Computer Aided Design (CAD) Software in the Construction Industry

In the “old days,” central in most sizable construction companies was a drafting table.  On the drafting table, you drew, by hand, and made blueprints. This was a tedious endeavor requiring at least some training, either schooled or on the job, and some talent.  It was time consuming and you made original drawings often two by three feet or larger that required significant storage space.

Not long ago, Computer Aided Design, or CAD became available.  However, only the most elite construction companies could use this technology.  Not only did the software itself cost thousands of dollars, but the computers necessary to run it could cost well over a hundred thousand dollars.

Eventually, though, the software became affordable to even the smallest companies. Today, CAD software can be purchased for as little as $50 and added to your construction software arsenal. And with computers being so cheap, an additional $500 is all that is needed to set everything up and start using computer software to design construction projects.

It’s not all about cost; it’s about productivity, portability and enhancing the abilities of a builder. CAD software can be considered building software because many companies produce CAD programs that are enhanced for builders. There are two relative classes of CAD programs, which we will generically call high end and low end.  As we will see, high applications tend to be focued on analytical tools. Low-end applications focus on basic blueprints and visual renderings.

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