Documentation Guidelines

HABS/HAER/HALS documentation guidelines provide detailed information on how to execute measured drawings, photographs, and historical reports in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Architectural and Engineering Documentation and supplemental program requirements. Select the appropriate guidelines based on the type and level of documentation you are completing. All projects will consult the Transmittal Guidelines to set up and finalize the documentation.

Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)

• HABS History Guidelines (pdf) – links updated October 2023
• HABS Drawing Guidelines (pdf) – Section 5.9.3 updated June 2020
• HDP Photography Guidelines (pdf)
• HDP Transmittal Guidelines (pdf)
• HABS Guide to Field Documentation (pdf)

Historic American Engineering Record (HAER)

• HAER History Guidelines (pdf) – links updated October 2023
• HAER Drawing Guidelines (pdf) – revised 2020
• HDP Photography Guidelines (pdf)
• HDP Transmittal Guidelines (pdf)
• HAER Guidelines for Recording Historic Ships (pdf)
• Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Covered Bridges

Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS)

• HALS History Guidelines (pdf) – links updated October 2023
• HALS Drawing Guidelines (pdf)
• HDP Photography Guidelines (pdf)
• HDP Transmittal Guidelines (pdf)
• HALS 101 Brochure (pdf)
• HALS Guidelines for Using National Register Nominations in Preparing HALS Short Format Histories (pdf)