The Process

From Project Data to Permit-Ready Drawing Set

Monterra uses a structured four-step process to take your project intake data and produce a complete commercial electrical drawing package. No manual drafting. No template configuration. No format hunting.

4 hrs Typical time from intake submission to complete drawing set delivery

7 sheets Average number of drawings in a complete commercial electrical permit package

1 pass All drawings generated from a single intake submission, not incrementally

Project Intake

Submit Your Site Data Using the Structured Intake Form

Monterra's intake form collects the project parameters needed to generate a complete drawing set: service size, building occupancy, load schedule, panel locations, circuit count, and jurisdiction. The form is structured so nothing is ambiguous. You enter data once and nothing is re-entered downstream.

Occupancy type, square footage, and service voltage
Load schedule: equipment list with circuit requirements
Panel locations and feeder routing preferences
Jurisdiction and AHJ formatting preferences

Monterra intake form showing project data fields for a commercial electrical project

Drawing Generation

Monterra Generates the Complete Drawing Set from Your Intake Data

Once intake is submitted, Monterra begins generating all required drawings simultaneously. Single-line diagrams are constructed from your load schedule and service data. Panel schedules are computed from your circuit list. Riser diagrams are assembled from feeder routing. Arc flash calculations run from equipment fault current data. All drawings are generated in a single pass.

All drawings generated in parallel from one intake submission
NEC 2023 compliance verified during generation, not after
Title block, general notes, and sheet index created automatically

Intake Validated

Project parameters verified. 14 inputs confirmed.

Load Calculations Running

NEC 220.87 demand factor applied. Service sizing complete.

Diagrams Assembling

Single-line, riser, and panel schedules being built.

Drawing Set Complete

7 sheets ready for PE review. Estimated 3h 52m.

PE Review

Your PE Reviews Each Sheet and Approves or Flags for Correction

Monterra's review interface gives your PE a sheet-by-sheet view of the generated drawing set. Each sheet can be approved, flagged with a correction note, or sent back for regeneration with updated parameters. All corrections are versioned so you can track what changed between revisions.

Sheet-level approval tracked across the full drawing set
Inline annotation and correction note tools
Revision history linked to each change request
Final export locked until all sheets are approved

Monterra review interface with a PE annotating an electrical drawing

Export and Submit

Export the Approved Set as PDF or DWG for Permit Submission

Once all sheets are approved, the full drawing set exports as a PDF package or as individual DWG files for AutoCAD. Exports are organized by sheet number with consistent title block formatting. The PDF package is formatted for the standard sheet sizes most plan-check authorities accept.

PDF exports at 24x36 and 11x17 sheet sizes
DWG output compatible with AutoCAD 2018 and later
Sheet set index generated with drawing titles

PDF

Full-size sheets 24x36 in. — standard plan-check size

DWG

AutoCAD drawing Compatible with AutoCAD 2018 and later

PDF

Half-size review set 11x17 in. — for field and review copies

IDX

Sheet index Auto-generated with all drawing titles

Common Questions

Questions About the Process

What information do I need to have ready before starting an intake?

You need the building occupancy classification, total square footage, service voltage and amperage, a rough list of major loads with their circuit requirements, panel locations, and the permit jurisdiction. If you have a load schedule from a mechanical engineer, that speeds up the intake significantly. You do not need a complete set of architectural drawings, though a floor plan helps with riser routing.

How long does the drawing generation take after intake is submitted?

What happens if the PE requests a correction after reviewing the drawings?

Does the process work for all commercial occupancy types?

Monterra currently supports office, retail, mixed-use, light industrial, and multi-tenant commercial occupancies. Healthcare and data center occupancies involve specialized code requirements that the current generation logic does not fully cover. Support for healthcare-specific Article 517 requirements is on the roadmap for 2026. If you are unsure whether your project type is supported, contact us before starting an intake.

Can I use Monterra for projects in jurisdictions that haven't adopted NEC 2023?

Yes. The intake form includes a jurisdiction field that determines which code edition applies. Monterra generates drawings to NEC 2023, NEC 2020, and NEC 2017 standards depending on the jurisdiction you select. If your jurisdiction has adopted local amendments to the NEC, contact support before submitting the intake so we can verify those amendments are accounted for.

Try It Now

See the Full Process on Your First Project

The free trial generates one complete drawing set. Submit an intake, watch the generation run, and review the output before you commit to a subscription.

Start Free Trial Talk to the Team