Do You Need A Custom House Plan ?
Have you been looking for the perfect
house to build? Hint, the search would take forever and you will not be
happy with the result. A Custom House Plan might be the answer to your
quest for the perfect house. Here are a few questions that you should
consider when designing your dream house.
What is A Custom House Plan?
Custom House Plans are created by the
owner and designer to the specifications agreed upon by the owner,
designer, and contractor. This process must be a cooperative effort to
achieve the best result.
Architect & Designers.
Custom House Plans can be completed by
an Architect or designer. Architects are professionals in their field
and offer design and construction insights resulting from their formal
training. Many times architects will see relationships that persons
with less training might miss. Designers, like me, can produce house
plans that may meet client needs. Architects are responsible, by law,
for the performance of the structure. Designers have only a moral
obligation for the resulting structure.
Agreements & Contracts
Here Custom House Plans
should be defined by written contract or agreement between the client
and person producing the plans so that misunderstanding might be reduced
or best case eliminated. The document should identify what the set of
plans will include with price and time line for completion. I use a very
simple one page agreement. See the “Agreement” page.
Construction Costs
Construction costs vary with the
geography. The best way to determine local costs would be to contact
local contractors to determine their estimated cost per square foot or
other method used for estimates. No one should give you a firm bid
without seeing the final construction documents. Ball park bids will
help you reach a realistic budget for you house. And no, you cannot
build a house cheaper than a licensed, bonded contractor because you
uncle is a carpenter and your cousin is a plumber.
See Your House in 3D.
I use Chief Architect software to
develop 3D plans for my clients. Many clients have difficulty
visualizing floor plan information which is 2D. Floor plan detail that
shows size, shape, and circulation is most meaningful to architects and
contractors but leaves many home owners guessing how the structure will
appear when completed. 3D programs, such as Chief Architect,
can show the client perspective views of the inside and outside of the
house. Send me an E-Mail request to receive a FREE pdf of designs
given to clients.
What Size House Do You Need?
Younger clients seem to want more than
they really need while older clients may want to downsize their living
quarters. Sometimes the house size, room arrangement, and other design
considerations are not known when they walk in my office. I use a
simple INTERVIEW sheet to attempt to force the client to focus and give
me basic information to start the custom house plan process. The interview does
not capture everything needed but it has been a good ice breaker and
does gather some useful information. See the Interview page.

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