In this episode of the HousePlanGallery.com podcast, we’ll be answering another one of our most popular customer questions and thats “Do Stock House Plans Include Everything that I need to build in the state of “INSERT HERE”?

We understand that when you begin looking for traditional house floor plans on the Internet and in plan books, the process can seem a little confusing and unclear… Especially when you’re looking to build the home in a part of the United States with very localized building codes and requirements.

We want to help you understand, exactly, whats included in a stock plan, and what items you’ll need to check with your local building offices to confirm what other details, if any, are needed to actually get a permit to build in your local area…

As always, you can just give us a call at 601-264-5028 or send us an email via our contact page if you ever have a question about anything you see on the site, and we’ll be glad to help….

One question that we receive, almost every day, is whether the new house floor plans package for plan 12345 contains everything that a person would need to build the home in the state of “INSERT STATE/LOCATION HERE”… As such, we wanted to provide some additional information to clarify the subject.

In most areas of the country, House Plan Gallery top house floorplan will be everything you need to build, but not necessarily everything you need to obtain a building permit.

In addition to the house plans you order, you may also need a site plan that shows where the house is going to be located on the property. You might also need beams sized to accommodate roof loads specific to your region. Your home builder can usually help you with this. You may also need a septic design unless your lot is served by a sanitary sewer system. Many areas now have area-specific energy codes that also have to be followed. This normally involves filling out a simple form providing documentation that your house plans are in compliance.

Additionally, in some regions of the US, there is a second step you will need to take to insure your house plans are in compliance with local codes. For example, some areas of North America have very strict engineering requirements. Examples of this would be earthquake-prone areas of California and the Pacific Coast, hurricane risk areas of the Florida, Gulf & Carolina Coasts. New York, New Jersey, Nevada, and even parts of Illinois require review by a local architect and/or engineer.

If you are building in these areas, it is most likely you will need to hire a state licensed structural engineer to analyze the design and provide additional drawings and calculations required by your building department. If you aren’t sure, building departments typically have a handout they will give you listing all of the items they require to submit for and obtain a building permit.

Additionally, stock plans do not have a professional stamp attached. If your building department requires one, they will only accept a stamp from a professional licensed in the state where you plan to build. In this case, you will need to take your house plans to a local engineer or architect for review and stamping. In addition, plans which are used to construct homes in Nevada are required to be drawn by a licensed Nevada architect.

It is always a good idea to check with your local city, municipality, and state building authorities to ensure that your home construction will meet all applicable building codes.

Keep in mind that, even though you may need to obtain a few additional small items to obtain your building permit, you’re still going to save thousands of dollars by purchasing a high-quality stock house plan from a reputable designer like House Plan Gallery, when compared to the cost of having a fully custom set of plans developed.

Stock house plans offer a tremendous value over custom home plans, and if you ever have questions about the house plna buying process, we’re always just a phone call away…

Finally, if you’re looking for a recommendation on an Award-winning house plan with a very popular design, you can check out one of our most popular home designs – The Wilson Creek – at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-1509B-1

This attractive craftsman style home design has become very popular with our customers and has some great floorplan and design features in 1,509 square feet of living space.

Again, you can view this plan online at http://www.houseplangallery.com/HPG-1509B-1

Thanks for listening to this week’s podcast. Join us for next week’s episode, where we’ll be talking about some tips for being “green” and eco-friendly when buying your new house plans.

Finally, we’re always here to help you find a house plan for your family, and you can always feel free to visit us online at http://www.HousePlanGallery.com or give us a call at 601-264-5028 if we can help you with your new house plans.

Thanks again, and let us know if we can help!