The grade an architect specifies is not just a quality target for the finished millwork — it changes what your drawings have to show. Get the grade wrong on paper and the package comes back before a single board is cut.
- The three grades
- Economy, Custom, Premium
- Most common
- Custom — the default for commercial work
- Where it lives
- Called out in the project spec and on your cover sheet
Why grade is a drawing problem
Grade defines tolerance — how tight gaps and reveals must be, how flush adjacent faces sit, and how veneer is matched. A reviewer checking a Premium-grade job against a set that only documents Economy-level construction will reject it, even if the drawn woodwork is beautiful. The set has to prove the grade, not just imply it.
That makes grade the first thing to confirm before drafting, and the first thing to call out on the cover sheet.
Economy grade
Economy is for utility and back-of-house work where appearance and tolerance allowances are looser. Drawings still need accurate dimensions, materials, and basic hardware — but the standard does not demand the same depth of joinery detailing or veneer matching. It is the right grade when budget drives the job and the millwork is not on display.
Custom grade
Custom is the workhorse grade for commercial projects — offices, healthcare, retail, hospitality. Drawings must show controlled gaps and alignment, defined joinery by detail, a complete hardware schedule, and finish callouts matched to the spec. Veneer is matched within panels and sequenced as specified. If a project does not name a grade, assume Custom and confirm.
Premium grade
Premium is for showpiece and luxury work where every reveal is visible and judged. It carries the tightest tolerances, the most complete construction detailing, and the strictest veneer requirements — sequence-matched and balance-matched sets, with reveal alignment called out sheet by sheet. A Premium set is a Custom set plus the matching and reveal discipline that makes a wall of casework read as one continuous piece.
How to draw to the specified grade
Pull the grade from the project manual, call it out on the cover, and carry the matching requirements through every relevant sheet. Where the spec is silent or contradictory, raise an RFI before drafting rather than guessing. Our full breakdown of what each set must carry lives on our AWI compliance page.