Wall
Thick lines are walls. Outside walls are usually drawn thicker than the partitions between rooms.
Floor plan symbols
A floor plan is a view from above, as if the house were cut through about 4 feet (1.2 m) above the floor. Walls are the thick lines, gaps in them are doors and windows, and everything else is drawn as it looks from the ceiling.
The symbols below are the ones you meet on house plans, real estate listings and remodeling drawings.
Free. In draw.io, open the library with File › Open Library from › Device. Each symbol below also downloads as SVG, or copies straight into draw.io.
Walls and doors
A door is a gap in the wall with a line for the door and an arc for its swing. The arc shows which way it opens and how much floor it needs.
Door
Also: swing door, hinged door
The straight line is the door, the arc its path. The hinge is where the line meets the wall.
Double door
Also: French door
Two doors meeting in the middle, such as French doors to a patio.
Double-action door
Also: swing door
Swings both ways, like a restaurant kitchen door.
Pocket door
Slides into a hollow in the wall, so it needs no swing space.
Sliding door
Also: bypass door, closet door
Two panels that slide past each other, common on closets.
Sliding glass door
Also: patio door
A glass door that slides along the wall, usually to a deck or patio.
Bi-fold door
Folds in panels. Common on closets and laundry nooks.
Garage door
Also: overhead door
Rolls up overhead. Drawn with a dashed line where it runs along the ceiling.
Opening
Also: doorway, cased opening
A gap in the wall with no door.
Windows
Windows are thin parallel lines inside the wall. Their size and type are often given in a window schedule.
Window
Thin lines across the wall thickness. The basic symbol for any fixed or hung window.
Sliding window
Also: glider window
A window that slides sideways; the offset lines are the two sashes.
Bay window
Sticks out from the wall in three angled panes, adding a little floor space.
Bow window
Like a bay window, but curved.
Stairs and elevators
Bathroom
Toilet
Also: WC
Drawn from above: the tank against the wall, the bowl in front.
Sink
Also: basin, lavatory
A bathroom basin, often set in a vanity cabinet.
Double sink
Two basins in one counter, in a bathroom or kitchen.
Bathtub
A long rounded rectangle against the wall, the drain at one end.
Shower
A square with the drain marked; the shower head is often drawn in a corner.
Kitchen and laundry
Furniture
Furniture is optional on a floor plan. It shows how a room can be used and whether a bed or sofa fits.
Single bed
Pillow end against the wall.
Double bed
Two pillows. Queen and king beds are drawn the same way, only wider.
Sofa
Also: couch
Back and arms drawn around the seat.
Armchair
A single seat with arms.
Table
A rectangle or circle, often with chairs around it.
Chair
A small square with the back on one side.
Corner desk
An L-shaped desk for a home office.
Dresser
Also: chest of drawers
A rectangle against the bedroom wall.
Bookcase
Also: shelves
A shallow rectangle along a wall.
Fireplace
Also: FP
Built into the wall, with the hearth in front.
Dimensions
Dimension line
A length between two points: feet and inches in the US (12'-6"), millimetres or metres elsewhere.
Common abbreviations on floor plans
Plans save space with short labels. These are the ones you see most:
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| BR, BDRM | Bedroom |
| BA, BATH | Bathroom |
| MBR | Main (master) bedroom |
| LR | Living room |
| DR | Dining room |
| KIT | Kitchen |
| CL, WIC | Closet, walk-in closet |
| W/D | Washer and dryer |
| REF | Refrigerator |
| DW | Dishwasher |
| WH | Water heater |
| FP | Fireplace |
| UP, DN | Stairs going up or down |
| CLG | Ceiling |
| EXT, INT | Exterior, interior |
Scale and dashed lines
US house plans are usually drawn at 1/4" = 1'-0" (1:48): every quarter inch on paper is one foot in the house. Metric plans use 1:50 or 1:100.
Dashed lines show things above the cut: wall cabinets, beams, a change in the ceiling, or the roof overhang outside the walls.
Sketched a floor plan by hand?
Take a photo of it. Sketch2scheme redraws the rooms, doors and labels as an editable plan you can open in draw.io or save as PNG or SVG.
Questions
What does the arc next to a door mean?
It shows the door swing: which way the door opens and the floor area it sweeps. The hinge is at the corner where the door line meets the wall.
How are windows shown on a floor plan?
As two or three thin parallel lines inside the wall, instead of the solid wall fill. Sliding, bay and bow windows have their own variations.
What do dashed lines mean on a floor plan?
Something above the level of the cut, such as upper kitchen cabinets, beams, a ceiling change or the roof overhang. A dashed line is never a wall.
Can I use these symbols for my own plan?
Yes. Download single symbols as SVG, or the whole set as a draw.io library and draw your plan in draw.io for free.
More symbol charts
Symbols are drawn with draw.io (diagrams.net), which is open source. Use them freely in your own drawings, documents and lessons.