Architectural Designs

Can you buy ready made house plans to work from or would you have to hire an architect?

Just wondering as im considering a small self build project but the budget is tight and i wondered if you could buy ready made plans to save the expense of getting an architect to design a house for you. Iv looked at severall of the timber frame house companies who have a catologue of their standard designs but i wondered if there were any companys who produce standard house designs for self build using traditional block/brickwork. Have googled it with no success so any help is much appreciated.

Public Comments

1. You will need an architect to review those ready made plans to make sure they meet local building codes. realtor.sailor
2. There are catalogs of ideas, but most are never what you really want or customized to your needs, you will need to get any design stamped by a structural engineer & then approved by the local municipality. so you could make your own drawings hire an engineer for say $100 bucks a sheet to stamp them then pay the local authority to certify em for occupancy.
3. We bought our house plans online. Try eplans.com...there are plenty of websites out there, but be warned...when we got our plans online, they were generic and didn't get approved by the city the first time submitted because they were missing information, like stating the IRC code used, setback requirements, additional footing details, etc.
4. You can buy ready made plans, which will reduce the cost compared to designing from scratch, but you will still need an architect. The plans cannot take into account the exact nature of your unique building plot. The size and shape of the plot, and the location of services such as gas and electricity need to be taken into account and the plans adjusted accordingly.
5. depends on your local building codes. If you are out in the boonies, then probably no worries. Architect will be real expensive and in most cases isn't needed for homes.