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Things to Consider
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Before requesting a customization for your house plan, consider the following: Many changes can be made during construction without customizing the house plan, saving you additional design fees. However, this is dependent on your local building codes and the flexibility of your local building department. Consult with your home builder or local building official to determine whether the changes you want to make are feasible without having the design customized.
Turn Around Time, Payment of Work
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Normally it takes 3 to 5 business days to receive a customization estimate. After you approve the estimate it normally takes 3 to 6 weeks to make the changes to the plans. This can vary depending upon the complexity of your changes.
The design process is usually done in two phases. The preliminary phase will involve sketches and design work to show you how the designer interpreted your changes. The preliminary phase also shows you how your changes will affect various parts and square footage of the home. After you approve the preliminary work then the final phase will involve changing all the pages of the blueprints that are affected by your changes.
Note: You will need to pay for the cost of the reproducible master or CAD file and the cost of labor that has been preformed for you. If you decide not to finish the final design phase, then you are still responsible for paying for the cost of the design and the preliminary design work that was done for you. The estimate you receive will show you the total cost to complete the changes you requested and the estimate will usually be broken down into two phases of design work. If your changes are fairly simple then there may only be one phase of design work needed.
After changes are made you can receive the customized Reproducible Master and make your own copies of the blueprints. Or if you prefer we can retain the Master and make blueprints for you for an additional fee. Most people let our designer retain the master in case they need additional changes later.
Reprodicible Masters and CAD files
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We have many customers that purchase either a Reproducible Master or CAD file (a computer file delivered on a CD) that includes a Copyright Release. A Copyright Release gives you permission to change and reproduce the master. You can only make copies of a plan if you buy the Reproducible Master or the CAD file. Regular blueprints cannot be copied because they are protected by federal copyright laws.
About the Plan Mod Worksheet
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After you purchase an estimate, please print and fill out the plan mod worksheet available in Your Account & Preferences. You may print the worksheet as many times as you like, but please send it to us only when you are satisfied with the changes you have made.
It is important you put all of the changes you want in your request. Any requests for other changes will require a new estimate and an additional fee of $29.95. Also, only one estimate fee ($29.95) will be deducted from the cost of the customization service. Please be sure to put your name, phone numbers (including fax number if available), email address, plan number, and order code on all correspondence you send to us.
Be aware that additional changes may have to be made after you receive the customized plans in order to meet your local codes.
Be sure to use black ink or felt-tip. Give as much detail as possible. When describing rooms, use the same room names as what is shown on the house floor plan (such as "Bedroom 1", "Bedroom 2", etc). When indicating wall changes tell us what direction you want the wall moved as though you are looking at the house plan from outside of the front of the home (For example, indicate wall movements by saying "towards the front", "towards rear", "to the left", "to the right”. When indicating dimensions, use the word "width" to describe dimensions that go from left to right of the floor plan; use the word "depth" for dimensions that go from the top to bottom of the floor plan.
We also encourage you to make a copy of the form with your changes. You can scan and email those changes or fax your instructions to: 415-475-5327
Most commonly requested customizations:
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- Eliminating windows, fireplaces, false dormers
- Changing garages from a 2 to 3-car
- Reconfiguring kitchen cabinets & appliances
- Rearranging certain interior walls
- Changing ceiling heights
- Changing exterior surfaces (brick, siding, stucco)
- Changing exterior wall framing (2x4 to 2x6)
- Changing a foundation type
- Roof Pitch change
- Relocating garage door openings / adding or eliminating bays
- Changing garages from/to rear, front, or side-load
- Kitchen or bath layout change
- Changing an exterior elevation style. (Using the floor plan of one home and the exterior of another)
- Adding or eliminating a room. (This would involve changes to all aspects of a plan - elevations, floor plans, roof, foundation & sections)
- Stretching house plans in either width or depth
- Adding a bonus room over the garage
- Reducing or increasing the square footage of the home
