re: Designing Your Own House

I've built 2 houses and designed them both. I've done some for friends also but I have a couple decades of construction experience and I designed and drew up most of those buildings too so I know what I'm doing.

If you have a good experience draftsman you can forego the architect and just have him do the plans (depends of course on the building codes for your area).

Any home builder worth his salt can give you an estimate off the floor plan because they'll go look at your building site too.

Spend a lot of time fiddling with your design before getting to that stage though, once you start building it, you're committed to it. If you haven't already go look at lots of new home construction, you learn a lot that way.

I'd suggest using something like floorplanner.com to help you draw something up to take to the draftsman. It's free, and its easy to use which will help you really get into the details of how your home will function after it's built.

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Go to a highly recommended draftsman with your basic floor plan and let him flesh it out realistically. He will get you front, back and side elevations that don’t look retarded.

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This. I did draw out mine, but I also had some schooling as a draftsman. I went to a local lumber company and they worked with me to break down the lumber list and finishing out list for free. When I went to the bank I did have to hire a building inspector that cost $75 each time he showed up. I built my own house and the inspector only had to come in three times. Slab , plumbing/elect, and then finish. That was 20 years ago.

The guest house I am building, I did the plans, sawed my own lumber and building it myself. Was a PITA to get permits now. I didn't have to fight local government 20 years ago.

Crazy that it’s a PITA to build your own building on your own property yourself.

The permits are to protect “the next guy.” Such a load of shite. I lived in a subdivision house that was built “to code” in 2005 and lord what a mass produced piece of shite it was. Lord forbid somebody try to circumvent all those contractors and designers and permitting groups

I found a plan I liked, had an architect modify it.

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Take that to a good draftsman and he'll get you going for about .50-.75$ a sq ft.

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Can you recommend a draftsman in EBR or Ascension Parish that charge this?

All the Draftsman I know are in the Houma area.

Better know about roof loads

So you’re about to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into building a home. The place that you and your family will live for years and years. And step one is to save a few thousand dollars, maybe, to design it yourself. Something you have zero expertise in and have never done before.

Do you know the zoning requirements? Required building setbacks? Maximum height allowed? Maximum lot coverage allowed? Percentage of permeable area required? Flood zone? Base flood elevation in that zone? Do you need an extra foot for “free boarding” in that zone? If you’re not in a flood zone, how high are you required to be from the centerline of the street or the curb? What kind of foundation will you have? Concrete slab, strap pile, CMU piers, chain wall? Do you plan to raise the joists above the flood elevation or use treated lumber? What are the required clearances for the crawlspace and access? Percentage of ventilation required? How far do you have to be from the adjacent property line to not have fire treated overhangs?

That, and more, just to establish your footprint and floor elevation. Step one. It’s not that complicated if you know the drill. But do you know the drill? There are similar lists for every phase of the design.

Building a home is stressful enough, plans aside. It’s probably better to spend your time making money in your profession and using that money to pay someone who is an expert in their profession. It’s also better to have someone to hold accountable other than yourself. And to know you have a home that is code compliant, buildable, safe, water-tight, functional and holds it’s value for resale. Resale value is a big one. Though there’s no guarantee with an architect, you are less likely to have the ugliest, least functional house in the neighborhood.

Blah, blah, blah, etc. I’m off to pull my own tooth and spray paint my car. Good luck.

Draw out your floor plan. Then sit down with a draftsman. If you’re using a builder, they’ll know one. Draftsman will draw your sketch or whatever to code so you can push it through plan review for permitting. What size is your house?