What Is General Note vs Keyed Note?

A general note applies broadly across an entire drawing or drawing set, typically covering standards, assumptions, or requirements relevant to the whole sheet rather than a specific location on it. A keyed note, by contrast, is tied to a specific symbol or number placed at a specific location on the drawing, providing detail relevant only to that particular condition.

General notes commonly cover things like applicable codes, general construction standards, or coordination requirements that apply throughout the drawing. Keyed notes are used when a specific condition needs explanation that would clutter the drawing if written out in full at that location, referencing a numbered note instead that's defined once in a legend and reused wherever that specific condition occurs.

A common documentation error is a keyed note reference on a drawing that doesn't correspond to an actual defined note in the legend, or a general note that contradicts a keyed note addressing the same condition more specifically. Checking that every keyed note callout has a corresponding definition, and that general and keyed notes don't conflict, is a specific, checkable consistency issue.

FAQ

Is this term used consistently across the industry, or does it vary by firm or region? Most of these terms are used fairly consistently across the industry, though exact usage can vary slightly by firm, region, or project delivery method. When in doubt, project-specific contract documents typically define exactly how a term is being used on that project.

How does this connect to AI-assisted drawing review? Structured AI's QA/QC Compliance Checks, Document Chat, and Overlay features are built to catch the kinds of issues and inconsistencies that show up in exactly this part of the design and construction process, with findings tied to the exact page and location involved.

Where can I learn more about related terms? See the related topics below for connected concepts that often come up alongside this one.