House Plans

A great deal of planning is blueprints and understanding house plans and is involved in building a home today, and much documentation is required for bankers, contractors, and inspectors. When finished, a house must not only fit the owner's specifications, it must also pass a variety of code inspections.

All the information needed by the different various parties involved in a project can't be squeezed onto one set of drawing. For this reason, a number of drawings and other blueprints documents are bound together into a set of house plans that will be used throughout the construction process.

Original sets are often developed by an architect or designer. The plans or blueprints may be created according to customers' own ideas, or they may be purchased predrawn. The term blueprint is sometimes used for drawings, since at one time copies of the drawings were drawn with white lines on blue paper. Today, most house plans are drawn with dark lines on white paper, but they're still commonly called blueprints.

In order for a drawing of an entire house to fit on one sheet of paper, the drawing must be reduced and then printed on the sheet. The reduced drawing must always be in exact proportion to the actual size of the building. The reduced drawings shown on are said to be drawn to scale. The scale of the drawing will always be printed on the house plan. If the scale of a drawing is listed as 1/2 inch to 1 foot (1/2” = 1'- 0"), it means that for every 1/2 inch shown on the drawing, the actual house will measure 1 foot.

House plans establish a means of communication between the builder, the inspector, the architect, and the owner. A standard set of house plans usually includes;

The foundation plan shows the construction, outline, and dimensions of the foundation, and may also show details of the basement.

Floor plans show the outline of a house, its dimensions, and the positioning of its rooms. The size and location of doors, windows, stairs, major appliances (such as stoves and refrigerators), and plumbing fixtures (such as bathtubs and shower stalls) may be shown on a floor plan.

Elevations show outside views of the sides of a house. Elevations may be named according to the compass direction they face (a "south elevation" or a "west elevation") or they may be labeled according to their location on the house (front, rear, left, or right).

Framing plans show the placement, size, number, and spacing of the house framing members. Separate drawings may show the frames of walls, floors, and roofs. These plans will also show the spacing and location of window and door openings.

Sections are used to show inside views of different areas of a house, that is, the important details of hidden features within walls and under coverings. Sections show how an area of a house would look if it were "sawn in half."

Detail drawings are drawn to a large scale, and are used to show" close up" views of complicated structures such as cabinets and stairs and other areas.

Specifications are written directly on the house plan or are set out in a separate document, and provide instructions for assemblies, the sequence of construction, engineering data, and all other building requirements.

The materials report is simply a list of all the lumber, parts, and assemblies needed to build the home.

Without written blueprints or house plans, a builder might still be able to construct a satisfactory house, but the future owner would have many surprises in store. Written house plans prevent unwanted surprises and establish a written record of proposed construction that building code enforcement officials can review and question to ensure that the project protects the public health, safety, and welfare.

Since building codes today cover complex issues such as foundation design, insulation, energy performance, and machinery ratings, the days of the unplanned traditional house "out of the builder's head" are fast disappearing.

Another way of obtaining plans is to find the house you like from builders models subdivision open houses, or a friend’s home which is close to, or exactly what, you had in mind. Ask the builder or owner if he will sell you a set of plans. This has the advantage of a chance to check visually what the proposed home will be like. Most people can’t envision sizes and shapes from the architectural drawings.

If the plan can’t be obtained, a draftsman or architect can, by looking at sketches or your friend’s home, quite easily draw up something similar to it or just like it with the variations you would like. Then, of course, there is the architect who will draw a plan for any kind of house you may be looking for. This kind of service is available if you look for it.

All estimate Price Quotes will depend on the size and detailed information that is provided by the customer for each room or project.

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