House plan site….

[thevalueman]

I suppose we'll just have to disagree on this....NOW...to expand....I'd would NEVER build a house I planned to live in, without an architect!! I think they are genius's at what they do....drawing plans!! I always had an architect available when building homes in the late 80's & early 90's....BUT I didn't use them to layout a foundation, nor an electrical plan, HVAC plan, roofing plan, or anything else....I had well qualified subs to do that work, AND the county inspectors. I have seen my architect do things I didn't think was possible, and elevations....simply amazing...I just do not need them to tell me how to build a foundation....I have/had others to do that....besides an architect, there are others that can build a foundation, and plan a slab pour, with load bearing footings.....HVAC...does the architect know which way the house faces, as to how the sun will effect heating and cooling in a home?? I say no.....BUT I can promise you, my HVAC company did....

 

[jcountry]

I suppose we'll just have to disagree on this....NOW...to expand....I'd would NEVER build a house I planned to live in, without an architect!! I think they are genius's at what they do....drawing plans!! I always had an architect available when building homes in the late 80's & early 90's....BUT I didn't use them to layout a foundation, nor an electrical plan, HVAC plan, roofing plan, or anything else....I had well qualified subs to do that work, AND the county inspectors. I have seen my architect do things I didn't think was possible, and elevations....simply amazing...I just do not need them to tell me how to build a foundation....I have/had others to do that....besides an architect, there are others that can build a foundation, and plan a slab pour, with load bearing footings.....HVAC...does the architect know which way the house faces, as to how the sun will effect heating and cooling in a home?? I say no.....BUT I can promise you, my HVAC company did....

Good architects take all those things into account.

Your perspective is interesting, because passive solar is 100% architect territory. Maybe HVAC people know about it, but I have never heard one mention stuff like roof overhang or sun angles. Maybe some think of that sort of thing, but I have never heard of one.


An imprtant thing about foundations-you will get an architect's (or engineer's) stamp on it. That means, they have some liability exposure if they really screw up the design. Zero effective liability for any subs (or especially inspectors) for that. They simply are not qualified, nor do they have any kind of professional licenses anyone gives a crap about. (You'll see most all of those subs set up as LLCs, and they don't carry error and omissions insurance-because they are trying to make themselves lawsuit proof-rather than doing proper calculations in the first place.)

Different perspectives and such-but I want a licensed architect checking out a foundation design-at least. Jim Bob's concrete works LLC may or may not do an appropriate job with those footings.

 

[wildbill1973z28]

No STAIRS.

u right!

 

[wildbill1973z28]

Problem with that is the foundation.

Contractors are definitely not qualified to properly size and design foundations.

Even if I found plans that were perfect for me, I would have an architect do the foundation part for sure.

I grew up around this stuff.... So many times, Bob the GC was all "I got this, we don't need no architect." Bob does his best, and everyone is happy.... Until a few years later, doors and windows won't open/close freely anymore.....

And then the problems will cost many, many times more than what paying that architect to size that foundation right in the first place would have.

I'm a believer in architects. They aren't that expensive, especially for simple things like a site study and proper foundation sizing. There are some good CGs out there, but the vast majority these days are not. They can get you into expensive trouble.

not positive but i think most code for footings is standard, bern wrong before!

 

[wildbill1973z28]

why does anyone ask for advice on this site? They gonna do what they want whatever is said

that the fun of it all ! so many know it all on this site! by the way, I’ve almost completed my gynecology class! can I take a look at it for you? LOL

 

[jcountry]

not positive but i think most code for footings is standard, bern wrong before!

I'm sure there are minimums, but a proper design is dependent on things like the type of soil (clay vs sandy,) slope and frost line.

Foundations are an underappreciated thing. Mainly because the problem usually takes so long to appear.