Architectural Question on Ceiling Joist Height

[600SL]

If you want complete plans from scratch, it takes a lot of time to do that. I find a local modifying plans to have some complicated issues. Whose responsible for what? If it's the arch or eng that modified it that seals the drawing, what are they not responsible for? Plus a host of intellectual property issues. As a designer for 40 years doing plans and specs, I'd never agree to modify someone else's design.

I'm hoping you won't find the plan services fees extortionist.

Also, FWIW, the design industry is busy as heck, so not looking to pick up work.

Your best option may be to get a GC to modify the design and get it approved.

Good luck!

I really would not consider plans for the house from scratch. Basically want to take an already developed house plan and add or modify a garage to it as well as a full basement.

I'm getting confused on some of the terms and procedures. I see architect and engineer are these one and the same person. Dose the architect do the design and the engineer approves it. If that's the case I should be able to do the online plans and modify the garage myself and get an engineer to do the approval. Especially if I order the plans with the CAD file.

Also does anyone know what these cad files come with. I use Solidworks but I'm assuming these files are more than likely Autocad and are they solid models or just the drawings.

 

[600SL]

When I was designing my house I talked with a several architects and designers and in my area for what I was doing they charged a per sq ft price. Which is also how the engineers handled charging for doing all the calcs. I have heard of architects for the higher end who would have a bigger role throughout the whole design build process charging more to cover that cost of all the site visits and dealing with contruction issues.

I just paid my engineer to run the calcs and then after 4 way paid the engineer T&M to come out and review before inspection with me due to the framers using some creative liberty and some material swaps due to material availability.

The contractor I help out occasionally builds a house or two a year from online plans and they do make some minor modifications to them but nothing too drastic. Change some door and window sizes, maybe shift some walls hear and there. For most stuff the engineer just puts a change sheet together to put in with the plans.

You mention designers, architects and engineers. I'm assuming these are not the same person. Basically I'm trying to get an already designed ranch type house with a full basement and custom garage integrated into it. It would seem to me that a local architect would already have plans from some of the houses he has already made and therefore purchasing online plans may be of little value since it cant be built as designed.

Using creative material swaps is another important thing to consider as wood is out of control. I just noticed another house being built in the area using steel exterior framing, including roof rafters. I have never seen that kind of construction before and was wondering if it was swapped out due to material availability, and how difficult it would be to make such a swap.

 

[billconner]

First be sure for what you are doing that your jurisdiction - local codes - require a registered design professional. By Google, you don't in North Carolina unless over 10,000 sf. Use your contractor or simply take it to lumberyard and let truss fabricator do it.

Architects and engineers are both registered design professionals. Many architects are qualified and will do structural design, especially for a single family dwelling. You should not need both architect and engineer.

If needed I suggest looking for a near by architect sole proprietor. They're generally less expensive and more flexible.

Just pointing out modifying someone else's design and sealing it - architect or engineer stamp - is not simple.

Ask the plan service what format cad file is. I'd guess AutoCAD or Revit, but don't really know. I worked in AutoCAD for nearly 40 years and retired before being forced into learning Revit, the overwhelmingly most common platform in building design and construction today.

 

[FordTruckWench]

You should watch the YouTube video series by Essential Craftsman: He's a contractor that built a house specifically to document it via YouTube videos. The full construction series is 128 videos. A few early videos are of the design stage.

I see architect and engineer are these one and the same person. Dose the architect do the design and the engineer approves it.

There's a third profession to add to the list: Draftsman.

An architect envisions the house. The architect might or might not draw the detailed plans. You might use an architect if you want a "statement" house. If you are building a simple rectangular tract home, then you don't need an architect.

A draftsman creates detailed drawings. This person should have enough experience to go from a floor plan sketched on a napkin to a full set of plans which include all framing details.

An engineer checks if all headers, joists, trusses, footings and so on are strong enough.

Essential Craftsman used a draftsman and an engineer. Being a contractor, he understood house design and didn't need the extra design capabilities of an architect.

 

[duneslider]

In my area I have not seen house plans that were stamped by an architect. Everything I see has stamps by a structural engineer. It is possible that really high end homes are different but the plans I see of houses in the 2-3 million and down range are all stamped by a structural engineer. Most architects I know have structural engineers on staff. This is just what I see here.

Most plans I see are done by a "Designer" or "Drafter" and then are stamped by an engineer. That is how I did my house. I drew the plans, had an engineer stamp them, then we built the house.

The house plan you showed is super simple and you shouldn't have a hard time finding someone to design something like that but I suspect most drafters/designers are super busy. I don't know which online place you are working with but they might make the changes you want without too much trouble. But you say you have contacted them and they aren't responding very well, that seems worrisome. If your area doesn't require stamped drawings then the online plans can be a great way to go.

Are you hiring a general contractor to do the build? If so, I would start looking for a GC and see what he advised. In my case I had a design that I put together and took it to the GC and I worked with him to finalize the plans and get it ready for the city.

 

[CraigStu]

I agree w/ duneslider;
"Are you hiring a general contractor to do the build? If so, I would start looking for a GC and see what he advised. In my case I had a design that I put together and took it to the GC and I worked with him to finalize the plans and get it ready for the city."

3yrs ago we had our retirement home built. I found a construction company that had quite a few stock plans. His website had simple floor plans which I took and duplicated in a floor plan design program I got from HGTV. It was simple for me to do because they had a function where I could import a floor plan which appeared on screen as slightly greyed out. I simply drew walls etc right over the greyed out plans and at some point I deleted them. Then I started modifying. We ended up w/ the only thing that stayed stock was the foundation and exterior walls. For a couple of months he and I exchanged emails where I sent him screen shots of my ideas. He would comment whether it was feasible or not. He dealt w/ a 'draftsman' who took my plans and translated them into whatever program he used to create the construction plans. It didn't seem to be a big deal at all. Our SIL used the same builder. SIL designed their house on graph paper and the draftsman was fine w/ that.

 

[petebob]

I really would not consider plans for the house from scratch. Basically want to take an already developed house plan and add or modify a garage to it as well as a full basement.

I'm getting confused on some of the terms and procedures. I see architect and engineer are these one and the same person. Dose the architect do the design and the engineer approves it. If that's the case I should be able to do the online plans and modify the garage myself and get an engineer to do the approval. Especially if I order the plans with the CAD file.

Also does anyone know what these cad files come with. I use Solidworks but I'm assuming these files are more than likely Autocad and are they solid models or just the drawings.

We live in Orange County NC. I had a friend that did our floor plans and I did all of the detail drawings. Our building material supplier spec'd out all the floor joists. It didn't require a stamp because it was all done within the IRC. We acted as our own GC, but if you have a guy it should work the same. He should have standard wall and foundation details that he could submit for the permit. Good luck!

 

[billconner]

Would love to know what you've decided or are leaning toward.