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SILLPLATEPLAN CO.Sillplate Plan Co.

For homeowners

Stop scrolling through floor plans. Get yours drawn today, with a first draft in as little as 2 business days.

Don't pay $10,000–$20,000 for an architect just to get bids from a builder. Your custom plan from $1,495, drawn by a general contractor and ready to take to builders for bids.

How much you could save

Save roughly $8,000–$18,000 on a typical home.

Architect-drawn custom plans commonly run $10,000–$20,000 once revisions are included. Our price includes three rounds of revisions. Based on what we see as general contractors.

Our complete set for a 2,000 sq ft home: $1,645.

Estimates, not quotes

  • Up to 1,800 sq ftYou could save

    $8,500–$18,500

    Architect set $10,000–$20,000 · Ours $1,495

  • 2,000 sq ftYou could save

    $8,300–$18,300

    Architect set $10,000–$20,000 · Ours from $1,645

  • 2,500 sq ftYou could save

    $7,900–$17,900

    Architect set $10,000–$20,000 · Ours from $2,020

Run your own numbers

It's your responsibility to call your local building department and find out whether sealed plans are required. If they are, we coordinate with a licensed structural engineer, who reviews the calculations in our plans, makes any adjustments necessary, and seals them. The engineer's fee is passed through at cost: commonly $1,000–$3,000, and from about $500 to $5,000 depending on the home. Plus our $150 coordination fee.

  • Architect-drawn custom plans commonly run $10,000–$20,000 once revisions are included. That's what we see as general contractors; it depends on the size of the home and how custom it is.
  • Our price: $1,495 up to 1,800 living sq ft, plus $0.75 (Standard) to $1.25 (Complex) per sq ft over 1,800, with three rounds of revisions included. The table uses the Standard price. Savings = the typical architect-drawn set minus our price.
  • Sealed plans, only if your building department requires them: a licensed structural engineer reviews, adjusts and seals our plans. Their fee is passed through at cost, commonly $1,000–$3,000, and from about $500 to $5,000 depending on the home, plus our $150 coordination fee. If you need one, subtract it from the savings.
  • Savings are estimates, not quotes or a promise. Your costs will vary.

Why homeowners come to us

Two problems, one fix.

Tens of thousands, just to get bids?

Architect-drawn custom plans commonly run $10,000–$20,000 once revisions are included, and you need plans before any builder can give you a real price. Our complete set for a 2,000 sq ft home starts at $1,645, with three rounds of revisions. Based on what we see as general contractors.

Tired of scrolling stock plans?

Thousands of plans, and none fits your lot, your family and your budget. Tell us what you want and we'll draw it for you, with three rounds of changes included.

How it works

  1. 01

    Tell us what you want

    Rooms, size, style, your lot and budget. A sketch or a plan you like helps.
  2. 02

    We draft it

    First draft in as little as 2 business days. Three rounds of changes included.
  3. 03

    Get bids

    Take the full set to general contractors. They all price the same house.
  4. 04

    Review only if required

    Add an engineer or architect review only if your building department requires it.

Savings calculator

Your price, and what you could save.

Instant price

Heated living area, not the garage or an unfinished basement.

Complexity

Simple footprint and roof: a typical ranch or simple two-story.

Your custom plan

$1,645

2,000 sq ft, standard. $1,495 + 200 sq ft over 1,800. Three rounds of revisions included. First draft in as little as 2 business days.

Typical architect-drawn set, revisions includedBased on what we see as general contractors.
$10,000–$20,000
Structural engineercommonly $1,000–$3,000 if your building department requires sealed plans. At cost, plus our $150 coordination fee.
$1,000–$3,000

Estimated savings

$8,300–$18,300

Compared with a typical architect-drawn set. If you also need sealed plans, about $5,200–$17,200. Estimates, not quotes.

Start my plan

It's your responsibility to call your local building department and find out whether sealed plans are required. If they are, we coordinate with a licensed structural engineer, who reviews the calculations in our plans, makes any adjustments necessary, and seals them. The engineer's fee is passed through at cost: commonly $1,000–$3,000, and from about $500 to $5,000 depending on the home. Plus our $150 coordination fee.

  • Architect-drawn custom plans commonly run $10,000–$20,000 once revisions are included. That's what we see as general contractors; it depends on the size of the home and how custom it is.
  • Our price: $1,495 up to 1,800 living sq ft, plus $0.75 (Standard) to $1.25 (Complex) per sq ft over 1,800, with three rounds of revisions included. The table uses the Standard price. Savings = the typical architect-drawn set minus our price.
  • Sealed plans, only if your building department requires them: a licensed structural engineer reviews, adjusts and seals our plans. Their fee is passed through at cost, commonly $1,000–$3,000, and from about $500 to $5,000 depending on the home, plus our $150 coordination fee. If you need one, subtract it from the savings.
  • Savings are estimates, not quotes or a promise. Your costs will vary.

Start your plan

Tell us about your home.

No cost to ask. We confirm the price in writing before any work starts.

I'm a draftsman and a builder, not an architect or engineer. I draw houses the way they actually get built.

Prepared by a person who is not a licensed architect or professional engineer.

Start my home plan

  1. Step 1: You
  2. Step 2: Home
  3. Step 3: Lot
  4. Step 4: Details

About you

I'm a…
Do you own the lot yet?(optional)
Do you have a builder?(optional)

No cost to ask. We reply with questions or a written proposal before any work starts. See our privacy policy.

  • Cover sheet
  • Floor plansEach floor, dimensioned
  • Exterior elevationsAll sides
  • Roof plan
  • Foundation plan
  • Floor framing plansEach floor level
  • Roof framing plan
  • Wall bracing
  • Building sections
  • Construction details
  • Door and window schedules
  • Electrical plansEach floor
  • Code references

Sheet count varies with the size of the home and the number of floors. Not included: a site plan or survey, truss and engineered-lumber design (from the manufacturer), HVAC sizing, and any licensed professional's seal.

I'm a draftsman and a builder, not an architect or engineer. I draw houses the way they actually get built.

Many homes don't need sealed plans at all; it depends on your state and your building department. It's your responsibility to call your local building department and find out whether sealed plans are required.

If they are, we coordinate with a licensed structural engineer, who reviews the calculations in our plans, makes any adjustments necessary, and seals them. The engineer's fee is passed through at cost: commonly $1,000–$3,000, and from about $500 to $5,000 depending on the home. Plus our $150 coordination fee.

If you need sealed plans, here's how it works:

Their fee, at cost
The licensed structural engineer's own fee is passed through at cost (commonly $1,000–$3,000, and from about $500 to $5,000 depending on the home), plus our $150 coordination fee.
Scope
Their scope is limited to what your building department requires.
You approve first
You see and approve the engineer's quote before any work starts.
Their call
The engineer's design decisions are the engineer's professional responsibility.
Updating our drawings
One round of working the engineer's required changes into our drawings is included. Changes beyond that, or engineer-driven redesign beyond the original scope, are quoted in writing first.

Your plans are drawn by Dominic, a residential general contractor based in Troy, Missouri. He has been in construction since he was 12, built his first house at 13, and has run his own residential construction company, Freedom Home Improvements, since he was 19.

That's why the sets are laid out the way a general contractor frames them: spans off the code tables, simple roof lines, fewer jogs. I'm a draftsman and a builder, not an architect or engineer. I draw houses the way they actually get built.

About Dominic

How much does a custom house plan cost?

$1,495 for a complete set up to 1,800 living sq ft. Over 1,800 sq ft, each extra sq ft adds $0.75 (Standard), $1.00 (Detailed) or $1.25 (Complex):

  • Up to 1,800 sq ft: $1,495
  • 2,000 sq ft, Standard: $1,645
  • 2,500 sq ft, Standard: $2,020
  • 2,500 sq ft, Complex: $2,370

Three rounds of revisions are included. Architect-drawn custom plans commonly run $10,000–$20,000 once revisions are included (based on what we see as general contractors). The price calculator gives you the number for your home.

How fast can I get plans?

First draft in as little as 2 business days once we have what we need from you. Bigger or more complex homes take longer, and so does waiting on decisions. We'll give you a date when we confirm your order. It's a target, not a guarantee.

Ready-made plans download the day you buy. None of these times include a licensed professional's schedule or the building department's review.

Are you architects or engineers?

No. I'm a draftsman and a builder, not an architect or engineer. I draw houses the way they actually get built. Plans are prepared by a person who is not a licensed architect or professional engineer, and every sheet says so.

We draft house plans and construction drawings for one- and two-family homes. Many states allow that for those buildings, with that statement on the documents (Missouri's rule is RSMo 327.101.2(5) and 327.191.2(5)). Rules vary by state. We don't seal drawings.

See our design service disclosures.

Do I need sealed plans or an engineer?

Many homes don't need sealed plans at all; it depends on your state and your building department. It's your responsibility to call your local building department and find out whether sealed plans are required.

If they are, we coordinate with a licensed structural engineer, who reviews the calculations in our plans, makes any adjustments necessary, and seals them. The engineer's fee is passed through at cost: commonly $1,000–$3,000, and from about $500 to $5,000 depending on the home. Plus our $150 coordination fee. See the next question for how it works.

What if my building department requires sealed plans?

We coordinate with a licensed structural engineer, who reviews the calculations in our plans, makes any adjustments necessary, and seals them. The terms are simple:

  • Their fee, at cost: commonly $1,000–$3,000, and from about $500 to $5,000 depending on the home, passed through with no markup, plus our $150 coordination fee.
  • Scope: limited to what your building department requires.
  • You approve first: you see and approve the engineer's quote before any work starts.
  • Their call: the engineer's design decisions are the engineer's professional responsibility.
  • Updating our drawings: one round of working the engineer's required changes into our drawings is included. Changes beyond that, or engineer-driven redesign beyond the original scope, are quoted in writing first.
What's in a complete set?

Everything a builder needs to price and build the house:

  • a cover sheet;
  • a dimensioned floor plan for each floor;
  • exterior elevations, all sides;
  • a roof plan and a foundation plan;
  • a floor framing plan for each floor level, and a roof framing plan;
  • wall bracing;
  • building sections and construction details;
  • door and window schedules;
  • an electrical plan for each floor;
  • code references.

Sheet count varies with the size of the home and the number of floors. Not included: a site plan or survey, truss and engineered-lumber design (from the manufacturer), HVAC sizing, and any licensed professional's seal.

Can I take the plans to builders for bids?

Yes. That's what a complete set is for. Every general contractor prices the same house from the same sheets, so the bids compare apples to apples. You don't need a builder lined up before you start.

Can I make changes?

Yes. Three rounds of changes are included with every custom plan. Bigger changes after that are quoted in writing before we start them.

Customizing a ready-made plan: $400 per revision round, or $500 per round with the plan's images redone to match. A whole new layout is quoted as a custom plan.

Will my building department accept the plans?

We can't promise that, and nobody honest can. Approval is your building department's call. Some cities and counties require sealed plans for new houses even where state law doesn't.

It's your responsibility to call your local building department and find out whether sealed plans are required. If they are, we coordinate with a licensed structural engineer, who reviews the calculations in our plans, makes any adjustments necessary, and seals them.

Which states do you work in?

It depends on each state's licensing laws:

  • Most states: we draft and sell, with the state's required statement on the plans.
  • Some states: state law may require engineering; the plan page and checkout show that state's notice before you order.
  • Restricted: Arkansas, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and New York. We don't sell plans for building there.

This is based on our legal research, which isn't legal advice, and it can change.

How do I pay for a custom plan?

We confirm the price in writing first. Custom work starts with a 50% deposit, and the balance is due before the final files are released.