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Stock plans are a wonderful option for anyone wanting to build a new home. They are reasonably priced and, when purchased from a reputable company, are reliable alternatives to a custom-drawn plan. However, there are thousands of stock plan choices available, and no one plan may give you exactly what you want in a finished home.
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How the changes are communicated to the builder and the building officials is important and will depend somewhat on the extent of the changes. In some jurisdictions, and with a competent builder, minor changes may be handled in the field, but more often, you will need to have the changes drawn on the plans. At this point you have several options...
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You would be amazed at what can be accomplished by making changes to a stock plan. Personalizing your home can be very rewarding and is often well worth the additional time and expense.
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- If you want to expand the floor plan, try to keep the addition to a dimension dividable evenly by 2-foot increments—a standard dimension for many building products. In other words, expand your home by 2', 4', 6', etc., but not by 3'-9" or some other odd dimension.
- Often adding width to a particular room is better than adding depth, particularly when joists or trusses are running front to back. Adding width simply requires dropping in additional joists or trusses, but adding to the depth may force you into using larger members to handle the longer spans. The advice of a professional can be helpful at this point.
If you find yourself trying to change too many aspects of a plan, you may be better off starting with a different plan. When you attempt to change every aspect of a plan, you can reach a point when it becomes more cost effective to start from scratch and have a home custom designed for you. Many designers offer that service. A good starting point in finding a designer to design a custom home is to find someone whose stock plans appeal to you. Then you can contact that designer to see if they can tackle your project
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