The short version. As-built drawings show a project as it was built, including the changes made on site. In Alberta, APEGA defines them as drawings that reflect the installed or constructed condition. They are usually marked up by a party other than the designer. They are also called redline drawings. They usually need no professional stamp, unless the redlines record material changes. A record drawing is a separate document that the engineer of record prepares and must authenticate.
What an as-built drawing is
An as-built drawing is the design drawing updated to match what went into the ground or the building. A surveyor’s as-built survey supplies the measurements when positions and elevations have to be confirmed. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) gives the definition in its February 2023 practice bulletin:
“As-built drawings” reflect the installed, fabricated, constructed, or commissioned condition of a professional work product (PWP) …
APEGA adds that they have typically been generated or marked up by a party other than the licensed professional who prepared the work. They are also called “redline drawings.”
The City of Calgary describes as-builts for development work in plainer terms. They are “the finalized plans and schedules that document the exact location of constructed or installed infrastructure, along with the final lengths and sizes of all materials.”
On many projects the contractor keeps the as-built set during construction. The University of Calgary’s design standard, for example, has the contractor record every change order, site instruction and utility location as the work proceeds.
As-built drawings vs record drawings
The difference is who prepares the drawing and who takes responsibility for it. APEGA treats them as two documents.
| As-built drawing | Record drawing | As-built survey | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepared by | Usually the contractor, marking up the design set | The licensed professional who designed the work | Usually an Alberta Land Surveyor; Edmonton also accepts a P.Eng. or Professional Technologist for commercial lot grading certificates |
| What it records | The installed condition, as redlines | Design changes the professional accepts responsibility for | Measured positions and elevations of what was built |
| Stamp in Alberta | Usually not; yes if the redlines record material changes | Must be authenticated | An ALS may sign only work they prepared or supervised (Land Surveyors Act s.3(4)) |
APEGA says a record drawing must be authenticated because the professional is responsible for it. It adds that “authenticating record drawings does not mean the licensed professional conducted a field review or reviewed the site conditions.”
Do as-built drawings need a stamp in Alberta?
As-built drawings usually do not need a stamp in Alberta. APEGA’s rules apply to drawings by professional engineers and geoscientists, and its bulletin states the rule and its exception:
Typically, as-built drawings do not require authentication because material changes are handled through change orders, change directives, and site instructions. However, if the redlines do result in material changes, then the as-built drawings need to be authenticated as soon as possible after implementation.
Where authentication is needed, APEGA asks the professional who issued the original work to stamp the as-builts. Before stamping, they review the markups and confirm the site conditions match. If the work goes through a permit holder, the changes also need validation.
Ontario forbids sealing them. Professional Engineers Ontario says “as-built drawings must not be sealed,” because the engineer has not verified them.
The City of Edmonton follows the APEGA approach on municipal work. Its Design and Construction Standards say an as-built that only confirms measurements “does not require professional restamping.” If field changes add “any significant new information,” professional stamping is required.
As-built surveys: measuring what was built
An as-built survey is a field measurement of the finished work. It gives the drawing its numbers: building positions, ground elevations, pipe inverts and curb grades.
The clearest Alberta example is the lot grading certificate. The City of Edmonton describes residential lot grading certificates as “as-built plans, prepared by an Alberta Land Surveyor.” They compare the design elevations from the approved grading plan with the elevations measured on the lot. On commercial sites, Edmonton also accepts a certificate from a professional engineer or professional technologist.
The Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association (ALSA) uses the same term in its Manual of Standard Practice for surveys of oil and gas dispositions. An as-built survey for a disposition amendment must be “a current representation of the constructed extents of the disposition” (Part C, s.4.4).
We prepare as-built surveys and lot grading certificates across Alberta. If your engineer or the municipality needs measured elevations of finished work, tell us what the drawing has to show. Our surveying services page lists the rest of what we do.
How Edmonton and Calgary use as-builts on development work
On subdivision and servicing work, Edmonton ties as-built deadlines to two City certificates: the Construction Completion Certificate (CCC) and the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC).
Edmonton’s standards (Volume 1, section 12, December 2021 edition) list what surface works as-builts must show. The list includes catch basin and manhole elevations, curb returns, sidewalk widths, and any grade change over 0.1% or 25 mm from design. Each drawing is stamped “This drawing indicates as-built information.” Submission deadlines vary by asset:
| Asset (Edmonton) | When as-builts are due |
|---|---|
| Streetlighting | Before the CCC |
| EPCOR drainage | With the CCC submission; approval required with the FAC submission |
| EPCOR water | Preliminary with the CCC; final before the FAC |
| Transportation | Approved as-builts before the FAC submission |
| Landscaping | Approved as-builts with the FAC submission |
Calgary takes development-agreement as-builts in PDF through ApplyCentral. Submission comes after CCCs are issued for sanitary, storm, and sidewalk, curb and gutter work (City of Calgary). For stormwater ponds, Calgary’s 2025 field services guidelines ask for the as-built survey before the CCC inspection.
How to get as-built drawings for an existing house
Start with the City’s records. Both large Alberta cities will search their permit files for an owner:
- Edmonton. The Search of Records service costs $120 per titled lot in 2026 and can take up to 30 calendar days. The owner or an agent must apply. The City holds no residential building plans from before 1985. It will not release Real Property Reports or legal surveys, because it does not hold their copyright.
- Calgary. A Property Research request through 311 costs $65 for a residential record (as of 9 October 2026). Residential records usually start in 1979. The owner can get one copy for research use after signing a reproduction authorization form.
If no plans exist, the drawings have to be made from the house as it stands. A measured drawing covers the floor plan. A Real Property Report shows the house and other improvements against the property lines. For grades, you need an as-built or topographic survey.
“As built” or “as build”?
APEGA, the City of Edmonton and ALSA all write “as-built” in their standards. None of them uses “as-build”. The hyphenated form is used before a noun, as in “as-built drawings”, and both spellings appear in searches.
Technically reviewed by the ProtechGeo Principal Alberta Land Surveyor (ALS).
General information about Alberta requirements, not project-specific engineering or surveying advice. Site-specific work requires a defined scope. Surveying services are provided in Alberta only. Fees and record dates are as published by the Cities of Edmonton and Calgary on 9 October 2026.
