Floor Plan Symbols
Search 50+ architectural floor plan symbols — doors, windows, stairs, fixtures, furniture and electrical — see how each one is drawn, and download any symbol as SVG or PNG.
Abbreviations
Floor Plan Abbreviations and What They Mean
The short labels you will see next to symbols and inside rooms. WIC means walk-in closet; WH on a floor plan is the water heater.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| BR / BDRM | Bedroom | Room labels |
| MBR / PBR | Master / primary bedroom | Room labels |
| BA / BTH | Bathroom | Room labels |
| PDR | Powder room (half bath) | Room labels |
| LR | Living room | Room labels |
| DR | Dining room | Room labels |
| FR | Family room | Room labels |
| K / KIT | Kitchen | Room labels |
| WIC | Walk-in closet | Bedrooms, primary suite |
| CL / CLO | Closet (reach-in) | Bedrooms, halls |
| LIN | Linen closet | Hallways, bathrooms |
| PAN | Pantry | Kitchen |
| UTIL / LAU | Utility / laundry room | Service areas |
| W / D | Washer / dryer | Laundry |
| WH / HWH | Water heater / hot water heater | Garage, utility closet |
| FAU / HVAC | Forced-air unit / heating and cooling equipment | Utility, attic |
| REF | Refrigerator | Kitchen |
| DW | Dishwasher | Kitchen, next to the sink |
| R / RNG | Range | Kitchen |
| MW | Microwave | Kitchen |
| WC | Water closet (toilet) | Bathrooms |
| SH / SHWR | Shower | Bathrooms |
| FP | Fireplace | Living areas |
| DN / UP | Stairs going down / up from this floor | Stair arrows |
| AFF | Above finished floor (a height) | Outlets, half walls, counters |
| CLG | Ceiling | Height notes |
| TYP | Typical — applies to all similar items | Notes |
| EQ | Equal spacing | Dimension strings |
| SIM | Similar | Notes |
| O.C. | On center (spacing) | Structure, framing |
| DS / SD | Downspout / smoke detector | Exterior / ceilings |
| GFI / GFCI | Ground-fault protected outlet | Kitchens, baths, garages |
| HB | Hose bib (outdoor faucet) | Exterior walls |
| N | North | North arrow |
Abbreviations vary between offices and countries. When a plan uses one you do not recognize, check its legend or general notes sheet.
Legend
A Floor Plan Legend: Lines and Marks
Before the symbols, read the lines: their weight and pattern tell you what you are looking at.
| Line or mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Thick solid line, filled or hatched | Exterior wall |
| Medium solid line | Interior wall or partition |
| Thin solid line | Fixtures, cabinets, furniture, floor edges |
| Dashed line | Something above the cut (beams, upper cabinets, skylights) or hidden (dishwasher, pocket door) |
| Line with ticks and a number | Dimension, in feet and inches or millimeters |
| Arc from a door leaf | Door swing — the space the door needs |
| Arrow with UP / DN | Stair direction from this floor |
| Circle with numbers | Reference to a section, elevation or detail on another sheet |
Architectural Symbols for Floor Plans, Explained
Door Symbols: Leaf, Swing and Opening
A door symbol is a gap in the wall, the door leaf drawn open at 90° and an arc showing its swing. The arc is the important part: furniture inside it will block the door. Pocket, sliding, bi-fold and barn doors have no arc because they do not swing into the room.
Browse door symbolsThe Symbol for Windows in a Floor Plan
Windows are drawn inside the wall thickness: the wall breaks, a thin frame fills the gap and two parallel lines stand for the glass. Casement windows add a dashed swing outside; bay windows push the wall outward. Window size and type usually come from a window schedule, not the plan.
See window symbolsLine Weights Tell You What Is Where
Architecture symbols on a floor plan only make sense with line weights: heavy for exterior walls, medium for partitions, thin for fixtures and furniture, dashed for anything overhead or hidden. Once you read the lines, the symbols almost read themselves.
Make a floor planRoom Layout Symbols in Context
In a real room the symbols work together: a bed against the solid wall, a closet with a dashed rod, a window centered on the outside wall, an outlet beside the bed, a door swing that clears the dresser. Reading them together is how you judge whether a room layout works.
Plan a room layoutHow to Read Floor Plan Symbols
Where are the symbols for a set of plans located? In the legend — usually on the first sheet or the general notes sheet of the set.
- 1
Find the legend and north arrow
Start with the legend or symbol key and the north arrow. The legend defines any symbol or abbreviation the drafter used that is not standard.
- 2
Read walls, then openings
Trace the heavy exterior walls, then the interior walls. Mark every door swing and window so you know where light comes in and where you can walk.
- 3
Then fixtures, furniture and notes
Kitchen and bathroom fixtures come next, then furniture, electrical symbols and the abbreviations beside them (WIC, WH, DW, W/D).
Who Uses a Floor Plan Symbol Library
Homeowners reading builder plans
Check a builder’s or architect’s house plan symbols before you sign: where the water heater sits, which doors swing into small rooms, whether the island has clearance.
Students and DIY designers
Use consistent interior design floor plan symbols in your own drawings, or download the SVGs and drop them into a presentation.
Anyone generating a plan with AI
Floor Plan Maker draws plans with these same conventions, so knowing the symbols helps you check a generated layout quickly.
FAQ
Floor Plan Symbols FAQ
In the legend (also called the symbol key), usually on the cover sheet or the general notes sheet at the front of the set. Some sets repeat a short legend on each floor plan sheet.
A break in the wall filled by a thin frame with two parallel lines for the glass. Casement windows add a dashed swing outside; bay windows project out from the wall line.
WIC means walk-in closet. A reach-in closet is labeled CL, and a linen closet LIN.
WH is the water heater, usually a circle labeled WH in the garage, a utility closet or the basement. HWH (hot water heater) means the same thing.
Two squares side by side labeled W and D, or one square labeled W/D for a stacked pair. Front-loaders sometimes show a circle for the door.
As a small circle, often with a second circle for the seat, placed along the overhang of an island or bar. Allow about 24 in of counter per stool.
A sink (rounded basin), range (square with four burners), refrigerator (box labeled REF), dishwasher (dashed box labeled DW) and the counter outline. Upper cabinets are dashed.
Yes. Select any symbol to copy it as SVG or download it as SVG or PNG, in plain linework or blueprint colors. They are free to use in your own plans.
Turn Symbols into a Finished Floor Plan
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