Convert my design to blueprints?
- Thread starter Jimi
- Start date
Steevo
Well-known member
Some building types in some jurisdictions do not require engineered plans.
My 24x40x12 shop did not require plans at all, just a drawing of the size, location on the lot, and clarification the type of materials to be used.
Inspections at each stage made sure that code was being followed.
Only the trusses were an "engineered" element, and they always come with certification and engineering drawings anyway.
If yours has living space, or a second story room, they may require actual plans.
At a previous home, I did a room addition, above the garage, and the building department accepted my AutoCad drawings as plans.
My 24x40x12 shop did not require plans at all, just a drawing of the size, location on the lot, and clarification the type of materials to be used.
Inspections at each stage made sure that code was being followed.
Only the trusses were an "engineered" element, and they always come with certification and engineering drawings anyway.
If yours has living space, or a second story room, they may require actual plans.
At a previous home, I did a room addition, above the garage, and the building department accepted my AutoCad drawings as plans.
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I thought I may need them for the contractor. Is that not needed? Excuse my ignorance, but I am no carpenter. How do you know what goes where if you're just handed a drawing?
I do have a second floor loft area. And I plan to have an open truss roof. I have someone coming tomorrow to throw my plan at. So hopefully they "get it".
I do have a second floor loft area. And I plan to have an open truss roof. I have someone coming tomorrow to throw my plan at. So hopefully they "get it".
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aka Larry
Well-known member
Do you how to draw what is called a typical wall section? Basically it describes the method of construction and the materials to be used like Steevo is talking about.
If you need a sample PM me and I'll see if I can dig one up I've drawn before.
If you need a sample PM me and I'll see if I can dig one up I've drawn before.
No, I do not. If you have anything that can point me in the right direction, I will be thankful for your help!
JakeKohl
Well-known member
Talk to a contractor with your sketch before you go any further. These guys frame and build all day - they don't need someone who doesn't know anything about wall structure trying to draw up the stuff for them (no insult intended here!). Garages are pretty simple structures and if a builder has decent experience, they won't need detailed plan drawings. I gave mine an AutoCAD drawing showing the size of the building, elevations (ceiling/floor 2nd story etc.), pitch of the roof, and location of windows and doors. That's all they needed. My county permitting office just needed that sketch and not detailed engineering drawings. My contractor/framers figured out all the header sizing and had their material suppliers spec out the roof and floor trusses.
It was only my staircase that ended up lacking - I should have drawn details on that to get what I wanted. It ended up steeper than it needed to be because they couldn't get it into their heads that they could split the stringers with a support in the middle...they built it to the longest single piece of lumber they could get (which, after ordering them twice, still wasn't as long as it should have been) and I was out of town. They ended up having to put the support in the middle anyway because the stairs were spongy.
I did my own electrical but I just walked through with my plumber and he made sharpie marks where things needed to be and his guys sorted it out.
It all went very well.
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little d
Well-known member
+1, your contractor may scratch figures on your drawing or he may draw up his own, cant tell ya how many times I've worked off of less!
Jake, did you have them pull it out and re-do it? Ya, I damn well would have.
Jake, did you have them pull it out and re-do it? Ya, I damn well would have.
Angelfire
Well-known member
Many places don't require true prints for a permit. That being said, the more you leave off a drawing, the more you open yourself up to getting something you don't want or into disputes. At a minimum, assuming you don't need an engineer/architects stamp, find a draftsman to put your ideas on paper. It goes a long way when disputes arise over what was done differently than you wanted or missed, etc...
A call to a local lumber yard (not a big box place) will usually get you several names of folks in the area that can draw them up. For mine, I had to get engineers stamps on the drainage plan and trusses. The design for the trusses came from the truss manuf. themselves so that was easy. For the drainage, it meant I had to find an engineer and pay for it
A call to a local lumber yard (not a big box place) will usually get you several names of folks in the area that can draw them up. For mine, I had to get engineers stamps on the drainage plan and trusses. The design for the trusses came from the truss manuf. themselves so that was easy. For the drainage, it meant I had to find an engineer and pay for it
FJ 432
Well-known member
You can also check Craigslist for someone who can put your drawings into AutoCad. Around 100.00.
