Steel Detailer

A Steel Detailer spends the day drawing. These drawings are more than mere doodles, however. The drawings a Steel Detailer produces contain all the information a Steel Contractor would need to bid on, and construct, the steel portions of a building. When the building is complete, the Steel Detailer creates a second set of drawings, outlining how the steel in the building was designed and installed.

As a Steel Detailer, you spend the vast majority of your day in front of a computer. Here, your drawings are produced, rather than with pencil and paper. You may meet with Architects and Engineers who are also working on the project to make sure your drawings match the work they’ve done.

You may also spend time reviewing the work of other Steel Detailers, ensuring that no errors are made. Your drawings must be approved by an Engineer or Architect before they’re considered complete, and you may be required to adjust them based on feedback.

Steel Detailers are rarely asked to go to the job site to supervise. You stay in your office, and avoid the loud and dusty construction zone. As part of your job, however, you’re required to know about all kinds of things that affect the way steel performs, from wind forces to paint finishes to welding techniques.

You may spend much of your free time reading trade magazines and engineering articles to keep your knowledge up to date. This could come in handy on trivia night, as you’ll know a whole lot about everything pertaining to steel and construction.