Don't be sketchy about construction drawings

To many would-be homebuilders, construction documents -- blueprints -- are as close as they ever get to hieroglyphics.

The snarl of intersecting lines and odd symbols usually are tidy and neat, but how to decipher this maze can make the untrained readers eyes glaze over.

It's a language only contractors could love.

But consumers had better learn the lingo, too, because what's lost in translation places their project -- and their pocketbook -- at risk.

"I once heard a contractor say even his skills could never save a project from poor design," says Larry Golden, a designer from Santa Cruz, Calif. "That's where the homeowner needs to start, with a good set of understandable plans."

Room labels and dimensions are easy to identify. The all-important minutia hidden in plans often is overlooked. To design pros like Golden, the worst thing the customer can say after a halfhearted glance at his handiwork is "It looks OK to me."

There's all manner of fine points begging to go undetected: wall or door positioning, material specifications or special requests the client asked for, but doesn't have the foggiest notion if the requests made it on paper.

There's not enough space here for a complete rundown of construction document terminology. Golden says that's his job when he's face-to-face with customers.

"Homeowners would be well advised to see the work of the designer before they hire someone," says Golden.