Floor plans offer an easy-to-understand visual representation of a building layout, one floor at a time. They are scaled drawings from an aerial perspective that provide details such as the measurements and arrangement of walls, windows, doors and other structural elements and fittings. They may be made by architects, construction contractors, interior designers, DIY enthusiasts and anyone else who needs to plan floor space and communicate that plan to others. Industry-leading floor plan software such as AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT can be used to create these floor plan diagrams as CAD plans (computer-aided drawings), offering precision accuracy, enhanced visualization and greater efficiency through automated features.
AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT are used widely across many different industries, but they have specific features that are of great benefit when making floor plans. AutoCAD offers a comprehensive suite of 2D and 3D CAD design tools that you can use, including automated drafting features like AI-enhanced object placement, a dedicated Architectural toolset for automated floor plans and thousands of pre-made architectural components, and more. AutoCAD is used by many in the architecture, design and construction industries, while DIY enthusiasts and homeowners also find it easy but powerful to use.
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Draft, annotate, and add field data to your drawings online via your web browser or mobile device. Access and edit DWG files, and quickly collaborate with AutoCAD users on designs.
There are many different benefits of using AutoCAD, including:
AutoCAD offers a robust set of drafting tools that users of all types can use to create detailed floor plans, as well as the ability to transform these into 3D designs. Automated features allow for greater accuracy and increased efficiency.
The use of industry-standard .dwg filetypes and collaborative workflows are baked into AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD Web, ensuring the whole team and any external stakeholders can stay on the same page.
Whereas old pencil and paper methods left a lot of room for errors, computer-aided floor plan drawing tools such as AutoCAD can guarantee accuracy you can rely on.
Forget drawing each individual wall and symbol – using our industry leading CAD software can automate large parts of the process.
Our floor plan software can help in generating accurate material take-offs, so there are no hidden surprises further down the line.
Collaboration and ease of use are important parts of most floor plans, and AutoCAD can help facilitate this. Our floor plan software uses .dwg files which are widely used across many industries are the industry standard for CAD drawings. This means that when you use AutoCAD you can be sure that it will be viewable by anyone you need to send it to (and those without access to dedicated construction or building plan software can use our free online file viewer for .dwg files and other formats). CAD files such as .dwg files also have the benefit of being able to store all drawing data and meta data within a single file.
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AutoCAD Web provides easy access to CAD floor plans, wherever you need them. AutoCAD Web is an app and browser-based solution that’s suitable for light editing, viewing and collaborating, on the move from wherever you are. With light editing and basic design features, and you can use it directly from your phone, laptop or tablet via the cloud or mobile app at any time. It also offers collaborative workflows that can help bring your team together to review and mark up floor plans together, even when they’re on opposite sides of the globe. AutoCAD Web’s mobility meanwhile makes it ideal for site visits and surveys.
Ontario-based design and build firm RB Design have used AutoCAD for house plans and more at each step of their growth journey.
Japanese design studio Wise Labo use AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT to collaborate smoothly over multiple hotel, office and residential design projects.
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We’re constantly working to increase the usefulness and effectiveness of AutoCAD for house plans and floor plans. The latest new features include:
Performance enhancements allow you to open .dwg files even faster, helping you get the most out of your time.
Easily bring external notes, revisions and comments into your floor plan drawings with our markup import feature, and markup assist which analyzes these markups and helps you incorporate them into your plans.
The latest version of our AutoCAD 2026 can automatically recognize objects with the help of AI and turn them into blocks that can be searched for and used again. You can also search for objects in your drawings and convert them into a newly defined block intuitively.
Log and track more than 35 types of activity across your plans, making it easier to stay informed about changes within a project and compare different versions of a floor plan.
Architects use AutoCAD to sketch ideas, create presentations for clients, plan spaces and generate documentation for construction.
Floor plan software allows interior designers to visualize a space and plan out where things like furniture and fixtures go. They also use them to show clients their ideas, and throughout the design implementation process.
Image courtesy of RB Design
AutoCAD is of great use for homeowners and hobbyists who are renovating their home or redesigning spaces within it.
Construction contractors use AutoCAD to create, plan, schedule and cost projects, as well as calculating the amount of materials needed.
Facility managers can use AutoCAD to analyze and optimize their spaces to ensure efficient and effective use. It’s also very useful for a variety of maintenance, planning and asset management requirements.
Floor plans have a distinctive visual language that can be universally understood. Each floor plan covers a single floor, though there may be multiple floors covered over a set of drawings. The key components of a floor plan diagram are as follows:
Getting the space and dimensions of floor plans correct and accurate to scale is essential for them to be useful and reliable, particularly when they will be used by others. AutoCAD helps ensure this through a variety of standardized and automated tools.
AutoCAD can be used as a floor plan maker, viewer, and editor for all of the following floor plan types.
These types of floor plan are detailed architectural drawings that are used to show the layout of a building or space. They often include both structural elements of the space and the technical dimensions needed for the CAD plan.
These provide a three-dimensional perspective of a space, offering an immersive view of a designed space.
This combines multiple rooms into a large continuous and connected space, as is often the case in commercial and public settings.
Closed layouts have distinct separations between separate rooms, including walls and doors.
Modular layouts are often made for pre-fabricated structures, and can offer a high degree of customization as well as speed and efficiency.
You can use a floor plan maker to create a blend of the different types of floor plans mentioned above, taking what’s useful from each.
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Explore our online course on laying out factory and manufacturing space using Autodesk floor plan drawing tools.
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If you’re looking for robust software for floor plans that can also transform your ideas from 2D to 3D, then AutoCAD is the best choice. For small businesses, freelancers, and DIY enthusiasts looking for a lower-cost solution without the need for 3D features, AutoCAD LT may be a better choice. AutoCAD Web allows reviewing functionality for users on the go who don’t need robust editing or design features, which makes it a great choice for anyone who is regularly visiting job sites
A blueprint is a detailed technical drawing that can be used for building an entire structure. A floor plan meanwhile only shows the layout of just one floor. The latter is useful for determining the locations and measurements of internal walls, windows, doors, and other features.
Floor plans allow designers, architects, and stakeholders to visualize the layout of a room. They are referred to frequently during construction projects, while interior designers use them to plan out designs and to show their ideas to clients. Homeowners can also use floor plans to renovate or redesign their home and visualize changes in their house plans.
Autodesk offers a variety of options for anyone seeking a free floor plan maker. We offer free trials of all our popular floor plan drawing tools, including AutoCAD. Students and educators meanwhile can get free access via our educational licenses.
