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The Drafting Room

Drafting or CADD Service,

About us

The Drafting Room provides economical drafting services for your building projects whether you are a property owner, manager, contractor, or handyman. Design ( problem solving )and drafting services whether or not you will be getting a building permit. If you are planning on getting a permit, great ! I can produce work that gets through cumbersome plan check. In the 70’s-80’s I was a lic’d general contractor here in California. So I have actual “ hands on “ experience in construction. I’ve been drafting since 1968, while at San Jose State College, working in early Silicon Valley as an E/M designer. So, problem solving is a strong point. You will find my prices moderate given my experience. I am easy to work with, and am a good communicator.

Business highlights

48 years of experience

Services we offer

Code Enforcement resolution services., Drafting and design for remodels and additions., Floor plan documenting services for existing buildings. Very helpful for property managers and real estate agents., design

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
3.08 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
25%
4
13%
3
0%
2
13%
1
25%

Filter reviews by service

Showing 1-8 of 8 reviews
Jamie B.
Oct 2025
1.0
Drafting or CADD Service
$8,000
Do NOT work with Nils Helppi! I hired him to design our ADU project and it was a disaster. He added all kinds of things to the plans that I didn't request and which my contractor had to correct. He refused to provide any timeline for his work, and it took several months longer than it should have. I waited over a month for him to resolve issues that took me 30 minutes to resolve just by visiting the county planning department. The last straw was when he sent me a final invoice for an additional 2,000 dollars for minimal revisions and outright refused to tell me what he had done to warrant charging me that much money. He then refused to release my permit to me until I paid him. Nils should not be working in this profession any more. Beware!

Phil M.
Sep 2012
N/A
Drafting or CADD Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Mr Helppi was a blessing to work with and i will hire next time i need this service.

Hitesh P.
Aug 2012
N/A
Yes, I recommend this pro
Even though I have to hire Architect for my specific needs as per County requirement, Nils was helpful in providing valuable information to complete my project.

Bob F.
Apr 2009
1.0
Rating=0. D. Nils Helppi dba Azure, was a disaster. We signed a contract for a tile design for a bathroom for $350. He was paid $200 but refused to complete the tile design until I paid him much more money. I refused in light of his breach of contract. Mr. Helppi became verbally abusive. Mr. Helppi placed a mechanic's lien on my property. I made four settlement offers--all of which he refused. We had our small claims court hearing on 4/16/2009. Mr. Helppi lost on all counts. He was ordered to refund my money, remove the mechanic's lien at his expense and pay for my court time and costs. Avoid this company and individual.
Response from The Drafting Room
"This was just one of those bad things that rarely happens. There was poor communication by both parties. Things got resolved. He got his plan, I didn't get fully paid. We both learned something from the experience."

Alice O.
Sep 2008
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Positive: Professional drawings worked well with Building department to ease permits Negative: Needed more in-person consultation (my fault for relying on email) to share views on what I wanted A little slow (but I don't have others to compare to, so the time it took may be average)
Response from The Drafting Room
"This was an early 1970's tract home with a poor floorplan. We did plans and permits to enlarge two tiny bathrooms, added a hallway and a master bedroom suite with walk-in closet and luxury bathroom. A successful project that added a lot of value to the house."

Michael D.
Aug 2008
5.0
Drafting or CADD Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Delivered my drawings on time in with in quote. Did follow up with the City of Oakland and provided what they needed as part of his original quote. Progress payments were fair. Nils always followed up and was available for phone calls.
Response from The Drafting Room
"This was a design and drafting project for seismic upgrade and creating a daylight basement bedroom, and new inside stairwell for a home in the Oakland hills. The owner communicated well with emails, and so we had a successful project."

Brigitte S.
Apr 2008
5.0
Drafting or CADD Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
Courteous, knowledgeable, skilled, prompt, reliable and dependable.
Response from The Drafting Room
"This was a fire damaged condo that needed a set of plans for rebuilding. I also did the building permit expediting service for the professional investor owner."

Ben F.
Feb 2008
2.0
Drafting or CADD Service
He did and charge for plans not ordered. He was acting as city inspector. I am very disappointed.
Response from The Drafting Room
"This was comment by a middleman for an absentee owner of a fire damaged, slum dwelling in the barrio in Watsonville. Like some owners of sub-standard rentals he was trying to get around the rules and regulations set by the city, the fire marshall, and building code. We got his permits, but he had to more than he wanted, so of course blamed the messenger...me."

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.

*Contact business to see additional licenses.

FAQ

The Drafting Room is currently rated 3.0 overall out of 5.

Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Thursday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

The Drafting Room accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard

No, The Drafting Room does not offer free project estimates.

No, The Drafting Room does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, The Drafting Room does not offer emergency services.

No, The Drafting Room does not offer warranties.