I’m interested in doing a major remodel + addition project. Do you have any suggestions on how we can cost effectively get drawings and plans for our project? Is getting plans from existing projects in my neighborhood helpful?
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knowing exactly what you would like to do will help with the modifications costs, also working with an independent architect and not a company would be much cheaper.
First step will be to see goals for the remodel, from adding square footage, desired number of bedrooms/bathrooms, house flow, areas to be updated, look to achieve, and budget. once you’ve set goals to the remodel it is time to interview few architects that can help you achieve your goals. plans from neighborhood unless it is tract with similar floor plan will not really help. once you choose your architect and he understand your goals, you make plans that you can shop around for. another option is to get a design built firm that can handle it all, however i think the first step again is to understand fully the goals of the remodel.
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Getting plans from a neighbor is helpful but slim chance they will have what you spacificly need.
Going with an architect designer instead of an architect will save you thousands of dollars. One of the most important things you need is the engineers seal on the prints. Architects can be costly in the over all project.
You want to make sure the plans and design are well thought out and executed as they will be the construction documents the contractor follows. Unfortunately many contractors follow plans even when they know that what they are doing will need to be changed later because they say we followed the plans and then get a change order out of it. An idea is to search out projects recently completed in your area that are similar to what you want done. Gather from those completed projects a few different architects, meet with them, vet them and choose them based on past projects. You want the best plans you can afford as it will save you many headaches or change orders and cost overruns later on during the construction process. Cheap plans = expensive mistakes
Here’s the best way (in our opinion as a design+build firm) to start any remodel project requiring structural work, especially if the exterior appearance of the home will be modified:
Go to your city’s planning department:
1- Request archived building plans for your specific property (existing plans)
2- Request the building requisites from the planning department for your specific zoning area
3- Explain to the planning technician what you are trying to accomplish with your remodel, be specific. Will you need a soils report? Will you need to grade your lot? What about asbestos inspection and air quality management department? Will your sewer lateral accommodate another bathroom?
4- Go to the drawing board, there’s free software or trial downloads that are user friendly and will allow you to draft over the archived plans you received or draft out your existing floor-plan.
5- Draw your desired floor-plan, include bathroom fixtures (toilets, sinks, etc), include windows, doors and as much detail as possible.
6- Print on 8.5x11 sheet and present your proposed floor-plan to the planning department.
7- Be friendly with your neighbors on all sides of your property as they will have a final say on whether you can build the 2nd or 3rd story of your home.
Each city might have slight variances in the process, but they’re very similar. These steps will save you a lot of money not only on the preliminary drafting, but throughout the entire project. The worst that can happen when trying to save money on plans is having to make corrections because of unapproved modifications to your home from the planning department. The couple thousand dollars you’ll save in permit fees can easily multiply into the 10s of thousands to make corrections during the construction phase and not counting the time, don’t overlook the cost of time as it can add up compared the cost of plan corrections.
Once you’ve determined the floor-plan you want and the planning department has approved your preliminary drawings. Make sure they are stamped allowed to proceed and then hire an architect or design build firm to draft a professional set of plans to include all details required by the city. During your interview, ask how the architect and/or design build firm interacts with project changes throughout construction. You want to work with someone who will be responsive and can adapt to changes promptly to avoid delays during construction. It’s always best to hire a team that has worked together on previous projects so you don’t have to be the intermediary every time a question comes up pertaining to the plans.
As with most things, this becomes an afterthought once you’ve done several projects, but initially you will learn a lot from the planning department alone.
So there you go. This will help you get started. Planning is the most important piece of a project, if you’re going to save money this is how far we recommend homeowners to go into the planning phase. For anything else, we’re here as a community of designers and builders to guide our clients through this fun and exciting journey!