How to Get Floor Plans of an Existing House
- Contact your local permit agency or records office. Often these agencies store copies of building plans for decades after the structure has been ...
- Visit the local planning or zoning office if it operates separately from the permits agency in your areas. Ask for a copy of your property's plat ...
- Call your builder or the architect who designed your home. If you can't find this information, look through your mortgage paperwork. Builders ...
- Check with your real estate agent. He may have copies of the building plans, particularly if your house is new construction; if he doesn't have ...
- Talk to the contractor that built your house, if possible. ...
- Locate the archives of the municipality or county where your house is located. ...
- Locate the fire insurance maps for the community. ...
- Visit your local building inspector's office. ...
- Browse through historical plan books.
How do I get floor plans of an existing house?
How to Get Floor Plans of an Existing House
- Talk to the contractor that built your house, if possible. ...
- Locate the archives of the municipality or county where your house is located. The tax office usually has an archive section.
- Locate the fire insurance maps for the community. ...
- Visit your local building inspector's office. ...
- Browse through historical plan books. ...
Where to find house plans for existing homes?
Tools, Materials and Resources Needed:
- Old House Plans
- Local Realtor
- Local Home Builder
- Architecture School
- Building Inspector Office
- Telephone
- Computer
How to find the best manufactured home floor plan?
TOP FIVE MOST POPULAR MODULAR HOME FLOOR PLANS
- ROOSEVELT SERIES. Number one is the Roosevelt series. ...
- HERITAGE SERIES. Coming in next at number two is the Heritage series, which also features an eat-in island in the kitchen and three bedrooms with two baths.
- AVERY SERIES. ...
- JASPER SERIES. ...
- ASHBY SERIES. ...
Where to find floor plans for my house?
This 2,400-square-foot floor plan packs a modern design and tons of ... in many different architectural styles and sizes. The post Find Design Inspiration for Your Next Build with The House Plan Company first appeared on PRUnderground.
How to find original floor plan of house?
Contacting your local permit agency or records office is the first thing you can do to discover the original floor plan of your house. Builders usually require permission from these agencies before going ahead to build their homes. Usually, they would first submit a copy of the building’s blueprint.
Where to find old house plans?
Especially with very old houses, many house owners find the old house plans of their house somewhere in the attic or basement. So if yours is a very old home, it’s always a great idea to scour your basement and attic for your original floor plan. The blueprint may be lying just anywhere, so, you could look everywhere.
What is a floor plan?
Floor plans are meant to show where all the building components of our homes are located. These building components include existing walls, wiring, piping, and other such systems. Various situations can arise, which will require us to get the original floor plans of our house. Remodeling is one of such cases.
How to see footprint of building?
Visit the Local Planning or Zoning Office. Another option is to visit your local planning or zoning office. Apart from getting a copy of your property’s plan, you will also get to see your entire property, including the footprint of the building.
What to do if you are not the owner of the house?
If it happens that you are not the owner of the house involved, you’ll probably be required to produce a signed affidavit from the real owner of the property. Also, if it’s a house you’re looking to buy, you can contact your real estate agent first for guidance. Call Your Builder or Architect.
Do architects have copies of floor plans?
Usually, there’s a significant probability that the original architect of your house has a copy of the floor plan. In most cases, large contractors will store copies of the blueprints of the projects they undertake. Therefore getting the blueprint from them may not be too hard.
Is it hard to get a blueprint?
Therefore getting the blueprint from them may not be too hard. The only downside, however, is that sometimes locating the architects or builders that were in charge of your building can be hard. This is especially so if your house has lasted for decades.
Where do I file a building permit?
Permits, often with floor plans and elevation drawings, are usually filed in the Building Inspector's office at your local city or town hall . These documents may not date very far back, but they can be useful for learning about modifications made to your house in the past 20 years or so.
When did builders draw up blueprints?
In the early 1900s and before , builders rarely drew up the kind of detailed specifications found in modern blueprints. House construction was largely a matter of convention, using methods passed down by word of mouth. Written manuals and pattern books often contained the hazy instruction "build in the usual way.".
What can a building professional do?
A building professional (usually an architect or a structural engineer) can use field measurements and other clues to recreate the original plans. Now that you know how your house used to look, the real work begins... renovation. Read More.
Can a building firm build a home without blueprints?
Modern homes are virtually always built from detailed blueprints that serve as a roadmap for the building trade professionals who are laying foundations, erecting the structure, and finishing the home. No construction firm today can confidently build a home without them. This was not always the case, however.
How to get a copy of a blueprint?
If you bought the building from the original house owners, you could request a copy of the blueprints directly from them if you still have their contact information. If the previous homeowner purchased the home from another resident, search the public records to find the previous owners’ contact information. From there, you’ll be able to reach out and ask them for a copy of the floor plans.
Do builders keep floor plans?
Furthermore, if the original owners secured a loan to build the house, their lender may still have the floor plans on file.
Can you find floor plans for an older house?
Unfortunately, finding your home’s original floor plans may prove difficult, especially if you’ve purchased an older house. However, there are several places and ways you can locate the blueprints.
Can you hire a firm to build a floor plan?
If you’ve explored all possible avenues and can’t locate the original floor plans, you can hire a firm to create “as-built” plans. In short, these blueprints depict how your house was designed and built while outlining the renovations that have taken place since construction.
Can you ask your neighbor for a copy of their floor plans?
If you’re considering contacting a neighbor for a copy of their floor plans, ensure that they haven’t modified their home or changed their house’s layout since purchasing the home. If everything remains according to the original plans, ask your neighbor to make a copy of their floor plans to use in your remodeling projects.
What is a floor plan?
A floor plan shows the positions and key dimensions within your house and can be very useful for planning out future projects. Often when you purchase a house the floor plans either don’t exist or have not been provided. Luckily there are a few methods that can help either find your house plans or something very similar.
What happens if you cannot find a planning application for your property?
If you cannot find a planning application for your property then all is not lost! In the UK your house design layout is most likely very standardised meaning that there are probably many other properties with the exact same layout!
How to search Zoopla?
The best way I have found to search Zoopla is to use Google as they have a much better search process. Go to Google and search something like “10 Downing Street London Zoopla”. This will then take you to the search results where you can find your property.
How to get a home plan?
Step 1. Ask around. If you purchased your home recently, contact your Realtor. She may have access to the plans for your home or at least direct you to someone who does. If your home is new, contact your builder. He will likely have the plans on file.
What to do if you own a historic home?
However, if you own a historic home, the best bet is to ask your neighbors. They might be able to tell you about the history of the home, which will give you a clue where to begin your search, or they may have a home with a similar layout and can offer their home's plans as a reference.
Can you expand an old home?
As an owner of an old home, you might be interested in expanding or renovating your home to incorporate some modern luxuries. Having plans of the existing building can prove extremely helpful, but unless you've had the luck of stumbling upon them in the attic, then you have your research cut out for you. It is possible to track down the plans in ...
Can you use a draftsman to build a floor plan?
If blueprints or any form of plans for your home are simply not in existence, you may hire an architect or a draftsman to measure and create floor plans for your home. This is the best option if you need really accurate as-built drawings for precise renovation projects, such as a kitchen remodel.
What happens if the building department doesn't have original plans?
If the building department doesn't have an original copy of the structure's building plans, they may have information on the architect that designed the structure, who may have original copies.
What is architectural plan?
Architectural plans are highly detailed drawings that are necessary for every structure and must be submitted to the local building department before construction. Just about every structure built during and since the 20th century has been built as specified by a set of architectural plans. When remodeling an existing structure, a new set ...
“As-Built” Plans
Local Government
- Visiting the local municipal office is a great way to acquire your house’s floor plans immediately. However, keep in mind that if your home is considered old, it will be quite challenging for these staff members to locate them. If your local municipal office can retrieve the house plans from their database, consider yourself lucky. Before you visit...
The Original Owners
- If you bought the building from the original house owners, you could request a copy of the blueprints directly from them if you still have their contact information. If the previous homeowner purchased the home from another resident, search the public records to find the previous owners’ contact information. From there, you’ll be able to reach out and ask them for a copy of the floor …
Realtors
- The realtor that helped you buy your home could help simplify the process of obtaining floor plans if your house was constructed less than 50 years ago. Since real estate agents work with several clients and handle the sale and purchase of an array of different homes, they’ll likely have access to information regarding the housing patternsand house plans within your area.
Neighbors
- Chances are your house resembles the home next to yours or across the street, as most builders try to maintain a cul-de-sac sense of continuity. These houses may have been built by the same contractor or designed by the same architect. Your home may be a mirror of your neighbors with minor modifications and finishing touches. Therefore, visiting your neighbor’s house will give yo…
Obtain Fire Insurance Maps
- You can find fire insurance maps from the 1870s in the United States. When dropping by the local public offices, ask a staff member if you can access these fire insurance maps. These maps show at least the type of materials used to build the house and offer a 3-D drawing of homes in your neighborhood. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a physical representation of the shape and placements …
Conclusion
- Locating your home’s floor plans can be time-consuming and tedious, and some homeowners may not have the will to do all the heavy lifting. If that’s the case, your best bet would be hiring a professional to locate the original floor plans for you. While some homeowners may feel tempted to skip this step and ignore the need for a floorplan altogether, you risk incurring unexpected cos…