Custom house plans from $1,495 · drawn by a general contractor, first draft in as little as 2 business daysStart
Start yoursResources · Blog
What house plans cost, what a complete set includes, when a seal is required, and how to read your market before you pick a plan. Written for builders and homeowners, with sources cited and dated.
A sheet-by-sheet walk through a real 11-sheet house plan set: what each sheet does for bids, framing and inspections, and what's left to others.
Read the article
Sheet index
All articles
Who can legally design a house depends on the state and the structure. What Missouri law says, how other states differ, and when to bring in a PE.
Missouri law doesn't require a seal on 1–2 family house plans, but some cities and counties do. How to check your jurisdiction before you buy a plan.
Why house plans are licensed, not sold; how single, multi-build and exclusive licenses work; and what copyright law protects in a house design.
Published timelines for stock plans, modifications and custom drafting, where the weeks really go, and an inputs checklist that keeps your set moving.
Real published prices for stock plans, licenses, modifications and custom drafting, checked October 2026, plus the hidden costs of a thin plan set.
When a walkout makes sense, what the foundation needs, how the plan changes, and a lot-to-plan checklist for ranch homes with walkout basements.
How spec margin is built, what NAHB's cost survey shows, and the plan decisions that move cost, price and carry time. With a worked example.
Who buys starter homes now, where small plans waste square footage, basement vs. slab in the Midwest, and a walk through our 1,242 sf 3-bed ranch.
No size sells fastest everywhere. The five numbers a builder should pull for the lot, where to get them, and how to turn them into a plan brief.
Custom plans from $1,495
Complete custom sets, with a first draft in as little as 2 business days. Or start from a ready-made plan: every plan page shows the images, the floor plan and the full sheet index before you buy.