The drafting money problem
- Revisions without end. A plan set goes through rounds of client changes, and the fee was quoted as one number.
- Paid through someone else. When you draft for a building designer or builder, your money waits on their client paying them, then on them paying you.
- Small jobs, same admin. A A$900 as-built set takes as long to invoice and chase as a A$9,000 one.
How DrafterShare is planned to help drafters
You set up a job as a short list of stages: measure-up, existing conditions, proposed drawings, working drawings. Each stage can carry a revision allowance (for example, two rounds), and anything beyond it is raised as a variation the client approves before you start.
When you draft as part of someone else’s job, the lead practice adds you to their schedule. Your line is visible to you, the client pays the stage once, and your share is planned to be paid to you directly with an invoice in your name.
Workflow example: drafting for a renovation
- Measure-up and existing drawings
- A$1,320 on booking
- Proposed plans, 2 revision rounds included
- A$1,980 on client sign-off
- Third revision round (variation, client-approved)
- A$385
- Working drawings for the builder
- A$1,650 on issue
An example of how a drafter might stage a job, not a recommended fee.
What it won’t do
It isn’t CAD software and won’t touch your drawings. It isn’t accounting software either: it is planned to sync paid invoices to Xero first. Everything described here is planned or in development: DrafterShare is pre-launch, and payments will run through a regulated payments provider once live. You can try the workflow now in the live demo with sample data.