10 Steps to Get Started on Home Building Plans
Whether you’re planning on building your dream home or simply remodeling an existing one, it’s important to start with a clear understanding of what you want. Here are 10 steps to take when you’re ready to get started on your plans:
First, make a list of the rooms you want in your new home. Be sure to include the dimensions and any special features, like built-in furniture or a breakfast nook. Refer to This Page!
Floor Plans
Floor plans are a crucial part of home building, architectural and interior design projects. They illustrate the location of walls, doors, windows, stairs and fixed installations such as bathrooms and kitchen cabinets.
They also show furniture layouts and include outdoor areas. According to Zillow, 81% of home buyers say they’re more likely to view a property if the listing includes a floor plan.
Effective floor planning involves getting a detailed understanding of clients’ needs and proposing a house layout that fits basic requirements while ensuring logical space flow and aesthetic architectural balance. This process can be a challenge for housing professionals, but there are tools that make the job easier and faster.
Elevations
Elevations are a unique tool that architects use in designing a building. They provide a two-dimensional view that can be seen from above, giving a better sense of what the house will look like from a different perspective.
Home builders also use elevations for design purposes. They’re important for showing a client how their home will look once it’s built.
Exterior elevations, or as-built drawings, show exterior sides of the building from ground level to the roof. They’re typically 2D and contain details of the types of finish, floor heights, and projections if any.
Cross Sections
The cross section is one of the most important parts of home building plans. It shows the builder what might not be evident on the floor plan or elevation, like the outline of stairs and level differences between the different levels of the structure.
The number of cross sections required will vary depending on the type of details that need to be shown in a drawing. A house with a U-shaped stair construction for example would require more cross sections to show all of the details.
Architects often request these drawings when they want to view how a house looks as it is being built from the ground up. This gives them a clear idea of how the interior and exterior walls are going to work together, what the structural posts are going to look like and how the windows will fit in.
Details
Details in house plans give the builder additional information about wall lengths and room dimensions. They can also help the builder understand the relationship of floor heights, rafter lengths and other structural elements.
Exterior Elevations – These drawings are often drawn at 1/4″ = 1′-0″ scale and illustrate window, door, exterior trim and other details for each side of the home. They also specify wall heights, roof pitches and ridge heights.
Electrical Layout – These drawings show locations for lighting fixtures, switches and outlets. They are a helpful reference for the builder and electrician before they start construction.
Notes
When you’re building a home, there are many things that need to be considered. Whether it’s making sure that your kids’ bedrooms are the right size or that your parents’ bathroom will accommodate their needs, you’ll need to take time to plan ahead and build accordingly.
Floor plans are overhead drawings of the house’s layout that communicate room dimensions, structural information and door and window openings. They’re drawn to a scale of 1/4″ = 1′-0″, and include reference symbols, dimension call-outs, notes and legends. General notes are included as well to assist with compliance with building code standards. They’re accompanied by a cover page with a description, a title and number, dates, and copyright notices. They’re designed to be easy to read and interpret. See More Information!