Pencil Points – Purchasing Predesigned Plans vs. Working with a Local Architect

Pencil Points are tips for residential design and planning issues often encountered by homeowners, builders and developers.  This information is provided by Applied Design Research Associates as general interest based on current NYS Building Codes and is not intended as professional guidance for any specific project.  For answers to specific design questions feel free to contact ADRA at (607) 844-4601 or consult the yellow pages under Architects for the name of other registered design professionals in your area.  You can also write or email ADRA with additional questions of interest to be researched and published in subsequent issues of this paper.

ADR Associates- P.O. Box 306, Freeville, NY 13068   adra@twcny.rr.com

When purchasing pre-designed house plans from a magazine, the internet, or some other source versus working with a design professional to develop a custom house design, what issues should the homeowner be considering?

Prospective homeowner(s) who are contemplating building a new home have numerous resources for obtaining design ideas and acquiring house plans. When building new home visiting some helpful sites like our website metalbuildingsgreenvillesc.com is really of great advantage. There is an abundance of design magazines available on the market today. Many home and garden design shows on television also promote places to purchase house plans and there is the rapidly growing internet resource for every kind of home a person could want from the weekend cottage, an adult tree house to a multi-million dollar island mansion. A website even exists to purchase floor plans for Tony Soprano’s TV home complete with emergency exit passage. The homeowner also has the option of working with a local Builder to develop their project whereby the builder assumes responsibility for obtaining design services as part of the total project fee package. Lastly, the homeowner can follow the traditional path of working directly with licensed townhouse architects. Since the process of working with an architect was covered in a previous Pencil Points article, today’s article focuses on differences between custom design services and pre-purchased plans.

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Pre-designed plans whether from a magazine, website, or television promotional offer the buyer an instant look at the “finished” design, including full plan views, building elevations, construction sections, interior details, mechanical/electrical plans, and can even come with an exterior rendered perspective showing landscaping and all the accoutrements of a completed project. Depending on the size and complexity of the house design, complete architectural plans and basic material specifications will cost the perspective buyer from $600.00 to $1,500.00 plus $200.00 to $400.00 for multiple copies of the detailed drawings. Initially, pre-designed plans sound like a great deal until the prospective homeowner receives the documents and begins to review them in greater detail. Sadly, these apparent deals also tend to skew the perceived value of design services when the homeowner compares “magazine plans” to the cost of acquiring custom design services from a local design professional. The originator of a pre-designed set of plans has the luxury of selling the same design multiple times through various outlets to achieve his target profit of $12,000 – $15,000 per house, whereas the design professional works with the client to create a one of a kind home design that is seldom repeated at the request of the owner. The local design professional that offers interior design services will often work with the homeowner to explore several design alternatives until they achieve the best solution whereas, the magazine plan is usually a fixed design, however, some online or magazine design services will offer minor changes for an additional price.

The Disclaimer
Most pre-designed construction plans feature a legal disclaimer on the cover page designed to protect the original drafter/designer from liability connected with local building codes that aren’t known nor adequately addressed in the drawings and specifications. A sample disclaimer is printed below and usually directs the Builder or Homeowner to hire a local, licensed design professional to review the drawings for code compliance, structural adequacy and proper energy conservation measures in the design.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PLAN LIABILTY
Due to local Codes, regulations and building practices and/or because of specific site conditions, these drawings may not be suitable for legal use in the construction of this building in all localities. Consequently, these drawings are not to be used as a guide for construction unless the Builder has confirmed their suitability or the drawings have been brought into conformity with all local requirements. The Builder must inspect all dimensions and details in these drawings and assume complete responsibility for them.”

By this disclaimer, the drafter/designer endeavors to minimize his/her accountability for the plans by shifting responsibility for both document review and construction to the Builder. The disclaimer further states that drawings must be brought into conformity with all local building code and zoning requirements which, in most cases, mean the Builder or Homeowner must also hire a local design professional to review the documents, modify the drawings where necessary (or when desired by the client), and certify the design as code compliant. Additionally, an energy compliance audit is required for any building design where energy will be consumed, i.e. heating and air conditioning, electrical power and lighting.

Conversely, when the local design professional affixes his/her seal to a set of drawings and specifications they assume a significant amount of responsibility and potential liability for the outcome of the project. The NYS Education Department mandates that a design professional shall remain responsible for the adequacy of the design and maintain detailed review documentation on the project for a minimum period of six years, whereas the contractor who actually builds the home need only stand behind his work for one year from the date of completion. Insurance premiums for practicing design professionals can be comparable to liability coverage allocated to many medical practitioners subject to the type and volume of work undertaken by the design professional during the course of a year.

Buying onto the Designer’s Dream House instead of your Own

Pre-designed home plans reflect the vision and ideas of the designer usually with little or no input from a specific client, thus the homeowner may often have changes to the design that must be made before the drawings and specifications can be submitted to a building inspector for the building permit. Such changes can be minor like selecting different siding materials from the siding supply Denver or changing the size of windows based on a desired window manufacturer, or they can be major undertakings like substantial changes to the kitchen layout and adjacent dining area, enlarging the Master Bathroom to accommodate a two person whirlpool tub with separate walk-in shower and smart bathroom mirrors, or altering the roof truss system to satisfy heavier snow loads and current insulating requirements. Generally, kitchens and bathrooms are the most costly rooms in a house to modify. If the homeowner wants to avoid all these hassle and wants to build a unique home that is in-line with his/her vision, she can successfully achieve that dream with the help of an experienced custom home builder.

One additional segment of the construction drawing set that must be frequently altered and adequately detailed is the basement-foundation plan. Most pre-designed house plans show a crawlspace foundation or alternate standard basement for a typical flat site, yet clients often own sloping lots with special foundation requirements or desire to have a full, walk-out basement that will require Resin Flooring Installation. Get in touch with Specialist Resin Flooring Contractors to determine which kind of resin flooring application suits your project the most. Alternatively, schedule a Laytex Flooring Consultation to explore the advantages of a latex screed flooring.

When the height or configuration of the basement changes significantly, such changes can affect the height and layout of any access stair to the main floor, the placement of basement windows, etc. All in all, it is not uncommon for a client to purchase a set of pre-designed plans, then spend an additional $1,600.00 to $2,500.00 to have the set reviewed and design changes documented before the project can be submitted to the code enforcement official for a building permit.

Once the original price of pre-designed plans is added to the cost of the local DP review and certification for the building permit, the average adjusted value of design documents can reach $3,500.00 or more which is nearly half the cost of custom services from a licensed design professional. When custom design services are acquired, the homeowner receives a truly personal dream house solution that reflects the family’s unique needs, interests and lifestyle, not the mass produced product from some magazine promotion.