How to Prepare Drawings for a Lighting Quotation

A lighting quotation is only ever as good as the information behind it. When a supplier prices from a vague fitting count, every unknown — ceiling void, dimming protocol, fire rating — becomes an assumption, and assumptions resurface later as variations, substitutions and programme delay. This guide sets out exactly what to send, in what format and at what stage, so the quotation you receive reflects the project you are actually building.

Which drawings help

You do not need a finished lighting design to request a quotation. What matters is that the drawings you already have describe the spaces, the ceilings and the intent. In rough order of usefulness:

• Reflected ceiling plans (RCPs) — the single most useful drawing. An RCP shows fitting positions, bulkheads, shadow gaps and ceiling features, and lets a reviewer check spacing, symmetry and buildability in one pass.
• Floor plans with furniture — lighting serves tasks and surfaces, not empty rooms. A furnished plan shows where the dining table, island, sofas and beds actually sit, which is what decides where light should fall.
• Sections — floor-to-ceiling heights, ceiling build-ups, staircase voids and changes of level. Sections reveal whether a recessed fitting will physically fit before anyone orders it.
• Joinery drawings — wardrobes, shelving, dressing rooms and kitchens are where integrated LED details live. Shelf thicknesses and reveal dimensions determine which profiles are possible.
• Bathroom layouts — required to establish IP zones around baths and showers.
• Any existing lighting or electrical layout — even a superseded one communicates circuiting logic and intent.

Formats, scale and revision discipline

PDF is the working currency of drawing review: it is universal, easy to annotate and preserves line weights. DWG or DXF becomes valuable at technical design stage, when fitting positions and quantities are measured rather than estimated. Whatever the format, three habits make review dramatically faster:

• Include a scale bar or state the scale. A plan that cannot be measured cannot have its spacing or beam coverage checked.
• Keep revision references visible and send one current set. Quoting against revision C while site builds revision E is the most common source of quantity errors.
• Name files clearly — level, zone and revision in the file name saves a whole round of questions.

The information that changes a quotation

Beyond the drawings themselves, a short list of facts changes what can be specified and what it costs. Where these are unknown, a well-prepared quotation will state its assumptions — but confirmed answers remove risk from the price:

• Ceiling build-up and void depth — a 60 mm void and a 150 mm void call for different downlight bodies, and plaster-in fittings need the ceiling detail confirmed before they can be committed.
• Cut-out constraints — in a refurbishment, existing holes fix diameters before any other decision is made.
• Fire-rating requirements — fire-rated ceilings restrict which recessed fittings, hoods or covers are acceptable.
• IP zones in bathrooms — fitting positions relative to baths and showers dictate minimum IP ratings.
• Dimming protocol — DALI, mains phase dimming, 1–10 V or a proprietary control system. Drivers must match the protocol, so this one decision touches nearly every line of the schedule.
• Emergency provisions — whether any fittings must carry emergency conversion, typically in communal or commercial areas.
• Programme dates — lead times vary by finish and factory. Knowing when first fix and second fix land allows long-lead items to be flagged early.

What a complete lighting brief contains

A complete brief is short. A single page attached to the drawing set is enough for most projects, covering:

• Project address, current stage and target programme dates.
• The drawing list with revisions, and which rooms or levels are in scope.
• Ceiling types and void depths — or an honest note that they are unconfirmed.
• The dimming or control system, if one has been chosen.
• Any fittings already selected or to be matched, with product references.
• Budget position, even as a range — it steers the specification toward realistic product families from the outset.

What happens after you submit

The process is deliberately simple. First comes review: the drawings are read room by room against the brief, checking ceiling conditions, spacing and any obvious conflicts — the same discipline applied in a formal drawing review. Second, questions: anything ambiguous becomes a short written list rather than a silent assumption. Third, the schedule: a room-by-room fitting schedule is drafted, with driver and dimming compatibility checked against the stated control system. Finally, the quotation itself — itemised against the schedule, with lead times and any provisional areas clearly marked. A clean drawing set shortens every one of these steps.

What to send at each project stage

Ready when you are

The fastest route to an accurate price is simply to send what you have. Upload your drawings with a short note on stage and programme, and the review can begin — gaps and all. Missing information becomes a question list, not a barrier.