What's included with your house plan order?

We have a created very nice page listing what you should expect with your order. Please click here.

How much will this house cost to build?

House construction costs are dependent on where the house is built, the level of finish (tile, trim, window quality, etc...) and the site. We can provide a “cost to build” estimate using the same software that many of the insurance companies use. Click here to read more about 'cost to build.'

What modifications can I make to a house plan?

Eliminating windows, fireplaces, false dormers • Changing garages from a 2 to 3-car Reconfiguring kitchen cabinets & appliances Rearranging interior walls Changing ceiling heights Changing exterior surfaces (brick, siding, stucco)

How do I choose right plan for my new home?

Find a Plan that You Love Choose a House Plan That Suits Your Land Be Open Minded Exteriors Are Easy to Change Your “Perfect” Home May Not Exist Blueprints Can Be Changed Square Footage May Change

How many sets of plans do I need to buy to build my house?

You should keep a full set for your records plus enough plan sets for your builder and contractors, lending institution, and building department. A quick trip to your local building department or to their website will tell you how many copies they will need.

Are your plans ready to submit to my building department for peCan I view more photos of this house plan?

If the plan you like does not have photos displayed, it is likely we have not been able to get photographs yet. Please contact us and we will attempt to obtain additional photos for you.

How can I find a house in my area that has been built with a house plan from your site that I like?

Due to our Privacy Policy, we do not release this information to protect the privacy of our customers.

What is the difference between Right Reading Reverse and Mirror Reverse?

A mirror-reversed set is a printed copy of your house, resulting in the same image you would see if you held the drawing up to a mirror. Everything, including the text, is backward in relation to the original design. A Right Reading Reverse set is a True Reverse of the plan.

What is a materials list and what does it include?

A material list is a list of building supplies needed to construct the infrastructure of your new house and includes materials such as lumber, insulation, rafters, concrete, and hardware. However, it usually doesn't include hardware for lighting, heating, electrical, or plumbing.

Why are Signature plans more expensive?

Building a home from one of our signature plans allows you to access first class designs by extensively trained and experienced Architects and Designers, at a fraction of the cost of hiring them to create a custom home for you.

Why should I buy my plans from you?

You can achieve cost savings of up to 90% over custom house plans. It may take hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to design a home from scratch. A ready-made plan saves you time and money - and can be modified to suit your needs.

Why should I join the Houseplans Community?

We help you find a 'ready-made' plan that fits your needs and provide all the architectural resources and advice you need to build, whether you're ready to break ground tomorrow or are just beginning your journey to a new home.

How It Works

Thinking about building your dream home? You're going to need a plan.

Q: Are your plans ready to submit to my building department for permitting?

Every county is different. Our plans contain enough information to build a home, but they may not include all of the information that your local authority requires. Prior to application for a building permit or the start of actual construction, we strongly advise that you consult your local building official.

Overview
What's Included
Plan Types
Where to Start

What is a house plan?

A house plan is also known as a blueprint, a floor plan, or a house design.

Think of it as the recipe for building a house. Your builder uses a plan to estimate costs and construct the home. House plans are the unique intellectual property of the designer who created them, so when you buy a plan, you're essentially buying a license to construct the home for yourself.

You could hire a custom architect or designer, but it'll take weeks or months and can be pretty expensive.

Save significant time and money with predrawn house floor plans. We work with hundreds of professional home designers to sell their layouts at a fraction of the price of custom design.

Browse over 40,000 plans to find exactly the right one for you.

Small. Big. And everything in-between. We've got a layout for your lifestyle.

Work with your builder to make sure the plan works with your location and local codes.

Every place is unique. That's important, because although our plans have the information needed to build a house, your local building department may have specific requirements, such as engineering or stamping, that are not possible to include in a predrawn blueprint. Some of these requirements may involve significant additional investments. You are likely to still save money compared with having a plan drawn from scratch.

Learn More

Find a plan you like, then make it truly yours with customizations.

Want to change something about a design? No problem. Our modification service can make all kinds of alterations to a plan. We can even create totally custom house plans.

Find Out How

Private Courtyard

Smaller Square Footage

Budgeting and Educational Tools

Cost to Build Report

How much will it cost to build? Get a personalized estimate based on your location, plan, and materials.

Explore

Residential Construction Guide

Learn about building! This downloadable 26-page guide features diagrams and details about plumbing, electrical, and more.

Get The Guide

Materials List

Get a shopping list of things needed to build your house. We offer this as an add-on for many plans.

What's included in a house plan?

Here's what you can generally expect to get. It can vary somewhat from plan to plan.

What's Included

Foundation Plan

Plan representation indicating the general design intent of the foundation. The foundation plan will show a slab, crawlspace, or basement. Typically this includes the footing layout, post and beams, and extent of structural slabs, depending on what type of foundation is purchased.

Floor Plan(s)

Dimensioned plans indicating the layout of rooms, walls, doors, and windows. These plans are an overhead view of the house.

Roof Plan

This plan describes the elements that make up the roof. The roof plan typically illustrates ridges, valleys, and hips. It also may indicate the roofing material and slopes of roof surfaces, as well as chimneys and decorative elements.

Exterior Elevation

Elevations are a 2D representation of each side of the house. They typically indicate the materials for the walls, roof, and other elements that are part of the home.

Cross Section

This is a slice of the home from roof to foundation, showing relationships between floors, roof, and foundation.

Construction Notes and Details

These show basic parts and assemblies recommended for the home, so that your builder can see how things come together.

Plan type options

So how do you actually get the plans? We've got various options to fit your needs. In general, you can choose to receive your plan electronically (which is faster) or have physical copies shipped, or a combination of the two. Our plan advisers can help you decide what's best for your situation.

PDF Set Most Popular

PDF sets are emailed to you, so it's the fastest way of getting your plan. (Some are them are even available to download instantly!) Then you can just print locally. Modifications are allowed, but if you want to change a lot of things, opt for CAD instead.

CAD Set Most Flexible

Want to make a lot of changes? CAD files usually cost more, but they give you the most flexibility for modifications. These are emailed to you.

Print Sets Classic Choice

This is probably what you picture when you hear the word "blueprints" - rolled up plans, usually in sets of five or eight (often called 5 Copy or 8 Copy). These physical copies are mailed to you. Modifications are generally not possible, so consider an electronic set if you think you'll want to make changes.

Other options

Many plans have a variety of additional options. Go to the plan detail page to see what's available, from licenses that allow you to build multiple times to material lists and more.

Where to start? Talk to a friendly Plan Advisor.

Think of us like your personal guide for the house design process. Tell us what you want in your new home and we'll help you get the search going.

Let's Get Started (Only Takes a Minute)

FAQs

Are designs on Houseplans ready to submit to my building department for permitting?

It depends on where you're building. Our plans contain enough information for a professional builder to construct your home, but your local government may require additional information before permitting. We strongly advise that you talk with your builder before you get started. If you are building for yourself, we recommend visiting your local building department to start your diligence. Read more here.

Can I make changes to a plan?

Absolutely! Our modification service allows you to customize almost anything - whether it's adding an extra garage bay, adjusting square footage, changing the roof pitch, or more, the plan modification service is a great value and can be completed quickly. Additionally, if you purchase an electronic plan set (PDF or CAD), you may have the option to make changes locally. CAD files offer the most flexibility for custom edits. Just let us know what you're thinking, and we’ll provide an estimate and timeframe to get started. Learn more here.

How much does a house cost to build?

Find out! Build costs vary based on the size of the home, materials used, and local rates for goods and labor. Our Cost to Build report is a great way to get some basic costs dialed in before you order your plans. Just plug in your postal code, select your desired construction quality, and we'll calculate for you.

Learn more about Cost to Build reports here.

Can I trust Houseplans?

Founded in 2004, Houseplans works with hundreds of architects and designers to offer their plans at a fraction of the price of custom design. Houseplans has an "Excellent" rating on TrustPilot.

Featured Region

Most Popular

By Size

Trending

Start Your Search