Architectural Designs

About how much will it cost to have house plans tweaked by a contractor?

I am buying house plans for a very small house because I liked the exterior, but then I saw a photo on a paint sample paige that looked very much like the house I was considering plans for only I liked it much more. The things I liked were the details and the larger size. Should I still by the original plans for $600 and pay someone extra to tweak it or just have a house built from the photo with the layout of my choice? Ether way how much will it cost to have this done.

Public Comments

1. This is a very gray area. Technically the company that is selling the plan you are considering owns the copyright to the plan, and you would not be able to use it without buying it from them. This is incredibly difficult to enforce, though. Basically, unless you have a Frank Lloyd Wright type of architect, every house plan borrows liberally from others that have been drawn. Most people who have an architect draw a plan include elements that they have seen in other houses. You can have a CAD draftsman in your area create a buildable plan for you. Draw some sketches of what you want, include dimensions, window locations, etc. You can take pictures of houses you've seen that you like, to work those features in as well. After he/she finishes, they will give you a print. You can look it over and have him/her make changes you want. Once you have the final plan you like, you can get a bunch of copies made and start getting bids. It will cost a lot less in the long run this way, and you can make changes fairly quickly. I did this when I built my house, and it cost me $400 for the drafting. Hope this helps.