How the plans are made

How plans are checked

Every plan is designed with digital tools, run through automatic checks on every measurement, and then checked by a carpenter. Plans that carry the burned seal have been reviewed by hand.

One model, every number

Each plan starts as a 3D model built from real lumber sizes: a 2x4 is 1½″ × 3½″, not 2″ × 4″. The cut list, the board layout, the shopping list, the finished size and the picture for every step all come from that one model, so they can't disagree with each other.

The automatic checks

Before a plan can go on the site, software checks it. If any check fails, the site won't build until the plan is fixed.

Cut list. Every part in the 3D model matches a line in the cut list: same size, same count.
Boards. Every piece fits on the boards you're told to buy, with room for the saw blade and the rough board ends.
Fit. No two parts sit in the same space, and every part rests on or is fastened to another part.
Fasteners. Every screw, nail and pocket hole lands in wood, and the shopping list has enough of each.
Level and stable. All the legs reach the floor, and the piece doesn't tip over on its own.
Normal sizes. Tables, benches and desks come out at the heights people expect.
Steps. Every part gets built in some step, nothing appears before it's made, and the words match the numbers.
Safety rules. Tall pieces must include a wall anchor. Anything on a wall must go into studs or rated anchors. There are no plans for things people sleep on, climb on or put kids in.

The carpenter's check

Software can't tell whether a joint will hold up to a family sitting on it, or whether a step makes sense with a drill in your hand. So every plan also gets a review by a carpenter, who goes through the cut list, the board layout and every step. Benches, chairs and anything else people sit on are checked first.

When a plan passes, it gets the burned Checked by a carpenter seal with the reviewer's name and the date. Plans without the seal are marked as drafts: the automatic checks have passed, but the hand review hasn't happened yet.

Your part

Lumber varies, and so do tools. Always measure your own boards before you cut, and test-fit before you glue.