Does this sound familiar?….

Hey [Insert your name here],
I got bad news….
[Insert vendor name here]

When your regular shop drawing partner starts slipping – missed deadlines, vague updates, rushed drawings – it’s more than a headache. It’s a liability. You’ve got jobs stacked, install crews waiting, and a GC breathing down your neck.

We see it all the time. PMs call us after their usual drafter “went rogue,” stopped responding, or turned in something that just… isn’t usable.

Here’s what the most seasoned PMs do when that happens – and how we help get things back on track.

The Red Flags

If your current drafting partner is slipping, you’ll notice it in three ways:

1. Deadlines start to slip. Then you stop getting firm dates altogether.
2. Communication drops off. You’re chasing updates with no response.
3. Drawings come back with issues. Missing fasteners. Wrong quantities. No field-friendly dimensions.

The result? Install gets delayed, material orders get screwed up, and your team is stuck waiting.

What It Costs You

A missed shop drawing deadline doesn’t just push your schedule – it creates downstream chaos:

• Fabrication delays
• Incomplete or incorrect material orders
• Field teams standing by with nothing to install
• GCs losing confidence in you – not your drafter

You lose time, money, and face.

What Smart PMs Do Instead

The best PMs don’t scramble. They plan for this.

Here’s what they do:

• Keep a trusted backup partner ready. They don’t wait for total failure.
• Use vendors with structured kickoff processes. MP’s KO form and preview process help us flag issues immediately.
• Look for accuracy-first drawing sets. Not just fast, but right.

How MP Drafting Helps You Recover

If you’re in a bind, here’s how we help you bounce back:

• Fast onboarding. Send us an email with your scope and drawings – we’ll get a quote back to you fast.
• Kickoff Preview. We review the full job file for missing info or delays before starting.
• Flexible production. We offer overtime options when deadlines are tight.
• Clean communication. You’ll never wonder if your job is floating in a black hole.

This is what our customers count on when they switch mid-job.

Don’t Wait for the Next Miss

Most PMs wait too long. They keep hoping their current vendor will rebound. But by the time they realize it’s a pattern, the job is already off track.

Get your backup plan in place now. MP Drafting has helped dozens of contractors recover from ghosted vendors and bad drawings.

Use Education to Get Ahead

Every missed deadline creates a ripple effect. Delayed fabrication, wrong orders, wasted time in the field. One way to cut that risk is by training your team to review drawings effectively.

LearnGlazing’s Shop Drawing Course makes it easier to spot issues before they become emergencies. Explore the course