A drafting backlog is one of the quickest ways to stall an architecture, engineering or construction firm. Permit sets slip, shop drawings queue up behind each other, and senior staff end up redlining at midnight. If you are deciding how to hire a draftsperson, you have three realistic options. Here is how they compare.
What a draftsperson does
A draftsperson turns design intent and markups into accurate technical drawings: floor plans, elevations, sections, details, permit sets, construction documents and shop drawings. Depending on your discipline that may be architectural, structural, civil or MEP drafting, in AutoCAD, Revit or both. Strong drafters also manage sheet sets, layer and title-block standards, and keep drawings coordinated as the design changes.
Option 1: hire in-house in the US
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $68,090 for drafters in May 2025, and $66,150 for architectural and civil drafters specifically (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Add benefits, payroll taxes, software licences, workstation costs and recruiting time.
- Best for: firms with steady, long-term drafting volume and a need for someone on site.
- Trade-off: highest cost, and the slowest to hire. A permanent hire is hard to scale down when work slows.
Option 2: freelance or per-project drafting
Freelancers and drafting bureaus bill per sheet or per hour. That works well for one-off overflow, but quality and availability vary from project to project, and you rarely get the same person twice.
- Best for: occasional spikes, such as a single permit set or a one-time as-built package.
- Trade-off: no continuity. Every new freelancer has to learn your standards from scratch, and you compete with their other clients for turnaround time.
Option 3: a dedicated remote draftsperson, full-time
A full-time remote draftsperson works only on your projects, in your CAD standards and on your hours, but without US payroll. Through HireArchitects, a full-time draftsperson, architectural drafter or CAD drafter starts from $1,999 per month, and structural drafters from $2,099. Most work within one to three hours of US time zones.
- Best for: firms with ongoing drafting volume that want continuity and lower cost.
- Trade-off: remote collaboration needs clear markups, a shared file system and a weekly rhythm of reviews. It works best when you treat the drafter as part of the team, not an outside vendor.
Skills to test before you hire
- Software in your stack. AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, SketchUp or Bluebeam: test the one you actually use, not a general CAD skill.
- Standards discipline. Layer naming, line weights, dimension styles, title blocks and sheet organisation. Ask for a sample sheet set, not just renderings.
- Reading markups. Give a redlined PDF and see how accurately and quickly the changes are picked up.
- US conventions. Imperial units, US construction details and, for permit work, familiarity with local code-driven drawing requirements.
- Communication. Can they flag a conflict in the drawings before drafting around it?
A simple hiring checklist
- Define the drawing types and discipline: architectural, structural, civil, MEP or shop drawings.
- List your software and versions, and share your CAD or BIM standards document.
- Decide hours and overlap with your team (full US business hours or partial).
- Run a short paid test on a real sheet from a past project.
- Plan the first two weeks: file access, template files, a buddy on your team and a first small deliverable.
Which option is right for you?
If drafting volume is occasional, a freelancer is fine. If you need someone in the office every day, hire locally. But if drafting is a constant part of your workload and the backlog keeps growing, a dedicated remote draftsperson usually gives you the best mix of continuity, speed and cost.
Need drafting capacity this month? Tell us your software and drawing types and we will shortlist three vetted draftspersons within 24 hours. You can also see sample profiles on our hire draftspersons page.
