Are your plans the same as other stock plan publishers?
Can you tell me what the home will cost to build?
Can you make small changes to the plans for me?
Can you make big changes to the plans for me?
What's to stop somebody from building a whole lot of houses from one set of plans?
What do I do if I want to build more than one of these?
What is the difference between Design Prints and Construction Prints?
What is included with the Prints?
Why are there no HVAC, Plumbing, or Electrical drawings?
Can you provide reversed plans?
Do you provide a list of materials?
Can I get prints with your stamp on them?
How many sets of prints do I need? Can I make copies?
Why do the plans for different houses all cost the same?
What is the process for ordering?
Do you have plans for detached garages?
Can I return the prints if my project falls through, or I change my mind?
Are your plans the same as other stock plan publishers?
Every publisher approaches stock plans differently. Some sell separate framing plans. We don't do that. All of our framing information appears on our drawings integrated into the other information required to build the home. Publishers who do this are more likely to be selling to builders who will know how to size and frame the house anyway, and are more likely to want to do it their own way. These same publishers often use generic wall section details that may be shared among many designs. Our designs are too specific to do that. Each set of drawings is unique as is the designs. Other publishers will include drawings of cabinet layouts, and receptacle and light fixture locations. Our experience tells us this is largely unnecessary and prefer to spend our time where it builds the most value for our customers. We do the rough planning for the kitchen and find home owners enjoy the process of detailing out their kitchen themselves. Similar for light and power locations. Nobody knows better than the owner where they would like these things to be. If you wish to customize your kitchen to make a strong design statement or get into specialized lighting design we can provide those services. We know the people who like our designs are creative thinkers and will likely do an outstanding job on their own.
We do not produce a paper catalog. Our catalog is online only. This save us costly printing and allows us to update our offerings freely. Many big plan publishers print dozens of different catalogs and charge for them. You have to wonder if they make more money selling plans, or catalogs? Kind of creepy, don't you think?
Can you tell me what the home will cost to build?
As strange as it might sound, no we can't. There are several reasons for this. The first is that we don't know what exterior and interior finish materials you will use on your home. The plans are actually open ended in this regard as different people will choose different materials to suit their taste and budget. As you can imagine there can be a wide variance of cost. The second reason is that we don't know where you are building your house. Differing costs for labor and materials from region to region, as well as climate and regional earthquake and hurricane precautions will all contribute to variations in cost. There are cost estimating reference books published that may be helpful, but in general you will probably be able to get better advice locally.
Can you make small changes to the plans for me?
We will make changes on an hourly basis at the rate of $100/hr as our schedule allows. If you can give us a good description of what you would like to change, we will prepare a estimate of our time and the cost. You must make your request in writing, by email or fax with sketches if possible. Full payment of the plans and half payment of the estimate is required before the modifications are done. We will ask you to review and approve the changes by email using PDF files. The balance is due before the prints are shipped. As an alternative you are always free to purchase plans and work with your local architect to make modifications.
Can you make big changes to the plans for me?
If the changes you desire are substantial things are not as simple. You have two choices. You can work with us to make big changes to the plan set, or you can work with a local architect to create a custom design. In both cases the work is going to cost more than the stock plans. I believe that making mods to our plans will still be a better value.
Do the plans meet the codes in my area? Are the sizes of beams and rafters ok for the snow loads in my area?
Codes vary from municipality to municipality and region to region, as well as the will of the local code officials. Never the less our designs are based on the International Residential 1 and 2 Family Dwelling Code which is a national model code. It may be the code adopted in your area. In our Plans the sizes of beams and rafters are localized to our region around Philadelphia, PA. As you might guess there are places that get much more snow than us, and places that get much less. Similarly if your region is subject to earthquakes or hurricanes you will likely need to add details to account for these added forces. A local architect or engineer is your best help for addressing these local conditions and ensuring the design has been adapted to meet local requirements.
What's to stop somebody from building a whole lot of houses from one set of plans?
The good conscience of the purchaser, and lacking that, the long arm of the law! Lets get the nasty part out of the way first. When you purchase the plans you will be agreeing to use them to build one house. If you break that agreement, well then the gloves are off, no holds barred. The plans, and the design, are copyright protected by federal law. What that means is even if the plans were completely redrawn they would be considered a derivative work and would be protected. The nice part now. We put a lot of hard work into the plans and soul into the designs. If you are using them to build yourself a home you will love or to advance your business then we should be compensated for our effort and the utility you have drawn from it.
What do I do if I want to build more than one of these?
If you are a builder or developer interested in building multiple instances of one or more of our designs, then contact us and we can work out terms beneficial to both of us.
What is the difference between Design Prints and Construction Prints?
Design Prints are what we call Schematic Drawings in the architecture world. They show the floor plan of the house, and the exterior elevations, but none of the technical content required to actually build the house. These are intended to help you decide if you really like the house and want to purchase the full set of Construction Prints. Design Prints are not for construction. Construction Prints are what architects call Construction Documents or Working Drawings. They contain detailed information needed to get a price from a builder, acquire permits for construction, and ultimately to build the house. They are not as pretty as the Design Prints either!
What is included with the Prints?
Didn't we cover that in the section titled "What is included with the Prints"? Look here.
Why are there no HVAC, Plumbing, or Electrical drawings?
Oh goodness, you are right, there are none. Lets see, do you like hot water heat, or forced air, oh you're in the south and don't need a lot of heat, ok; your plumber doesn't want to run the pipes where I show them, he always does it that way, I see, how many outlets do you want on that wall, your bed is going to go where? Well, after thinking it over it seems like its going to be a lot easier to work these systems out with your builder since we don't know where you are, or what you like. Don't you agree, we knew you would.
Can you provide reversed plans?
Sometimes you may need the plan to be the mirror image to fit your site, in which case you may want a few copies of the prints in reverse to refer to while building. Many plan vendors charge additional for reverse prints, but this is something that is very easy to do yourself. The paper that the plans are printed on is translucent and can be reversed when blueprints are made. If you make copies using a large format digital copier it is often possible to reverse the prints when they are duplicated. If you want true reversed prints, with all of the text reading correctly contact us and we can give you a quote for this additional work. Please realize that it is a lot of work to do this and think about why you need this rather than simply making a few sets reversed for reference.
Do you provide a list of materials?
We don't, and we are aware that many plan publishers are starting to offer this, and that many purchasers would like to have this to assist them in taking-off quantities. For now all we can say is they are more on the ball than we in this respect. We will work on it.
Can I get prints with your stamp on them?
If you are in one of the states where we maintain a license, then yes it is possible. It will require additional charges to do so, but we can consider this when we understand your situation.
How many sets of prints do I need? Can I make copies?
Design Prints are not to be copied. These are for your reference to learn more about a design and help you decide if it is right for you. When you have decided and ordered the Construction Prints, then you will need several sets. How many will depend on how many copies are required by your builder. The municipality will usually require 2 or 3 sets for permit application, and usually will return one approved set that the builder must keep on site. You will want at least one set for yourself, and the builder will want at least 1 more beyond the set returned with the permit. That makes up to 5. If you ask more than one builder to price the project you will need more copies. We're not here to make a profit on prints, and we really don't want to be your print shop. We provide our Construction Prints on translucent bond which is suitable for reproduction by traditional diazo blueprinting or the newer larger format copiers, one of which you should have access to at a nearby blueprinter or copy center. Our license agreement allows you to make as many copies as you need to build a single house. That's the rules - no giving the plans to your cousin, or letting your builder friend try them out. The idea is to make copying the prints for yourself convenient and affordable. In exchange you have to honor the promise of the license agreement. Great, I knew you would understand.
Why do the plans for different houses all cost the same?
We are aware that most plan publishers have a rather complex range of prices based on the size of the house. This is how we look at it. The plans take about the same amount of time to prepare whether the house is 1000 sq ft, or 3000 sq ft and so the cost should be very similar. You can look at it this way. When you go to buy a pair of shoes they cost the same if you get size 7 or size 12. Once you know what style you want, you pick the size that fits and they all cost the same.
What is the process for ordering?
You can order your Prints directly from our online catalog. We use a check-out engine provided by PayPal, but you don't need to have a PayPal account in order to use it. When you click on the Buy Now button it will take you to the check-out page. There you will find a place to sign in to PayPal on the right side of the page, and a link to the credit card check-out just below it. PayPal makes the credit card check-out link tiny tiny because they want you to sign up for PayPal, but you don't need to. Just follow the credit card link and its easy from there.
Ordering by mail works too. When you have decided what plan you would like then download the order form, print it, and fill it out. Priority Mail shipping of Prints within the US is included in the price. If you are paying with a check or money order you can mail the order form with payment. We will confirm that we have received your order by email. Personal checks will have to clear before we will ship the prints, normally it takes 2 days for a check to clear. If you care to pay with a credit card then its best to simply use the online checkout. We will email you to acknowledge that we have received the order and payment and will be able to print and ship your order without delay. Once the order is on its way we will email you a Post Office confirmation number.
Do you have plans for detached garages?
No, not yet at least. But we would like to send you to Thompson Plans where you will find a couple of nice garage plans. This is another architect publishing great stock plans of small traditional homes. Tell him we sent you.
Can I return the prints if my project falls
through, or I change my mind?
No, you can not. The ease with which drawings can be ordered, reproduced, and returned makes this impossible. Choose carefully, plan your project thoroughly, and you won't make a mistake.