What is elevation as it relates to a blueprint? I was looking at a blueprint for new tennis court lighting. Next to a light tower symbol I saw the words: "Elevation 100'"

Generally, a blueprint is a 'bird's-eye view' of the scope of work. An elevation refers to a horizontal view, or if you were standing looking at it. What your plan calls out for, 'Elevation 100', likely refers to another drawing on either another page or in a detail box on that drawing, likely in a different scale, shown as you would 'look at it'. Hope that helps.

it COULD also refer to a grade level if you're looking at a site plan. meaning elevation 100 feet (above sea level).

Elevation refers to grade. When a site plan is created using actual on-the-ground survey, elevations as they relate to sea level are what you might see, either as "spot grades" giving a numerical definition of that particular spot on the planet above or below sea level, or you might see "contour lines" with numerical definition defining the plane around the site at which that particular elevation above or below sea level occurs.

When a site plan is done without benefit of knowing how the grade of the site relates to sea level, an on-the-ground survey can still be performed, but the elevations represented by the survey will not relate to sea level. They will relate to an arbitrary and fictitious elevation established by the designer to show how one part of the site relates to another, and how the house or building relates to the site. Usually, the designer will pick a number easy to remember and work with...like 100... as the starting point.

So, if you plan shows the first floor of you house being at an elevation of 100, you can relate that "elevation" to the rest of your lot by reading the elevations provided on the plan to show you where the land is lower than your first floor, higher than your first floor, where it slopes gently or steeply, but all in relation to your first floor not sea level.

Is that sufficiently confusing?

[This message has been edited by treebeard (edited February 14, 2003).]