A normal set of standard house plan blueprints might consist of the following sections: Plot Plan, Foundation Plan, Floor Plan, Plumbing Plan, Electrical Plan, HVAC Plan, Roof Plan, Cabinet Plan, Elevation Plans, Typical Detail Plans, and Specification Sheets. Additional blueprints or the complexity of the blueprint drawings will depend on the amount of cosmetic detail and the structural design of the house. A subcontractor, that is giving a bid on a house to do a particular task, will rely totally on the blueprints and specifications to calculate his costs. A major part of subcontractors and home owners construction planning is how long the project is going to take to complete. If the blueprints do not have enough details to correctly estimate this time, the subcontractor may come back during the project and request a change order because the blueprints were not clear. The home owners interest money that was estimated on the construction loan may increase if the total construction time is increased because of lack of blueprint detail. This issue may continue further and affect the total estimated cost for the house. Depending on the severity of the lack of details or a poor set of blueprints, it will ultimately end up back at the mortgage company or bank with a request for an increase in the construction loan and mortgage. During the construction of a house, it is very inconceivable that there will not be any changes. If there are issues in the Blueprints, they need to be addressed as soon as possible in the beginning so they will not escalate to the point of affecting the actual overall outcome of the construction of the house.
It should be plain to see that there needs to be someone with a total knowledge of every aspect of the construction of a house, to do a plan review of the blueprints. This review would verify that every item is in the set of blueprints to correctly estimate and build the house. Whether it is the home owner, contractor, or subcontractor, everyone needs to have a complete understanding of what is and is not in the blueprints. As stated above, good set of house blueprints can prove to be invaluable during the process of building a house. The time and effort to insure a good set of Blueprints will be worth it in the finished product.
Plot Plan
The plot plan blueprint is an outline of the proposed house on the lot.
It should show the distance of the house from property lines, easements, and setbacks. Also it will show all proposed driveways, sidewalks, or decks. The plan will show the outside dimensions of the property as well as the house. In some cases the location of septic tanks and wells will be shown.This view will be a bird's eye view looking down.
Foundation Plan
A foundation plan blueprint shows the location footings, grade beams, and dimensions required to complete the foundation.
It will show the overall dimensions of the house and the distance to the individual footings. It should also show the location of brick ledges and any step ups or slopes as in garage floors. The blueprint could possibly show cross sectional views of the footings. A part of these views would be the width and depth of footings and the placement of rebar. These blueprints will be part of the structural drawings.
Floor Plan
A floor plan blueprint is a detailed drawing of the rooms of the proposed house. It will show room names and dimensions.
There will also be details referring to cabinets, appliances, and flooring etc. From this blueprint, you should get a good idea of the size of rooms and the location of all doors and windows. This view will be from above looking down. Every item on the blueprint should be dimensioned, in order to be able to accurately mark it on the foundation slab.
