What's Included
- WHAT INFORMATION IS INCLUDED WITH YOUR PLANS?
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As you have probably already discovered, we are in the "stock" plan industry, but unlike the vast majority of our competitors, we do not sell stock plans! Our definition of a stock plan is quite simple: it is house plan that was created without the participation of a client. As the name implies, these are plans that were usually created as inventory. They are often generic in both appearance and design, and the slightest variation is considered to be another new plan. How else could websites offer 10,000 to 25,000 supposedly "unique" designs? What we offer to our customers are exact copies of the original full working drawings, created by award-winning architects and designers for their individual clients, that led the construction of unique and (at that time) one-of-a-kind homes. For a detailed explanation of the many important differences between client-inspired working drawings and stock plans, please click here.
While the individual plans in our portfolio contain varying amounts of information, our standards are very high, and we only offer plans that meet or exceed our overall criteria for detail. [By the way, when we use the word "detail" on this site, we are referring to the amount of information provided to your builder, not to the complexity of the construction process] They range in size of sheets – 18"x24"; 24"x36"; and 30"x42" – as well as in number of sheets – from as few as 5 to as many as 25! However, keep in mind that when it comes to the amount of detail (information) provided, the size and number of pages can be deceiving. For instance, a 6-page set of plans can include much more information than a 12-page set, particularly if the footprint of the home is small. The former may have all 4 elevation drawings on one sheet, and the floor plans for each level on another (along with some detail drawings, schedules, electrical schematic, and construction notes), while the latter may have one elevation drawing on each of four separate sheets, and the same for each floor plan.
So just stating that our (or someone else's) plans include, let's say, elevation drawings, doesn't tell you much. All plans include what are referred to as "elevations". But these drawings might simply show the outlines of the house, the rooflines, and the positions and shapes of the doors and windows. A more complete drawing will include references to specific external materials, to door, window and finish schedules, and possibly to whole house cross sections. Others may also include labeled reference lines showing the builder where things like the subfloors and tops of plates are, relative to the outside structure, and the distances between them. And in some cases, they can even include individual detail drawings.
To illustrate this point, this is one of the elevation sheets from our plans for Maple Forest 2:
So you can see that's it's not enough to simply list What's Included for you to know how much information is being given to your builder. All plans, no matter how simple, include detailed floor plans, elevations showing each side of the house, foundation drawings, and a typical wall section. Some also include framing and roof framing plans, an electrical schematic for each floor, and whole house cross sections (from as few as one to as many as a dozen!). Others may add interior elevations, stair and/or fireplace details, and window, door, finish, and lighting schedules. Some even include anywhere from a handful to literally dozens of small construction and structural detail drawings, along with construction and structural notes. And the list can (and does) go on.
And again, just knowing that something is included (like the illustration of the elevation drawings above) doesn't begin to tell you how much information is actually provided. It would take many pages to describe the exact details included in each one of our house plans. But even without a complete breakdown, we can assure you of two things: all of our plans were used to obtain construction permits to build, and were used to successfully build the house; and, all contain more than enough detail to enable any competent builder to construct the house exactly as it was designed.
However, it's important to keep in mind that the amount of detail is still far less important than the overall quality of the design itself. Again, we invite to read our description of the differences between a plan designed for inventory, and one designed for a specific family.
Something else to consider when looking at our plans:
Architects typically charge 15% of the total cost to build for their completed plans. [If the architect was not involved through permitting and construction; or, if the house was extremely expensive to build; the fees might have been as low as 10%] So, for an average size house (say 2,500 square feet), built at an average cost per square foot (say $120), the family that hired an architect to design their dream home paid him or her approximately $45,000!!! And, they worked with that architect over a period of six months to a year! That exact same set of plans is available on our site for a little over $1,000!!! And we can usually ship it in one or two days!
