Starta set.
You don’t need a polished brief or a tidy survey to reach out. You need a draftsman who’ll pick up. Send the roughest sketch you’ve got — we’ll turn it into paper a reviewer can’t bounce.
Tell us about the job
Phone’s faster for a quick scope. The form is best when you can describe the project in a few lines.
Don’t clean it up first
A dog-eared sketch with real dimensions beats a pretty picture with none. Here’s what actually moves a set forward on day one — gather what you’ve got, skip what you don’t.
- 1Whatever drawings existOld permit plans, a builder’s PDF, a napkin with the addition penciled on it — anything with geometry we can start from.
- 2Real measurementsTape numbers, laser readings, or a rough plan with dimensions written in. If you’ve got a Matterport or point cloud, even better.
- 3The county & the scopeTell us which jurisdiction stamps it and what you’re building. Catawba, Burke, Caldwell — each wants its title block a little different.
- 4Your deadlineSubmittal date, or the day footings get poured. We back-time the set from when you actually need it in hand.
Hours & billing
- Mon – Thu8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday8:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Sat – SunClosed
- Site visitsBy appointment
Walk-ins aren’t a thing here — book a call first so the right eyes are on your job. Sets are invoiced per project, net-15.
What builders ask before they call
No sales dance. Here’s how the first conversation usually goes.
Do I need measurements before I reach out?
No. Call first and describe the job. If there’s nothing to draw from, we’ll tell you exactly what to field-measure, or quote an as-built redraw so we capture it ourselves. Guessing on dimensions is the one thing that bounces a set — so we’d rather start right than start fast.
How fast can you turn a set around?
A first-draft set typically lands within 72 hours of us having your measurements. Full permit sets vary with scope, but you’ll get a firm date on the call — not a “we’ll see.” If you’re up against a submittal deadline, say so and we’ll back-time it.
What does it cost to talk to you?
Nothing. Scoping the job and quoting a flat per-set price is on us. You see the number before a single line gets drawn, and the meter never runs while a plan reviewer takes their time.
Do you work outside Hickory?
Regularly. We draw for builders across Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, and the surrounding counties, and know how each jurisdiction wants its title block and design criteria. Files move digitally, so the drawing happens wherever the project sits.
Will the set clear review the first time?
That’s the whole point. We check every set against the county’s own submittal checklist before it leaves the shop, and revisions until it’s signed off are baked into the price — not an upcharge the first time a reviewer circles something.
Stop waiting three weeks on plans that come back red-lined. One call starts the set.— The standing offer at Elysian Drafting