Finally, you’ve found the perfect plan! After pouring over hundreds of house plans, your dream home has at last materialized. At this point, you might assume that everything else is downhill – just give the plans to the contractor and let the hammering begin. However, finding the right plan is only the starting point in making your dream home a reality.

Picking a stock plan is quicker than designing a house from scratch, providing changes are not required. Most people, though, like to personalize their design. Common changes are: moving walls to alter room sizes, reducing square footage to cut total cost, substituting more readily available local materials, adding a bedroom, and modifying the kitchen or bathroom design. Extensive changes may require an architect’s input, e.g. moving load-bearing walls.

Since a ready-made plan may be designed for a completely different geographical location, the weather-proofing details may not suit the local climatic conditions. Houses designed for hot, dry southern climes – where heat loss is irrelevant – need changes to make them work in cold, wet and windy northern latitudes.

Houses designed for southern climates typically have larger windows, with more operable vents. To conserve energy, houses in northern zones are built with smaller windows, fewer vents, vapor and air barriers and more insulation. Mechanical ventilation is never shown on stock plans and this is a key element in preventing condensation damage in northern climates. Differences in climatic conditions is one of the main reasons why building codes vary by province, state and country.

The municipality, too, has a major say in what you may or may not build. They may require changes to the floor plan so it meets local regulations for setbacks, sideyards, easements, density factors and maximum buildable area per lot. For sloping lots, the municipality may restrict the style of house that can be approved for construction. Before ordering blueprints, become familiar with local codes and regulations affecting the design and the lot you propose to build on. If in doubt, ask an architect to check the design against the lot layout to see if it conforms to local standards.

Before selecting a plan, it’s best to have the lot purchased, or at least firmly in mind. Confirm the buildable dimensions, which are not the same as the lot dimensions. Besides the legal limitations set by the municipality, i.e. setbacks, sideyards and driveway location, check the physical limitations created by trees, rock outcrops and natural drainage patterns which affect the buildable area. You may want to incorporate some of the natural features into your site plan. Take special care with odd-shaped lots, corner lots and ones with unusual terrain. Think of this exercise as finding a “shoe” to fit your house’s footprint!

Determine if the house is affordable. All too often, people spend hundreds of dollars on stock blueprints for a house they cannot afford. Check with the local homebuilders association or reputable contractors to determine the anticipated square foot cost. Many factors affect cost, including finishes, fixtures and kitchen cabinet style, so only request firm contractor prices after these items are finalized. The cost of two apparently identical homes may vary considerably depending on the particular items specified by the owner.

Once your plans arrive, the real work begins. Check things carefully and consider any changes you want to make. Minor changes are easily made with a red pencil on the blueprints. However, if major changes are needed, you might have been better off going with a custom design in the first place!

PLANS PACKAGE

When you order a set of plans, the following drawings should be included:
1. Foundation plan.
2. Detailed 1:50 scale plans for each floor, showing specific dimensions for interior partitions, doors and windows, and general locations of electrical outlets, switches and lights.
3. Exterior elevation drawings for all four sides of the house, noting finish floor heights and cladding types.
4. Cross sections through the house showing a slice from foundation to roof indicating ceiling heights, roof and floor structures.
5. Detailed exterior wall section indicating interior finish, vapor barrier, stud size, insulation, sheathing, air barrier and cladding.
6. Interior details for fireplace and built-in cabinetry.
7. Material list and specifications form may be included at an extra charge.

A site plan is not included but must be prepared prior to building permit approval.