Best Blueprint Reading Classes in Philadelphia

What is Blueprint Reading?

Technical drawings, especially building plans, came to be called blueprints due to a copying process that produced blue pages with white lines. The term remained in use even after photocopying made blueprinting obsolete and continues to be used even for digitally-produced diagrams. Most technical plans are not exact images of the object to be built, but rather enriched diagrams containing alternate views, abstract symbols, details about materials and processes, and instructions for manufacturing and assembly. 

Reading blueprints means extracting this information and understanding the drafter’s intent to build the depicted object. Blueprint reading also includes integrating information across different views of the same object. Most designs require multiple blueprints, each depicting different layers, views, or subsystems of the whole. For example, architectural blueprints can show a building’s external profile from various angles, subparts like walls or roofing, or the placement of subsystems like wiring. These varied views can be intended for specialized builders or they may show the interaction of overlapping systems so that separate tasks can be coordinated.

Construction blueprints are also submitted to government departments for review and to derive information about a project’s physical footprint, structural soundness, and compliance with safety and environmental requirements. Finally, both builders and governments retain filed blueprints; reading these documents later can explain a building’s structure to researchers.

What Can You Do with Blueprint Reading Training?

Anyone involved with construction should know how to read blueprints, whether for planning tasks like hiring and cost estimation or to guide the labor of on-site workers. Accurate blueprint reading promotes accuracy, efficiency, and effective collaboration and avoids expensive errors. Anyone planning on hiring builders, including individuals building a new business or home as well as commercial and residential property owners, can also benefit from this study. Clients who can read blueprints can better judge whether a design will meet their needs and if work is proceeding as planned.

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Additional tasks beyond building require blueprint reading. Being able to read blueprints is helpful when studying existing construction, as these documents provide in-depth information, including diagrams for internal systems like plumbing. Utility workers read blueprints when installing, maintaining, and repairing their systems. Insurers, risk assessors, home inspectors, and real estate agents analyze blueprints to better understand construction and identify its merits and flaws. Workers in government departments like housing, transportation, and urban planning read blueprints to ensure compliance with local regulations. Stored blueprints also provide useful reference information for architects, historians, and engineers, as well as contractors hired to remodel, expand, or demolish a structure.

What Will I Learn in a Blueprint Reading Class?

The initial lessons in most blueprint reading classes cover the various types of blueprints students will encounter. Each type of blueprint has a particular purpose, noted by its description and reflected by its viewing angle, scale, icons, and contents. Certain blueprint types might only be used for certain kinds of construction, but many types are common to all projects. Introductory classes focus on the plans used for common construction types like residential and commercial, while advanced classes may cover specialized types of construction and their plans such as security systems or industrial facilities. Students also learn what blueprints are required for different tasks, including permit applications and on-site construction. 

Some examples of standard blueprint types are:

• Site plan—shows the building site from above, including landforms
• Exterior side views—often created as concept drawings by architects
• Elevations—establish relative heights
• Floor layouts—the most familiar views, showing walls, doors, and windows
• Subsection and cutaways—partial views, often showing placement of subsystems
• Structural systems—framing and supports
• Internal systems—e.g., plumbing and electrical

Within and across these types, students then learn what different blueprint elements represent and how they are chosen by drafters. The elements used and their meanings depend on the context of each plan type. A simple line could represent a wall, board, girder, wire, or pipe in different blueprints. Similarly, different types of lines, arrows, shadings, and shapes have both typical and context-dependent meanings. The size and placement of elements are further affected by a plan’s scale, as specified by its dimensions. A plan may also show magnified subparts of the larger design or include separated but related sections, set apart by broken lines or boxes. Students must also draw further information from a blueprint’s title block and any notations or specifications.

Through these lessons, students come to understand how different construction workers use blueprints and what a given plan is telling each worker to do. Finally, despite their differences, all the plans for a single project represent the same structure(s) and must be consistent and coherent. Certain features show how plans are interrelated, and students must learn how to use these reference points and plan relationships to interpret multiple plans as a whole design. Some classes also address this topic in reverse by showing how enhanced 3D models can generate the different views in working blueprints.

What Kinds of Training Options Are Available to Learn Blueprint Reading?

In-person Training

Live, in-person classes have several advantages. Students meet with an instructor at a classroom site for scheduled sessions, often in a computer lab with school-provided hardware and software. While students need to complete readings and exercises off-site, they can discuss their work directly with the instructor. Students can also discuss lessons and collaborate.

Live Online Training

Live online training is most analogous to in-person instruction. While live online classes are still taught by a live instructor, students attend sessions remotely through videoconferencing. This format shares many of the same advantages as in-person attendance without requiring students to travel to a classroom. However, it requires that students have their own computer and internet access, install required software, and download supplemental study materials rather than receive preprinted copies. 

Self-directed Study

While live online study is more convenient than in-person classes, students must still adhere to a fixed class schedule that can conflict with working hours or other responsibilities. Other online options, called self-paced or asynchronous study, allow more flexible scheduling by trading the advantages of live instruction for the freedom provided by pre-recorded materials. Students can study these videos, texts, and interactive websites at their own pace, whenever they are available. For students learning blueprint reading independent of a college or vocational degree program, self-directed courses are the most commonly available option.

Self-directed study is a type of self-paced study that retains some of the benefits of live instruction. Although students primarily view pre-recorded lessons, they have regular access to expert instructors who can provide additional explanations, answer questions, or review their classwork. These contacts are reached by video or text chat, phone, or email. Self-directed courses can also include private mentoring sessions and career support. Most self-directed courses use a time-blocked schedule to keep study organized and coordinate progress with instructors but still allow students the freedom to choose exact study times.

On-demand Study

Another kind of self-paced study, on-demand, permits students even greater freedom. On-demand students can access course materials at any time or in whatever order they prefer. Students can even skip familiar topics or add extra modules. On-demand schools may charge separately for each lesson, sell sets of lessons as packages, or allow unlimited access to all lessons for a subscription fee. These courses are the least expensive paid option but offer only limited contact with an instructor or mentor. Some schools offer chats or message boards for discussion between students.

Choosing the Right Training Method for You

A student’s ideal training method depends both on their preferences and personal limitations. In-person training is usually the most effective format due to its extended, direct contact with an instructor. This face-to-face contact provides fast, clear, and thorough feedback. Students can request alternate explanations, ask questions, and get critiques. Students can also work together without barriers, practicing communication and collaboration. For students with attentional, motivational, or sensory difficulties, physical presence can help them absorb more information and maintain focus. By contrast, online classes sometimes suffer from technical problems like poor audio and slow connections. Some students lack computers and rely on physical classrooms for access to technology.

However, other students find in-person attendance difficult to manage or less beneficial. Anyone who cannot travel to a classroom site due to limited transportation or disability will need an online option. Even for those who can travel, its time and expense can be prohibitive, especially if they have other responsibilities. Additionally, in-person training is limited to nearby schools and classes; online training provides more options. Finally, some students find classroom attendance uncomfortable or distracting and learn better online.

Live online classes share many of the advantages of in-person training, particularly the frequency and speed of instructor feedback. Self-paced classes lack this advantage, and some students’ progress is slower and less certain. Self-paced study also challenges students to maintain their progress without the guidance of a fixed class schedule. Self-directed study reduces these disadvantages through regular check-ins with an instructor but still provides less feedback than live instruction. Both self-directed and on-demand courses also lack direct contact with other students. 

Still, for diligent, motivated students, self-paced courses can match live options and sometimes even finish faster. The chief advantage of self-paced classes is that students can study whenever they are available, avoiding conflicts with work, family needs, or other education. Self-paced study is also considerably less expensive than live instruction.

How Hard is It to Learn Blueprint Reading?

Students can quickly grasp the general ideas of blueprint reading but take longer to absorb its various details and achieve complete fluency. Blueprints use many symbols and shorthands to represent the complex details of construction in a condensed format. Adding complexity, different kinds of blueprints use different symbols and standards, which can vary further depending on region and project type. Rather than learning a single ‘code’, students must understand elements within each blueprint’s context. Students first learn the most common types of plans, often focused on what they need to know for their intended career. Learning other blueprint types can require extended coursework and practice. 

Students must practice visualizing the objects that blueprints are depicting, understand how different blueprints fit together to describe a whole project, and follow their guidance. These processes can be challenging, especially for large, complex projects, and must be mastered over time, especially by comparing plans to finished construction. Finally, modern ‘blueprints’ are more often digital documents. Students not already familiar with computer-aided drafting and modeling programs need to learn these formats, while students trained first with digital graphics will need to adjust their skills when using pen-and-ink building plans.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Blueprint Reading?

The top challenge cited by most construction workers when learning to read blueprints was mastering the transitions between different views and blueprint types. Different plan types can contain different symbol sets, and the meanings of common symbols, even lines, can vary by context. Angle, scale, notations, and abbreviations can also differ across plans, sometimes even within the same plan. Worse, different regions or industries may use varied symbols. Some construction roles use fewer types of plans and can focus their studies, but jobs like architecture and construction management require complete knowledge and fluency. 

A related challenge is visualization: using the abstract information in blueprints, individually and in combination, to build a mental image of planned construction. Correctly interpreting the dimensions and alignments of objects can take some effort to master. Although learning 3D modeling software involves additional technical challenges, being able to inspect full models and see how they relate to separate 2D plans helps many readers. Workers must not only be able to ‘see’ what a blueprint is showing but must also translate that information, accurately and precisely, into physical actions. Many construction workers have had the experience of misreading a blueprint and having to redo work, resulting in wasted time and expense.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Blueprint Reading?

Compared to many construction skills, blueprint reading is relatively quick to start. Students can learn the basic features of most blueprints in a few hours, which includes exposure to familiar views like site and floor plans. However, such brief contact will not cover every type of blueprint, nor will students understand every symbol and detail. A more extended class of five or more full-day live sessions or around 30 hours of self-paced lectures, plus out-of-class practice, will give students broader exposure to most types of blueprints and a deeper grasp of their details and meanings. Active construction workers estimate about three to six months of continued study and practice before they feel confident in their understanding and use of blueprints. Even so, unless students actively pursue specialized, advanced coursework, their fluency might be limited to one type of construction. A commercial builder, for example, might be less familiar with the plans used for civil engineering. Careers that need complete mastery of blueprint reading such as architecture or structural engineering, might require a year or more of continued studies and regular practice to be certain students can grasp every detail in any plan type and fully understand the relationships between different blueprints and finished construction. 

Can I Learn Blueprint Reading for Free Online?

Students interested in learning to read blueprints can find many free online tutorials. The most accessible sources are on social media platforms like YouTube, including channels like Practical Engineering, VDCI’s ‘VDCI cadteacher’, and collections created by home improvement stores. Students can also find free tutorials on blueprint reading through MIT OpenCourseWare, OSHA, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), and general education sites like Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare. Additionally, students can access books about blueprint reading through libraries’ digital collections. 

Besides being the least expensive option, free resources can also be studied at any time and provide a convenient introduction and research source. However, free resources share several significant limitations, especially when considered for professional training. Instructional quality can vary widely, particularly on social media, and free lessons are not always structured into a full training program. Some sites limit their free tutorials, especially if these lessons are meant as demonstrations of longer or better-supported courses. Free resources are also refreshed more slowly than live curricula. Even on reputable sites with well-curated content, free lessons will lack an instructor’s guidance, and students will progress slower and with less certainty than in formal training. Finally, few free sources offer any career support or proof of accomplishment.

What Should I Learn Alongside Blueprint Reading?

The most important subject to study alongside blueprint reading is construction itself, whether through a general course or specific training in a trade. No matter their intended career, a student will understand the purposes and particulars of blueprints better if they know more about the real objects and labor they represent. Some students may also pursue career-specific training in subjects like architecture, construction management, or construction estimation, with blueprint reading as one of their necessary subskills. However, even drafting students, focused on building plans themselves, may find these adjacent subjects useful for insights into how various workers use blueprints. Alongside architecture, other design fields like graphic design and interior design can better explain the formats used for blueprints and provide mental practice alternating between abstractions and actual objects. 

Since most ‘blueprints’ are now created and viewed digitally using computer-aided drafting (CAD) and 3D modeling systems, students should study these programs alongside blueprint reading. Learning how building plans are digitally drawn or derived from complex building models aids in comprehension of what those plans depict. Comparing 2D plans to 3D models also produces a deeper understanding of how different plans relate to parts of a project, to one another, and to the whole project. Studying building information modeling (BIM) systems, which enrich 3D building models with information about materials, tasks, and more, teaches students even more about the relationship between blueprints and construction. Further, students can learn how BIM systems generate each type of building plan from their embedded information.

Industries That Use Blueprint Reading

Even when discussing buildings only, there are multiple interrelated industries that require blueprint reading. The businesses where workers most need strong blueprint reading skills are general contractors and skilled trades like carpentry, masonry, and plumbing. Blueprints guide individual builders, teams, and their management. These contractors also study blueprints to compose bid proposals and prepare ahead of construction. The clients who hire builders need to read blueprints created for them by architects and revised and built by contractors. These industries include real estate developers and businesses that require frequent physical expansion (for example, franchise chains). 

Financial industries that deal with real property such as mortgage lenders and insurers, also need engineers and inspectors skilled in reviewing blueprints for new construction, renovation, and repair. In the public sector, government agencies that oversee planned construction and maintain infrastructure like transportation and utilities also need staff fluent in blueprint reading. 

Architects and other building designers need to be deeply familiar with blueprints, not just to read these documents but also to create them. Architectural firms make and reference their own projects’ designs and also explore historic blueprints to learn about existing buildings. Architectural and engineering firms may also be asked to inspect the plans for a structure to address questions like structural soundness, cost savings, or environmental impact. Similarly, utility providers like electrical and telephone companies need workers to read blueprints depicting both their specific systems and the buildings they intersect (e.g., the electrical systems of a commercial facility).

Blueprint Reading Job Titles and Salaries

Blueprint reading is necessary for any construction-related career. Blueprints are created and consulted by Drafters, Architectural Designers, and Architects. Drafters’ salaries average around $70,000 per year, including more specific titles like CAD Drafter. Architectural Designers are more focused on initial creative tasks and earn an average of $71,000 per year in the US. In addition to designing buildings, Architects may consult on construction projects or study existing structures for repair and renovation. Architects earn an average annual salary of $108,000 in the United States, with wide variation depending on experience and specialization. 

Builders use created blueprints to guide their work. This category includes general contractors plus many subcontracted building trades, including Carpenters, Masons, and Electricians. Within general construction, Construction Managers are most responsible for reading and understanding building plans to plan building tasks, arrange financing and purchases, and monitor ongoing construction. A Construction Project Manager in the United States earns an average annual income of $94,000. Construction Estimators review blueprints to itemize the requirements of planned construction and estimate their costs for bids and budgets. Construction Estimators in the US earn an average income of $81,000 per year. 

Other roles involved in construction planning study blueprints frequently. Interior Designers, who shape the aesthetics and functionality of interior spaces, must read blueprints to visualize and execute their projects. Interior Designers in the US earn an average of $68,000 per year. Structural Engineers evaluate buildings for properties like safety, resistance to natural disasters, and environmental impact, often using blueprints to visualize and quantify the details of planned or existing construction. Civil Engineers perform these services for many types of employers: architects, contractors, developers, and government agencies. The average annual income for Civil Engineers in the United States is $101,000. Similar work is done by Construction and Building Inspectors, who check planned and finished construction for compliance with regulations. These Inspectors earn an average of $67,000 per year in the US.

Blueprint Reading Classes Near Me

Visual Design and Construction Institute (VDCI) offers online, self-directed construction classes. Their curriculum includes general construction skills and visualization software like 3D modeling, Computer-Assisted Drafting (CAD), and Building Information Model (BIM) systems. For each class, students complete one or more portfolio-quality projects, receive a certificate of completion, and can retake the course within 1 year. VDCI’s Blueprint Reading Fundamentals Course Bundle includes two classes on how to read blueprints and construction documents, covering both residential and commercial construction. This bundle can be further combined with their Construction Estimator Course as a Blueprint Reading & Construction Estimating Course Bundle.

In partnership with ed2go, the Community College of Philadelphia hosts a self-paced course, Blueprint Reading Basics. This course includes 30 hours of video lectures, and students are allowed up to three months to complete these lessons and associated coursework. This introductory course requires no prior experience and covers the most common building plan types for both residential and commercial construction, including the symbols, scales, and views used in these blueprints. 

TheLaborer’s District Council (LDC) of Metropolitan Philadelphia & Vicinity, a labor union supporting workers in Philadelphia, periodically presents short, in-person classes on Basic Blueprint Reading. This introductory class teaches students the most common types, views, and symbols of blueprints they will encounter during construction work. The class includes a manual that incorporates sample blueprints and guides students through practice readings.

Penn Foster Workforce Development offers blended instruction combining live online and in-person training, for both individuals and companies. Their courses cover a wide variety of professional skills, including skilled construction trades. Within these programs or as separate instruction, students can take an extensive course on blueprint reading, Reading Prints and Schematics. Note that this course includes lessons on industrial and manufacturing blueprints that may not be necessary for builders. Instead, construction students may prefer the course’s shorter component classes like Introduction to Print Reading, Building Drawings, and Reading Construction Prints, or specialized classes like Electrical Blueprint Reading. Each class is about 8-10 hours long, not including supplemental exercises and video lessons. 

Blueprint Reading Corporate Training

For organizations that need blueprint reading training, VDCI can provide live onsite or online instruction. Live classes can be fully customized, with lessons tailored to your needs and projects matched to your typical work tasks. You can even use building plans from your organization’s projects. Class length and scheduling can also be modified as necessary. Alternatively, groups can purchase vouchers for VDCI’s existing public enrollment classes, with a discount for bulk purchases. You can then distribute these vouchers to members to register for selected classes per their availability. 

Contact partnerships@vdci.com for a free consultation to address your training needs, create a custom training plan, and discuss pricing, or to purchase bulk course vouchers.