Deliverables Checklist
How to Effortlessly Track Project Deliverables for Small-firm Architects
Do you have a reliable, easy way to determine all the deliverables you’ll need to produce for a project? For years, I didn’t. It wasn’t until about two decades into my career that I stumbled onto a system that’s now indispensable to my workflow.
Let me share the concept—and why it’s a game changer.
Listen to Post as a Podcast
The Power of a Deliverables Spreadsheet
The idea is simple: create a master spreadsheet listing every drawing sheet you’re likely to need on a project. At the start of each project—and at every new phase—use this spreadsheet as both a planning tool and a progress tracker.
Sample Deliverables Spreadsheet
If you’re not already doing something like this, it might sound like busywork. But trust me, it’s a time saver of the highest order.
“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Or, as Dale Carnegie put it:
“Every minute you spend in planning saves ten minutes in execution.”
Even if the real savings are somewhere between those two, the point stands: planning pays off.
Beyond Planning: Three Key Benefits
Your Deliverables spreadsheet isn’t just about staying organized. It also helps you:
Set Accurate Fees
Think of your Deliverables list as a checklist for what your proposed fee needs to cover. It’s amazing how often you’ll spot significant tasks you might have overlooked. This process also prompts important scope questions you’ll want to clarify early. In fact, including a version of your Deliverables list in your fee proposals can add transparency and professionalism.
Assign and Track Work
Use the spreadsheet to assign tasks and document decisions for your design team. Standardizing sheet names and contents is especially helpful for newcomers, but it saves everyone time by eliminating the need to reinvent the wheel for each project. This consistency also makes it easier to locate information—during the project and years later.
Streamline Project Management
Having a master list means you’re not constantly revising sheet contents or searching for information. It also simplifies creating and updating the Table of Drawing Sheets.
My Suggested Deliverables Template
Below is my downloadable Phase Deliverables spreadsheet, including my thoughts on sheet naming and numbering conventions. Of course, you’ll want to adapt it to your own practice.
Download the Templates zip file containing:
XLS Version
PDF Version
CSV Version
NUMBERS Version
⠀You’ll also find:
An older version we used for years
A newer version based on the National CAD Standards (NCS)
⠀Note: The NCS is widely recognized, but I find it less intuitive. If you want to dig deeper, here’s the NCS Drawing Set Organization PDF.
Customizing for Your Workflow
You’ll likely want to adjust sheet numbering and titles, or include more/fewer sheets in your master. We aimed for a “most likely” list, but always added or removed sheets as needed.
A few notes on our usage:
We used A2.0 for an overall floor plan on additions (helpful for code review); otherwise, it was reserved for basements (rare for us).
Each floor in a multi-story building got a unique sheet number—added to the spreadsheet as needed.
We used lowercase ‘x’ to indicate occasional-use sheets.
The Comments column is for your standard practices—add your own notes there.
Each project manager kept a master copy, duplicating the master tab and renaming it for each project. Alternatively, you can keep a master file and copy it for each new job, making it accessible to everyone.
What’s Your Approach?
I’m genuinely curious how other firms handle project deliverables. If you have a system that works, share it in the comments below—or email me and I’ll add it to this post.
Download the templates above and try this system on your next project. I guarantee you’ll spend less time searching for answers—and more time designing.
Related Articles
Building Value With Unique Methods
Assembly Concept For Organizing Work