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Your Ultimate Guide to Building Design and Construction: Tips and Help for All Builders

Embarking on a building project, whether it's designing a new home, starting a construction business, or taking on a kit home, is an exciting but challenging endeavor. At House Plans Shop, we are committed to providing valuable insights and support for builders at every stage. In this comprehensive guide, we offer building design tips, startup advice, and help for kit home builders and owner-builders.

Writer's pictureChris Morris

What is a concept house plan

There are 2 main sets of plans when building a home one is the concept plans and the second is full construction plans.




Concept plans.

If you own the concept plans, you have a major advantage when shopping for a builder.

As you can get several builders to compete or bid for the job and get the best possible price.

This will normally save you many thousands of dollars, compared to using the builder's plans as he owns the copyright on his own plans, and it illegal to have other builders bid on his design.

So you are open to legal action for breach of copyright. This can even happen years after the home is complete.

Whereas if you own the concept plans, this saves all that risks.


Construction plans.


We have found most builders prefer you to supply the concept plans only, and they supply the full construction plans using your concept plans as a draft design.

The reason is because of buying power.

They normally are affiliated with a number of building material suppliers and will draw the final construction drawings to meet their building specifications.

All though you will have the final say on the building material, they will have a base building specifications that they get the best price for.

The building specifications are an important group of documents that forms part of the building contract.

The specifications can change from builder to builder and from one city to another depending on availability.


When getting a builder to bid on your concept plans, you should always ask for a building specifications sheet of building material that they have included in the quote.


Owner Builder or DIY Builder


An owner-builder is also best to have concept plans drawn before moving onto full construction plans.

As an owner-builder, you can use the concept plans to send to building material suppliers and tradesmen to get quotes before moving to full construction plans.


Our concept plans are detailed with full plan dimensions so they can quote it fully.

This means as an owner builder you will know the full costs of construction within a few weeks, and if the project will meet your budget.


If you are over the budget you can make the necessary changes, before having the full construction plans drawn saving you time and money.

Also having the full construction costs means you can approach the bank with confidence, knowing that you can finish the home completely.




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