Sticky it is.. and good idea.
Personally I would draw my own. If I didn't have the experience I would probably look for a plan online (not buy it) just print the layout. Then modify what I thought would work - then look for a designer or architect.
Either that or do it like I build furniture.. "I don't need no stinkin plans"
__________________
Build MT - Your Community Informed
Is construction the only business where people are trying to work for free?
-David Meiland
Sticky it is.. and good idea.
Personally I would draw my own. If I didn't have the experience I would probably look for a plan online (not buy it) just print the layout. Then modify what I thought would work - then look for a designer or architect.
Either that or do it like I build furniture.. "I don't need no stinkin plans"
Can you tell me why you would print out the plan and take it to a designer rather than purchase it online? Is it less expensive that way or just a better idea? And is a "designer" different than an architect?
I should've said "would have someone draw them for me". Mostly because I have my own ideas about what my house should be but some of the online plan houses have some good ideas in parts.. never really seen one that I would build straight from the plan.
__________________
Build MT - Your Community Informed
Is construction the only business where people are trying to work for free?
-David Meiland
There is a standing joke (for myself anyway) as a home designer - architects go to school for five years and I woke up one morning and decided that I was going to draw houses for a living.
Here is a quote from my forum -
Quote:
An architect will usually work around the projected value of the home. I have seen fees ranging from 2% to 5% of the total project costs. I am sure that you could find those less expensive as well as a few more expensive.
Engineers will have a tendancy to work on billable hours plus a surcharge to have their stamp appear on the drawings.
I would hazzard a guess that the fees would be quite similar.
Most home designers have a consultation fee and then price the drafting portion based on square footage. In the event that you have a bungalow on a slab, expect to pay for the floor area twice - designers have to eat too!
Some of the plans Ive seen online cost over $800, whats up with that?
To quote the infamouse P.T.Barnum "theres a sucker born every day"
__________________
I dont care how so and so tought you to do it! You will do it my way or you can go get your own crew and teach them how you want it done!
NOW GET BACK TO WORK!!
on line plans are nice..give you a overall look of the house, but you always have to modify it to your own needs, and then no choice to get a professional to get the finals.
I have plans to build a vacation home. In less than ten years I hope to build the home I raise my kids and retire in.
For both of these I look through house plans online just to get ideas. I will draw my own then I will have an architect/engineer review, correct then stamp them for permit approval.
__________________
-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing
using a home design program is a nice way to create and calculate the cost of material...you can realy see the difference of cost compare to profab prices
Its hard to believe that this post has been read over 2000 times.
I hasn't.
There seems to be some system where each view weighted or something. I just posted a new message and then used the link to view the message i just posted. It said 5 views. Then I viewed it again from the list and it said 9 when I was done.
Maybe you're right. Thats still a lotta hits from the time i clicked submit on the post, to the time I clicked on the forum name after the post loaded. If 8 other people read my post in 10-15 seconds, I feel awfully popular.
This forum does seem great (mostly because of people like you, Rich). I'm not surprised at the high traffic. Keep up the good work.
The traffic has actually dropped off the last 2 months.. I think it's just the time of year. (hoping)
Thanks for the kind words... alot more than me on this forum though - I feel pretty lucky to have people like Mjpliv, Tom, Cole, grumpy, Vector, Dragon, roger, doyle..etc..etc.. that post on here daily (and in some cases hourly)
__________________
Build MT - Your Community Informed
Is construction the only business where people are trying to work for free?
-David Meiland
The traffic has actually dropped off the last 2 months.. I think it's just the time of year. (hoping)
Thanks for the kind words... alot more than me on this forum though - I feel pretty lucky to have people like Mjpliv, Tom, Cole, grumpy, Vector, Dragon, roger, doyle..etc..etc.. that post on here daily (and in some cases hourly)
I swear that there are more new people in the last few weeks than before, and they're coming in because they're finding answers (at least partially) to their questions, and hanging around to ask more, ore get more specific details to what they want to know.
It would be really interesting to see what query strings people who find the site via search engines are using. Most decent web log analysis software can spit that out.
I think you're reached a critical mass point where the site will start moving a lot faster.