in GlasgowCAD designers in BelfastAll cad designers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — building regulations approval
  2. gov.uk — planning permission (England and Wales)
  3. mygov.scot — if a builder is doing the work for you
  4. nidirect — how to apply for building regulations approval
  5. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  8. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  9. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register