Common MEP Coordination Clashes and How Drafting Prevents Them

Most MEP coordination problems on site aren't exotic — they're the same handful of clashes repeating across projects, and nearly all of them are catchable at drawing stage if the services are checked against each other properly.

Ductwork versus structure is the most common: ventilation routes drawn without close reference to beam depths and structural zones, discovered only once installation starts and the duct physically doesn't fit where it was drawn. Electrical containment competes for the same ceiling void space, and when tray routes and duct routes are drafted independently rather than checked against each other, one of them has to move on site — always more expensive than moving a line on a drawing.

Drainage falls are a quieter but costly one: below-ground drainage that doesn't account for actual finished floor levels can end up with insufficient fall, discovered only once pipework is in the ground.

The fix isn't more advanced software, it's discipline: overlaying mechanical, electrical, and public health layouts against each other and against the structural grid before drawings are issued, not after. It's slower up front and considerably cheaper than the alternative.