40+ Years of Excellence in Home Design

Our house plans can often be built 'as is'; however, every state, county or municipality will have its own building and code requirements. It is possible that your plan may need to be modified to comply with these local requirements. This is particularly true in coastal areas and those facing seismic events, extreme winds and heavy snow. If you are building in any of these areas, it is likely that a licensed structural engineer will be needed to provide the necessary calculations and additional drawings. We authorize the use of our plans conditioned on your obligation and agreement to strictly comply with all local building codes, ordinances, regulations and requirements, including permits and inspections at the time of and during construction. We recommend checking with your local building department for the most current requirements. Some house plans will include suggested framing and/or structural calculations as a courtesy only; we do not guarantee all plans will include these calculations. Be sure to budget for extra steps that may be necessary in your location.

Every city, local municipality and county throughout the United States has different requirements regarding the construction of a set of plans.  Prior to purchasing your set of house plans, we recommend meeting with your local building officials in order to determine the building requirements for your area.  Our plans are designed to meet most national building codes at the time they were originally drawn; however, many states and counties amend the codes for their local area.  It is therefore, the responsibility of the purchaser(s) and/or builder to ensure that the structure is constructed to meet the codes of their local area.

Stock house plans do not come stamped or signed by an architect or engineer, and may not include structural engineering notes/calculations.  All house plans are architectural in nature, and must be reviewed by a local licensed engineer prior to construction.  Please check with your local building officials to determine if an architect's stamp is required.  After plan purchase from Archival Designs, the purchaser(s) and/or builder is responsible for additional expenses incurred through meeting municipality requirements or other requirements for construction.

Our house plans will include schematic electrical drawings; however, circuiting or wire sizing will not be included.  Your electrical subcontractor will typically provide these drawings. 

HVAC and plumbing drawings are not included. Your mechanical and plumbing subcontractors will determine the best layout for your site.  Local HVAC codes, climatic requirements and commonly used systems vary throughout the country.  The direction of how water flow will enter the home vary from case to case. For this reason, it is impossible to provide universal plans.