Yes. You are missing something. I told you in my first reply to you that when you are drawing in LayOut, you are using paper space dimensions.
The thing you are missing is that SketchUp is the tool used for drawing your model. LayOut is for the presentation end whether that is creating permitting or construction documents or just nice stuff to show the client.
In SketchUp, draw at full size. If you want to show a wall that is 40’ long, draw it 40’ long. After you’ve created your model and made scenes (the views you want of the model) you can send the file to LayOut and make viewports using the scenes you created in SketchUp. For plan and elevation views you would have set the camera to parallel Projection in SketchUp. Those views can then be set to the scale you want, i.e. 1/4"=1’.
@DaveR is correct. LayOut is the presentation tool. The actual drawing tool is SketchUp. I’ve heard of people using LO to draw but it’s like using a butter knife as a screwdriver. If you have LO then you have SU. I’d invest the time in SU. You won’t be disappointed. I draw floor plans all the time with it. You CAN draw 2D in SU (like you once might have done in AutoCAD) but nowadays everything is done in the 3D world - well most of the time. So although LO is a good tool, it is only the presentation tool - not the building tool. Good luck @stu.urquhart.
No problem @stu.urquhart. It is what we are here for. I’m not nearly as competent as others but I like to help out when I can. Don’t get discouraged. There is a little learning curve, but it is easily overcome - especially if you have been using AutoCAD. I use AutoCAD at work and find SU much easier when it comes to getting a handle on the 3D world. Feel free to fire away with your questions - it is what this forum is for - and don’t get frustrated. It will come. It took me some time to move to the 3D world when I did.
If you are stuck in the meantime, you could try my.sketchup, which runs in a browser. It isn’t as fully featured as SU itself, but you can download models you create in my.sketchup to your own computer and SU, and continue to work on them there when you have it working.