What should a floor plan annotation include?

At minimum: room labels (kitchen, master bedroom), dimensions where they're not printed on the plan, and notes on any elements that need explanation — door swing direction, window placement, plumbing fixtures, load-bearing walls. For client review, annotations should clearly call out anything you want a decision on: 'confirm island position,' 'is this wall staying?'. Anything self-evident from the plan itself doesn't need a note.

How do I share a floor plan for client review without emailing a file?

Upload the floor plan as a shareable link (an image or PDF) using a review tool that lets clients comment directly in their browser. The client gets a URL, clicks the spot they mean, and types their note — you see every comment pinned to the exact location, not spread across a reply thread. When you update the plan, the same link reflects the new version.

Can clients annotate a floor plan PDF without special software?

Not with a standard emailed PDF — they'd need Preview, Acrobat, or Edge to add notes, and you'd get a different annotated file back from each person. A link-based review tool removes this: the client opens the URL in any browser, clicks the spot, and leaves a note. No software or account required.

What does an annotated floor plan show?

An annotated floor plan shows the same layout as the base drawing, plus text labels, arrows, dimension callouts, and notes that explain elements the drawing alone doesn't make clear — room functions, material choices, furniture placement, and any changes still under discussion. In a client-review context, annotations also capture open questions and decisions yet to be confirmed.

How do I annotate a floor plan in Figma?

Press C to switch to comment mode, then click any element and type. Comments are attached to that layer and visible to anyone with the view link — but anyone leaving a comment needs a Figma account. Most non-designer clients don't have one, which is the main friction point for floor plan reviews in Figma. The workaround is to export the floor plan as a PNG or PDF and use a guest-friendly review link instead.

What is the best free tool to annotate a floor plan?

For annotating your own copy: Preview on Mac (free, already installed) and Microsoft Edge on Windows (free, built into the browser) are the most frictionless options. For collecting client feedback: a web-based review tool that generates a shareable link works better than any software — the client comments without installing anything, and all notes land on one artifact instead of scattered across emailed files.

drafty

How to annotate a floor plan

Quick answer

To annotate a floor plan, open the PDF or image in a free tool — Preview on Mac, Edge on Windows, or a browser-based annotator — click where you want a note, and type. To collect a client's feedback, share a link they can mark up in any browser, on any device, without downloading software or creating an account.

Step 1

On Mac, use Preview's Markup Toolbar

Open the floor plan PDF in Preview, then press Shift ⌘ A to show the Markup Toolbar. Use the text tool for room labels, the arrow tool to point at a specific wall or fixture, and sticky notes for longer explanations. Export as PDF when you're done — otherwise annotations are Preview-only and won't show in Chrome. Good for marking up your own copy; clients can't add their own notes back without Preview.

Step 2

On Windows, annotate in Edge or a free web tool

Open the floor plan PDF in Microsoft Edge and click the pen icon — you get a freehand draw tool, a highlighter, and text notes. For dimensioned arrows or text boxes at scale, FloorMarkr works in-browser with no install. Both are good for personal markup, but the shared-file problem is the same: you email a new file every round, and version confusion sets in fast.

Step 3

Annotate a floor plan image (PNG or JPG)

Open the exported PNG in Preview and use the same Markup Toolbar (Shift ⌘ A). On any device, paste the image into Google Slides or Canva, add text boxes and arrows, and export as PDF. This works for a one-pass summary of changes. The limit: clients can't add their own notes back on a flat image without their own markup tools.

Step 4

Share a link so clients mark up the exact spot

Emailing annotated PDFs works for one round. By round three you're reconciling annotated-floor-plan-v4-FINAL-REVISED.pdf with a separate email thread about 'the bathroom wall we discussed.' The cleaner path: upload the floor plan and share a link. The client clicks the exact spot and pins a note directly on the plan — no paraphrased email, no new file. You reply, resolve, and push the updated plan to the same URL. Tools built for this — including Drafty — take any image or PDF, require no client account, and work on phone or desktop.

The faster way

If you're sharing the floor plan for client sign-off, the emailed-PDF loop adds unnecessary rounds. Drop the floor plan image or PDF into Drafty and share the link. Your client taps the exact spot they mean — 'move this wall,' 'window needs to face south' — and the note lands pinned there, not buried in a reply thread. No account, no download, works on their phone. Every comment stays on one artifact so you're not hunting across email chains to find what was agreed.

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Questions

What should a floor plan annotation include?: At minimum: room labels (kitchen, master bedroom), dimensions where they're not printed on the plan, and notes on any elements that need explanation — door swing direction, window placement, plumbing fixtures, load-bearing walls. For client review, annotations should clearly call out anything you want a decision on: 'confirm island position,' 'is this wall staying?'. Anything self-evident from the plan itself doesn't need a note.
How do I share a floor plan for client review without emailing a file?: Upload the floor plan as a shareable link (an image or PDF) using a review tool that lets clients comment directly in their browser. The client gets a URL, clicks the spot they mean, and types their note — you see every comment pinned to the exact location, not spread across a reply thread. When you update the plan, the same link reflects the new version.
Can clients annotate a floor plan PDF without special software?: Not with a standard emailed PDF — they'd need Preview, Acrobat, or Edge to add notes, and you'd get a different annotated file back from each person. A link-based review tool removes this: the client opens the URL in any browser, clicks the spot, and leaves a note. No software or account required.
What does an annotated floor plan show?: An annotated floor plan shows the same layout as the base drawing, plus text labels, arrows, dimension callouts, and notes that explain elements the drawing alone doesn't make clear — room functions, material choices, furniture placement, and any changes still under discussion. In a client-review context, annotations also capture open questions and decisions yet to be confirmed.
How do I annotate a floor plan in Figma?: Press C to switch to comment mode, then click any element and type. Comments are attached to that layer and visible to anyone with the view link — but anyone leaving a comment needs a Figma account. Most non-designer clients don't have one, which is the main friction point for floor plan reviews in Figma. The workaround is to export the floor plan as a PNG or PDF and use a guest-friendly review link instead.
What is the best free tool to annotate a floor plan?: For annotating your own copy: Preview on Mac (free, already installed) and Microsoft Edge on Windows (free, built into the browser) are the most frictionless options. For collecting client feedback: a web-based review tool that generates a shareable link works better than any software — the client comments without installing anything, and all notes land on one artifact instead of scattered across emailed files.

Keep exploring

How to annotate a PDF How to annotate an image Design feedback tool How to annotate a wireframe

Stop emailing files back and forth.

Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.

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