General notes are the written rules that apply to a whole drawing set, or to a whole discipline within it: which codes and editions the design follows, which materials apply unless shown otherwise, how dimensions are read ("do not scale the drawings"), and what the contractor must check on site before building. They usually sit on the first sheet of the set (G-001) or on the first sheet of each discipline (A-001, S-001, M-001). Read them before any plan: a single general note can change how every other sheet is meant to be built.
General notes, sheet notes, keynotes and specifications
A set carries written information at four levels. The US National CAD Standard's Uniform Drawing System (Module 7, "Notations") sets out how notes are classified and placed; offices elsewhere use the same idea under different names.
| Type | Applies to | Where you find it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| General notes | The whole set | G-001 or the cover sheet | "Do not scale drawings. Written dimensions govern." |
| General discipline notes | One discipline | A-001, S-001, M-001 and so on | "Concrete strength 4,000 psi at 28 days unless noted otherwise." |
| Sheet notes | One sheet only, numbered on that sheet | A notes block beside the drawing | "3. Existing slab to remain in this area." |
| Keynotes | An element, with a short code tag on the drawing and the text in a legend | Tags on plans and details; legend on the sheet | A tag tied to a specification section number, such as 09 21 16 for gypsum board |
| Specifications | The quality of materials and workmanship | A separate project manual | The full requirements for gypsum board assemblies |
In the Uniform Drawing System the sheet type digit 0 means "general": symbols, legends, general notes and code summaries. That is why the notes live on sheets numbered 001 in each discipline.
What general notes usually contain
Architectural
- Dimensions: do not scale the drawings; written dimensions govern; which face dimensions are taken to (face of stud, face of finish, centre line).
- Verification: verify existing conditions and dimensions on site, and report discrepancies to the architect before starting the affected work.
- Coordination: read the architectural drawings together with the structural and MEP drawings and the specifications.
- Codes and standards: the building code and edition the design is based on, with local amendments, and references to accessibility and fire-rated assemblies.
- Abbreviations and symbols, or a pointer to the sheet that defines them.
Structural
In the United States, structural general notes carry information the building code requires on the construction documents. Section 1603.1 of the International Building Code requires the construction documents to show the sizes and locations of members, and the design loads and data used, among them:
- floor live loads (and any live load reduction used) and roof live load;
- roof snow load data and wind design data;
- earthquake design data (risk category, seismic importance factor, spectral response values, site class, seismic design category, seismic force-resisting system, analysis procedure);
- soil bearing values and, where relevant, flood design data;
- special loads; and, for systems that need special inspection for seismic resistance, the code asks for construction documents or specifications to be prepared for them.
The exact list and numbering differ between code editions and local amendments, and buildings designed under the code's conventional light-frame rules (section 2308) have a shorter list, so check the edition your jurisdiction has adopted. Beyond the code list, structural notes usually state the reference standards (for example ASCE 7, AISC 360, AWS D1.1), default material grades, concrete strength and cover, bolting defaults, and the statement of special inspections.
MEP
- Routing shown is diagrammatic; coordinate with architectural and structural drawings before installing.
- Field-verify the location of existing services.
- Install to the electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes in force, and the manufacturers' instructions.
- Permits, testing and commissioning responsibilities.
United Kingdom and Europe
The same notes appear in shorter form: "Do not scale. All dimensions to be checked on site. Any discrepancies to be reported to the architect (or contract administrator) before work proceeds. This drawing is to be read in conjunction with the specification and all relevant drawings." Specification clause references, such as NBS clauses in the UK, are often added as notation next to the elements they describe.
Do drawings or specifications govern?
It depends on the contract, not on the notes. The widely used AIA A201-2017 General Conditions (section 1.2.1) treat the contract documents as complementary: what one requires is as binding as if all required it. A201 itself does not rank drawings above specifications or the other way round; owners who want a ranking add an order of precedence in the supplementary conditions. Common clauses are that written dimensions govern over scaled ones and larger-scale drawings over smaller-scale ones. Some industry standards set their own rule: the AISC Code of Standard Practice for steel, when the contract adopts it, says the design drawings govern over the specifications.
A note such as "where documents conflict, the most stringent requirement governs" sounds safe but leaves open who decides what is most stringent. A clear order of precedence in the contract, and notes that do not repeat the specifications, avoid the argument.
Rules for writing good general notes
- Do not repeat the specifications. A long note that restates a specification section will sooner or later disagree with it. State the one value the drawings need (for example the concrete strength) and refer to the section for the rest.
- Name codes with their edition. "IBC 2021 as amended by [jurisdiction]" is checkable; "the current building code" is not.
- Review boilerplate on every project. Notes carried over from old projects are where references to superseded standards survive. An outdated code edition in the notes also makes a reader wonder what else was not checked. Some agencies tell designers in writing to review them: the South Carolina DOT's bridge standards, for example, ask the engineer to confirm that the standard notes suit each project and revise them when they do not.
- Say which discipline governs its own work. One plan reviewer, in Everett (Washington), asked for a note that the structural drawings control where they and the architectural drawings disagree.
- Number the notes so that an RFI, a comment or a revision can point to one of them.
How to read general notes as a contractor or reviewer
- Read them first, all of them. Defaults set there ("unless noted otherwise") apply wherever a drawing is silent.
- List the codes, editions and reference standards, and check them against what the jurisdiction has adopted and what your trade contracts assume.
- Mark the "verify in field" items and plan when each will be checked. Under AIA A201 (section 3.2.2) the contractor studies and compares the contract documents and the site before each part of the work and reports errors it finds as a request for information, reviewing as a builder, not as a design professional.
- Look for conflicts with the specifications and with the discipline notes of the other consultants, and ask early.
- Note the local overrides. A general bolting default can be overridden by a callout on one connection; inspectors start from the structural general notes for exactly this reason.
When general notes change between revisions
A changed general note can change every sheet that relies on it without any line moving on those sheets. The changed note should be clouded and tagged with a revision delta that matches the revision row in the title block. When a new issue arrives, compare the general notes sheets of the two issues before you compare individual plans: a new default concrete strength or a new code edition matters more than most moved lines.
Frequently asked questions
What are general notes on construction drawings?
Written requirements that apply to the whole set or to one discipline: codes and editions, default materials, how to read dimensions, and what to verify on site.
What is the difference between general notes and specifications?
General notes are short rules on the drawings. Specifications are the separate, detailed requirements for materials and workmanship. Good notes refer to the specifications instead of repeating them.
Where are general notes located in a drawing set?
On the general sheet at the front of the set (often G-001) and on the first sheet of each discipline, such as A-001 or S-001.
What does "do not scale drawings" mean?
Take sizes from written dimensions, not by measuring the printed drawing. Prints and PDFs can be resized, and drawings can contain small drafting errors. If a needed dimension is missing, ask; do not measure it off the sheet.
What are keynotes?
Short code tags placed on drawing elements, with the full text in a legend on the sheet. Many offices number them by specification section, so the tag also points to the specification.
Ncored is the desktop PDF editor we built in our architecture studio for drawing sets from AutoCAD, Revit, and ArchiCAD, on Windows and Mac (Apple Silicon). Its revision compare lays the old and new general notes sheets over each other, with added text in blue and removed text in red, so a changed note stands out before you open a single plan. Mark a question with a revision cloud and a comment on the note itself; markups are saved as standard PDF annotations that open in any PDF program. 14 days free. No signup, no email, nothing to enter.
Related: architectural sheet numbering, how to read construction drawings, how to review a revised drawing set.
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