45 ms·

Ask HN: Where to find open-source house plans?

506 points by tsingy 3y ago

Wanting to build a house, and looking for a DB of open source plans if such thing even exist.

turtlebits 3y ago
Just browse the myriad of floor plan sites and find one you like. Any plan (at least in my area) is going to require an licensed Architect stamp and engineering to match local code. It's also worth it to spend the money up front to get a house designed that fits your lot (terrain, light, elevation, etc) - you'll more than make up for it in final home value.
deleted 3y ago
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Q6T46nT668w6i3m 3y ago
Episodes of This Old House.
cratermoon 3y ago
Did you know that Sears used to sell and ship complete houses? http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/images/1933-1940/1935_3407.jpg http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/images/1933-1940/1935_340... All the listings from 1908 to 1940 are at http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm
jameshowison 3y ago
Not open plans, but cool CC licensed construction details/manual: https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/ https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/ e.g., retrofit windows: https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/3-windows-doors/3-2-window-retrofit/ https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/3-windows-do...
yawniek 3y ago
If you want to build an original midcentury two story house, i am doing a model from a leica scan and plan to share it.
b59831 3y ago
Are you doing all the work? Or will you be able to give these plans to a plumber, mason, roofer, ... and have their questions answered? Building plans are generally pretty simple but there's a designer (engineer or architect) that backs them up (and gets sued if something goes wrong)
janquo 3y ago
Polish government has released free plans for special <70 squared m houses that do not need permission to be built. I'm afraid you have to fill in the form with fake info to download them. https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane
jppope 3y ago
The city of South bend has a bunch available: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/10/6/pre-approved-house-designs-jump-start-infill-development-in-south-bend https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/10/6/pre-approved-h...
extstopcodepls 3y ago
There are free plans on polish gov site: https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane. You must provide some data and email.
Mycromanage 3y ago
app.sketchup.com is the AMAZING web app version of SketchUp. In the 3D Warehouse, there are millions of homes & buildings already made. You can download all for FREE and then easily take them apart & make them unique. NOTE! When you first get to the 3D Warehouse area, you'll default be in & searching the "Products" area, this is just for official Products that manufacturers have uploaded (super cool!) but you must click "Models" button/area right next to that, this is where billions of models uploaded by random people are found & 99% of the time the only place to search. Some Models are insanely detailed. Keep searching different words to find what you want, search here is picky. Good Luck!
TheRealPomax 3y ago
See if someone sells knocked down kits. And if you've never heard that term, you have an entire world to explore now.
ergo14 3y ago
https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane Here you can find multiple projects for free approved and shared by gov agency.
bradley13 3y ago
We recently built a house. Of course, we spent endless hours drawing on paper, considering budget restrictions, the building site, etc.. You know what made the biggest difference? Looking at actual houses. Plans on paper, or even the (universally crappy) 3D simulations are nothing like walking into an actual house and seeing what works, and what doesn't. What "works" is ultimately very subjective: a mix of your personal requirements and your personal taste. Abstract drawings are too dry, to objective, and just don't convey how a house actually feels, when you are inside the structure.
orthoxerox 3y ago
It's not free as in speech, only as in beer, but d100d.ru is a complete set of plans for building a house. It was specifically designed so that people who can't afford an architect can have a complete set of documents and architectural decisions to build a house on their own or hire a contractor without compromising on quality, as they can't afford to fix errors either. Unfortunately, it's practically unusable in the US, as the ground floor is built from AAC, very popular in Russia and practically unheard of in the US. It's probably too small for American tastes, too.
dave333 3y ago
Log Home Builders Association https://www.lhba.com/ https://www.lhba.com/ is not free open source but is very cheap to take a course and get a cookbook for building so called butt and pass log homes. Many self builders have built amazing homes with this method but it is not for the faint of heart and takes most people several to many years to build their home. Worth knowing about since the building technique uses big whole logs carefully graded for taper and diameter stacked in a rectangle and "nailed" together with rebar nails driven vertically down into 1/2 inch holes drilled in the logs. Finished houses look amazing check out the website gallery pages. https://www.lhba.com/student-homes-gallery https://www.lhba.com/student-homes-gallery
dave333 3y ago
Free tiny house plans: https://www.thespruce.com/free-tiny-house-plans-1357142 https://www.thespruce.com/free-tiny-house-plans-1357142 However building any house is about 10 times as much work as you think it will be. Once the main structure is built and roofed in you are about 10-20% done. For my money this fold-out tiny house on steroids with a base price of $85k is way more cost effective than self-building a house from free plans. https://podxgo.com/pages/grande-s1 https://podxgo.com/pages/grande-s1
dave333 3y ago
https://sonomashanty.com/ https://sonomashanty.com/
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smnscu 3y ago
Is this the kind of open-source house plan you're looking for? - https://www.wikihouse.cc/ https://www.wikihouse.cc/ - https://www.openbuildinginstitute.org/ https://www.openbuildinginstitute.org/ - https://www.openstructures.net/ https://www.openstructures.net/ I don't think anybody's compiled them in an "open-source house plans DB", but it's a pretty neat idea.
treyfitty 3y ago
You mean plans made by someone and provided for free?
- HumblyTossed 3y ago
  Yeah I don’t know why we can’t just say free plans in this context. Open source should be a generic for everything that’s free.
  - mattbrewsbytes 3y ago
    I'd disagree that the terms are synonymous. Free plans probably could mean printed out single sheet plans with renderings. Open Source usually means the legal freedom to change, update and share whatever it is. To me, the source of the plans is provided so that someone could change/update the plans as they wish. In the context of architectural plans this could be the files in something like Fusion 360 if that were actually used for full house plans (I don't think it is). Edit to add: I doubt an architectural firm would give their source files to plans away for free. They put a lot of effort into creating them, its their business after all.
    - HumblyTossed 3y ago
      I should clarify, I meant to type Open Source should NOT be a generic for everything free, but I was on mobile at the time.
deusebio 3y ago
It'd be really cool if people who used a plan could go back and add pull requests for ways they'd enhance the plan after real world use.
- blitzar 3y ago
  Or bug reports ...
  - soggybread 3y ago
    Sorry, tech support can't help with that, you'll need to call pest control
- PeterisP 3y ago
  This. There are so many things you notice while living in a particular house which would have been trivial to fix in planning stage, but impractical after it's built.
Veuxdo 3y ago
Isn't "source" short for "source code"...?
- print_goto_ten 3y ago
  It can but not really. "source" means "place of origin" .
twelvechairs 3y ago
Consider: - buying some architectural books. Many (good ones) have plans in them from excellent architects. A sample from a good one is at [0]. If your tastes are not so 'architecture school' there are others. - looking at the development approvals in your local area. Plans are often open to all. And they will (assumedly) be up to code in your area today. Imo the concept of 'open source' doesn't translate to houses as well because regulation, construction approaches and tastes can be so locally specific and also change over time. [0] https://issuu.com/birkhauser.ch/docs/floor_plan_manual_housing_5th_editi https://issuu.com/birkhauser.ch/docs/floor_plan_manual_housi...
- hnbad 3y ago
  > Imo the concept of 'open source' doesn't translate to houses as well because regulation, construction approaches and tastes can be so locally specific and also change over time. I think that's the biggest problem. You can draw up a house in free apps in a couple of minutes or hours but that doesn't mean it's structurally sound or that the walls will have the right dimensions for the pipes and cables that need to run through them or that they're the right size for the kind of insulation you want or that the windows meet your country's/state's legal regulations or that the house meets the code for where you want to build (which can literally depend on the part of the road the building will be on). We approached our architect with pretty much a full floorplan in hand but it still took us months to pin down something that would get fast-tracked for approval and even then the floor plans had to be modified by the construction company to account for the placement of things like toilets and showers. Even without changing any of these details we couldn't take the floorplans and just submit them for a different part of town as they would likely not match the requirements there.
  - wiredfool 3y ago
    Otoh, if your house was built by a developer, the plans on file may have only a vague relation to the as built. My first house was a Seattle skinny, garage off the alley. The plans on file were for a garage in front, different upper floor layout, and a different roof shape.
  - 3y ago
hockey 3y ago
Check the local council websites. In Australia at least we need to submit development approvals which are public for some time. As part of these approvals there will be floor plans and architectural drawings. They won't be enough to build off (usually), but they're a great source of inspiration it you're looking for ideas, costings, and what your local council is willing to approve.
- ryaniscool 3y ago
  This is true in most parts of the USA as well. In the State of Florida where I live, all drawings and plans become public record and these would definitely be enough to build. This is because all drawings used to build are required to be submitted. This includes details like engineering drawings and calculations and roof truss layout. They are still protected by copyright but I'm not sure if it's relevant in the context of using the same plans to build a house. Copyright is meant to protect against copying and derivative works not how the information is used.
polonbike 3y ago
Not completely what you are looking for, but still open source plans of house: Wikihouse https://www.wikihouse.cc/ https://www.wikihouse.cc/ Earthships are also said to be open source, but the plans are (definitely) not free https://earthshipbiotecture.com/ https://earthshipbiotecture.com/ You can also check Open Source Home, by Studiolada (those are free, but the plans are in french) https://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/news/g4636/open-source-house-free-plans/ https://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/news/g46... Open Source Ecology is now listing a house in their list of builds https://www.opensourceecology.org/extreme-build-of-the-seed-eco-home/ https://www.opensourceecology.org/extreme-build-of-the-seed-... Open Building Institute is also promoting a configurable house https://www.openbuildinginstitute.org/ https://www.openbuildinginstitute.org/
- j0r0b0 3y ago
  > You can also check Open Source Home, by Studiolada (those are free, but the plans are in french) https://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/news/g46 https://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/news/g46... The plans aren't on the website anymore, but you can get it from https://web.archive.org/web/20170918182346/http://www.studiolada.fr/docs/telechargement/maison/dossier-synthese.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170918182346/http://www.studio...
- iancmceachern 3y ago
  Also check our Yurts: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.instructables.com/Build-yourself-a-portable-home---a-mongolian-yurt/%3famp_page=true https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.instructables.com/Build-you...
- araes 3y ago
  Wow. I scanned through this entire thread, and haven't seen an automatic house plan generator. I saw one comment with a request, and no responses. The architecture industry is enormous. Real estate is enormous. There's no automatic drawing, electrical, plumbing, insulation, ect... generators given specifications? I'm kind of amazed no one's trying to disrupt that. "Hi Stable Diffusion, please draw me blueprints for a 2000 sq. ft. house, with two stories, given this landscape. Thanks Stable Diffusion."
friendzis 3y ago
Real estate ads?
HenryBemis 3y ago
May I assume that you want a DB so that you can see similarly sized houses/flats and get ideas on laytouts, balconies, etc? Someone already wrote: ads. Go to your house/flat hunting website of choice, use the appropriate filters (house/flat) floors, sqm/sqft, etc. Usually the photos and the layout are there, and if you put a price range you can also see the cheap ones vs the expensive ones.
- Sohcahtoa82 3y ago
  A very surprising number of housing listings don't include a drawing/diagram of the floor plan. Just photos of the interior taken with a wide-angle lens that distorts the size of everything.
- prawn 3y ago
  Presumably they want detailed drawings that can be taken to a builder and bypass the cost of an architect and draftsperson.
paulhart 3y ago
Here’s a set of designs from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, all lovingly posted by an acquaintance to IA: https://archive.org/search?query=Canadian+house+designs https://archive.org/search?query=Canadian+house+designs
uptown 3y ago
Not exactly what you're looking for, but I've gotten hooked on the "Floorplan" subreddit lately: https://www.reddit.com/r/floorplan/ https://www.reddit.com/r/floorplan/
zemvpferreira 3y ago
Here's the thing: The idea of planning a house without taking into account the site where it will sit will never produce a good house. Would a pre-existing plan account for the sun exposure of your land? Would it have a roof that makes sense for how much it rains or snows? Would getting sunlight in the bedroom also mean facing traffic? Would it take advantage of elevation for views or make sure to block a nearby neighbour? Would it deal well with moisture, or fires, or access roads? Would you build a porch where you can laze away late summer afternoons and feel everything's just right with the world, or a place to dry laundry where nobody goes? If you really want to design your own house (a great idea), look up materials around A Pattern Language instead. Learn what makes a great house, then design a plan incorporating those ideas but customised towards your plot and your needs.
- samtho 3y ago
  I’ve worked in construction, maybe this was true for post-and-beam and perhaps some other methods where you are using what is available from nature. Historically, for example, log cabins are popular in the woods because logs are plentiful and adobe was used in desert environments because of the abundance of sand, lime, binders, etc. I would not build a solid wood home in the desert of New Mexico for the same reason why I wouldn’t build a masonry house in the forests. Today, we have all but perfected the manufacturing of, developed logistics for, and codified laws governing building standards focused on raw building materials that you can order from a lumber yard or even Home Depot. Modern building construction, at least in North America, is based around the “balloon framing” idea that the walls support subsequent floors and the roof, maybe with a load bearing wall in the middle somewhere. With 2x6 framing members, you can go up to 3 floors in some jurisdictions without additional engineering sign off. As long as there is a flat platform to build the first floor, you can build up. The foundation is the only thing that would require custom construction, with a pier and beam, you need to drive your pier 1-3ft below the frost line and with a slab or basement foundation, you also need to reach below the frost line, but requirements differ between codes. Drainage is another area that needs special attention and is 100% custom for each project.
  - rascul 3y ago
georgeolaru 3y ago
Perhaps you're looking for 'Neufert'? Here's the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architects%27_Data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architects%27_Data. It was a go-to reference book during my university studies.
spacebouy 3y ago
It's not plans/drawings, but worth mentioning the Pretty Good House framework: https://www.prettygoodhouse.org/ https://www.prettygoodhouse.org/
dfworks 3y ago
Planning applications in the UK are publicly available and many have architectural drawings/site plans attached with varying degrees of detail. There are millions of applications and each local authority has a different database so it may take a bit of digging to find what you are searching for. Application example - https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=L8QSEJQDD2000 https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/a... Drawings example - https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/files/3AD8D46CE508BF6795FF656D2D2C905B/pdf/10_00986_CAC-SITE_PLAN___EXISTING_PLAN___ELEVATIONS___A1-251478.pdf https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/f...
- mrweasel 3y ago
  Same in Denmark, you can either look them up on https://weblager.dk https://weblager.dk or if a house you interested in isn't available there you can normally request the drawing from the city, for a small fee.
NKosmatos 3y ago
You can find some plans over here: https://www.sweethome3d.com/gallery.jsp https://www.sweethome3d.com/gallery.jsp Check also their forum for many member submitted plans: https://www.sweethome3d.com/support/forum/listthreads?forum=6&lang=en https://www.sweethome3d.com/support/forum/listthreads?forum=... Did I mention that the free/open source software Sweet Home 3D is great :-) It’s been posted a few times on HN.
Untit1ed 3y ago
Not exactly a database but the Australian government has a few available at https://www.yourhome.gov.au/house-designs https://www.yourhome.gov.au/house-designs
digitcatphd 3y ago
I would still advise you to use an architect. Different home structures and styles work better in different conditions. You should first consult a specialist and seek confirmation before doing if fully DIY.
IgorPartola 3y ago
Related but the International Building Code is freely available. Its point isn’t to restrict you. It’s to do the engineering for you so you don’t have to.
franole 3y ago
Here are plans from the argentinian governent. https://www.argentina.gob.ar/habitat/modelos-de-vivienda https://www.argentina.gob.ar/habitat/modelos-de-vivienda I don' know where are you from, but be advised that construction techniques that we use are mostly brick based with reinforced concrete structure.
- hombre_fatal 3y ago
  The Mexican government also has pretty nice plans: https://decideyconstruye.gob.mx/index.php/paso-a-paso/descarga-planos-y-manuales/ https://decideyconstruye.gob.mx/index.php/paso-a-paso/descar... They target different climates and some of them can be built in multiple stages. I'd easily live in some of those renders.
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fhk 3y ago
My plan for this was to learn how to frame… https://onlinecourses.shelterinstitute.com/courses/free?utm_campaign=youtube-vs https://onlinecourses.shelterinstitute.com/courses/free?utm_... There’s also then a in person course to actually do it!
bombcar 3y ago
I want the plans for a bog-simple square house with boring peaked roof. I want it to be designed to minimize cuts and make building simple. I want the roof to be two slabs with no fancy protrusions, angles, gables, etc. I want something that is easy to build and maintain. As far as I’ve been able to find out, bardominiums are the closest to what I want.
- turtlebits 3y ago
  You can literally sketch this yourself and give to a structural engineer and file for a permit to build.
- gwbas1c 3y ago
  Any GC (General Contractor) in Massachusetts (US) can build one of those for you. They are called "Ranches" and "Raised Ranches" depending on how deep the foundation is at your front door. Any GC should have a huge stack of these plans sitting around, or has worked with a designer that can quickly edit a pre-existing plan for you. FWIW: I grew up in a Raised Ranch built into the side of a hill. One side had the basement mostly buried, the other side had the basement wall mostly exposed with a garage. The front door was at the point where the basement as 50% underground, so the entry has a very high, and impressive ceiling. At the end of the day, it was still a box with the roof you want.
- kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 3y ago
  Loads of people on YouTube building those, usually as cabins. Bushradical has several small ones, but there are plenty of examples out there. Haven't found any plans, per se, but I haven't really looked, either.
- 0x53 3y ago
  I have wanted to build something similar for a long time, but I would like it to be a passive house as well. I gave up on ever finding a premade plan. Instead I have been using fusion 360 and sweet home 3d to design it myself.
  - bombcar 3y ago
regularfry 3y ago
The example I'm aware of is the Segal Method: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Segal_Method https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Segal_Method It's a modular design system based on the dimensions of commonly-available construction material, intended to be both cheap and easy to construct without (too much) assistance. The gotcha is that it's based on dimensions of materials commonly available in the 1960's, so I have no idea if something you bought today would fit.
- hedgehog 3y ago
  His design system doesn't try to get anywhere near modern levels of insulation and overall thermal performance, though I suspect that is fixable and even at the time he modified the system as locally available materials changed. I think it would be really interesting to do an update, everything is sort of on a grid system so it should be relatively amenable to building software tools to help with the analysis and generating complete sets of plans. Even if I had those tools and the time to do my own build I think I would want an experienced architect involved with input into the design.
  - regularfry 3y ago
    It's apparently possible to do it to Passivhaus standards, but I don't know what you need to tweak to get there. It would be an interesting exercise to try, though. It's the sort of thing that's got me thinking that the next time I need to build a garden shed I'll give it a go. Anything that doesn't need foundations, like a deck with a roof on an existing concrete pad, or similar, I'd give it a go to get some experience with it. Round here that wouldn't need planning permission so it's comparatively low-risk. Just need to make sure whatever I did to replace the ties into the foundation blocks was suitable, but that doesn't strike me as beyond the wit of man.
    - hedgehog 3y ago
      I looked at some similar ideas a while back. Screw piles are a good option for a stable base on uneven ground. Insulation requires coming up with a compatible design for the exterior walls to accommodate 4-6 inches of insulation and then rain screen on top of that. Top and bottom not so hard. Air sealing is quite a trick to do without compromising on disassembly-ready construction by using tape. Picture windows are a challenge, there's nothing really suitable available at least at US hardware stores. Not a problem for a shed but kind of in conflict with the motivation behind the system.
max_ 3y ago
I just got side project idea, dribble/GitHub for Architects. What do you guys think?
- pxtail 3y ago
  It won't work - not because it's bad idea but because people from most of industries/crafts different than IT are not interested and even very hostile to the idea of sharing their knowledge, projects, work for free.
- weego 3y ago
  There's no such thing as good "generic" architecture. Context and location are key.
RektBoy 3y ago
For my amusement, I presume you're from US or UK. How much do you usually pay for a house project? For comparison, I've paid around $2000 for whole family house project, it's not just plans but also heat-loss computation, heating systems plans etc. Country CZ (EU). It's two story house made of "bricks", with gas+wood+heat pump heating systems. I would say pretty classical here. For ~$270k, not counting the property. Also soon there is starting another round of EU subsidies in range of $50k paid upfront for houses with solar panels, green roof etc.
- ChumpGPT 3y ago
  In Canada you are typically looking at approx 10-15k for drawings and to build the home you will spend anywhere from 400-Plus CAD per sq/meter depending on what kind of finish you want. This price is for a brick home, wooden frame, asphalt shingle roof. Nothing fancy. Typically drawings don't include any of the rough in like plumbing and electrical. That is designed on the fly by the contractor who does the work. House are typically built like shit since people only want to invest in the finish and don't care about the mechanical piece since it is out of sight and out of mind. If you can GC your own house, you can pick the contractors and supervise the construction and the quality of work will be better. If you hire a General Contractor, they will typically charge cost/plus 15% -20%. Most folks in Canada and the US buy houses that are built by large corporations where they have no control over the quality, etc. They just pick a model from the handful offered when there is a new development.There are few incentives or subsides. The US is very similar.
- jjtheblunt 3y ago
  How are "bricks" different from bricks?
  - RektBoy 3y ago
    I wasn't sure how this brick is called in US https://cdn.hornbach.cz/data/shop/D04/001/780/491/166/959/DV_8_4271107_01_4c_CZ_20170513180252.jpg https://cdn.hornbach.cz/data/shop/D04/001/780/491/166/959/DV... Or this Ytong https://as1.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/01/99/70/94/1000_F_199709412_vWVXtUv8qVkI6FP5bqzvF97TQiJeV9CH.jpg https://as1.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/01/99/70/94/1000_F_199709412_vW... Because these are most common materials used for building houses, (in CZ). And wanted to distinguish I don't mean classic house made of classic bricks. Because if American see a brick house, they think this, right? https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/afd1745b0164c256_14-6933/home-design.jpg https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/afd1745b0164c256_14-6933/home-des... And this type of house is very rare here. Maybe you can't even build it here, because of bad heat insulation etc.
LightRailTycoon 3y ago
Truss manufacturers will usually provide structural drawings for your house using their trusses, if you talk to the lumberyard that sells them. You bring floorplans, and they'll design the trusses to support it. Lumberyards often have fully kitted plan+materials packages you can order, and can often make some changes to suit your needs. Someting like https://www.hancocklumber.com/package-type/home-packages/ https://www.hancocklumber.com/package-type/home-packages/ Local lumberyards can be hit or miss, but you likely have one that is happy to offer a huge range of services to customers.
- wrmanis 3y ago
  I know this is a little buried - but I own a truss manufacturing operation and I'd totally recommend finding one to talk to. If you can find drawings, or sometimes even just sketch out a floorplan (we frequently build out barns or other simple structures based on literal napkin drawings) we'll give you a layout of all the trusses, joists and beams that you could take and just stick frame it yourself based off. Naturally we're here to sell trusses, but I think most plants like us are always down to help out folks in the community if we've got the time.
  - hasbot 3y ago
    Is the price of a truss fairly linear or is there a length where the price starts to really accelerate? I'm considering building a 30'x60' pole barn with 18" or 24" eaves making the trusses 33' or 34' long.
    - wrmanis 3y ago
      It's fairly linear for the same kind of truss, like say a 15 foot span to a 20 foot span - just think bigger triangle. Past a certain point, in order to support the shear/wind/snow loads across a span requires increasingly higher grades and width of lumber and you start getting into non-linear territory. Pole barns are an extremely common order for truss plants, and that size should be pretty standard. In single family houses, though, you start getting into "features" pretty quick which affect the price quite a bit, think ceiling trays, HVAC platforms and so on, so you're pretty quickly into some nonlinear territory there as well.
fuball63 3y ago
I look at these while I'm daydreaming of building a cabin during work. https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/housing https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/housing
aaron695 3y ago
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runxel 3y ago
Just hire an architect?! You'll need him anyway because of the building permit.
- fsloth 3y ago
  In general house is a big investment. If someone is already familiar with construction then DIY is probably fine. But if not … I would like to know the rationale for not hiring an architect. I’m sure there are many who will draw a bog-standard gabled house in no time? Plus, if they are familiar with the region they should be aware any gotchas in building codes and permits.
dangus 3y ago
If you’re going to go through the trouble and extra expense of constructing something that is brand new, you might as well hire a professional architect. Why go through the trouble to build something if you’re just going to get a mediocre building plan someone is willing to give away for free? In other words, you get what you pay for.
gmenegatti 3y ago
Please, does anyone know any open source house plan generator? Let’s say something that can generate house plans according to some parameters.
NoMoreNicksLeft 3y ago
I've been curious about this sort of thing ever since I first read about the Sears kit homes from the 20th. I mean, if anyone has those plans, then you'd think they'd have been scanned and uploaded to IA. I guess no one ever took Sears up on the "we'll send you the plans for free" page that was in the catalog. I can say that the places that sell house plans, they want anywhere from about $3000 on up for the paper version, and they're usually numbered and watermarked. Digital ends up costing you several more grand on top of that, and I'm not sure exactly how they lock those down. On top of that, they're often missing important things like the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans. Your contractor is supposed to do that on the back of a napkin or something. Ideally, any plans you'd find would have the following: 1. foundation 2. floorplans, 1 per 4. exterior elevation 5. cross section 6. electrical 7. interior elevation 8. perspective 9. construction notes/details 10. materials list
trey-jones 3y ago
I want to respond here because I actually built (am still building) my own house. I looked around for this type of thing back when I started, which was 2008. At the time I didn't really find anything. My wife and I ended up drawing it out ourselves, and my dad and I ended up sort of winging it during construction. As in, "These plans don't quite work here, so we'll make these adjustments right now." It should be said also that neither I nor my wife are architects. At the time I would have said my dad was an extremely experienced and proficient amateur builder (he also built his house around 1980), and that I was just an amateur. After 15 years of working on this project, I will call myself a proficient amateur as well. I know that we could have done better at planning - I did not know enough about building before we started and relied too heavily on my dad during those times. If I had the opportunity to do it a second time, it would be better, but I'm not doing it! (Probably). Here are some of the benefits of building your own house: 1. You know everything about it. Well, some things you forget, but most of it remains in the back of your mind. "Didn't I run some extra wire here just in case?" 2. You learn all of the skills that you will need to maintain your home, if you don't already have them. This means you never need a handyman (but your weekends are shot). 3. Just like nobody will watch your money like you, nobody will build your house like you. There are a lot of really crappy houses being built in 2023, and for the last 75 years or so. The reason for the crappiness, of course, is money.Being able to make the decision to use quality building materials instead of collecting 10% more profit, for example, can result in a really big improvement over conventional building. 4. It's really satisfying living in your handiwork. I'm sure there are more reasons - I can't write all day. Now the pitfalls and reasons it sucks: 1. It's really frustrating living in your handiwork. For me, every time I walk past something that still needs my attention, it's a little stressor. Of course that's not too different from regular homeownership, I think. There are also a lot of times that I wish I would have planned it better. 2. Regulations (and financing) are really, really not in favor of building your own home. Unless you are a professional builder as well. Permits will expire way too soon, you won't understand their processes, they won't understand your processes. Assuming you need to borrow money, the bank won't know what the hell to do. They will literally freak out and nobody will be able to help you. This is too far outside of their routines. 3. It's a lifetime commitment. I mean, I guess it doesn't have to be, but for me it definitely feels that way. I built too big, and now I'm stuck working on it for what feels like forever. Also, I'm in a temperate climate (Georgia, USA) where I don't have to worry about cold weather too much. I'm back in the woods where people don't ask too many questions. I have the support of my family, which I couldn't have done without. Overall, I'm happy with where I am. I usually enjoy the work, and at this point I don't mind taking time to do other things as well.
jmforsythe 3y ago
Could we please stop calling anything with a permissive copyright "open source"?
mountainriver 3y ago
Anyone interested in building this? My family has a long history in construction and I now work in AI, this is piquing my interest
- Dowwie 3y ago
  I've been interested in this concept and mulled it over for years. I can't find an incentives model that leads to success. Nonetheless, group deliberations with fresh perspectives could lead to interesting new ideas. I'm open to connecting with others.
- perlin 3y ago
  Let's get in touch. Do you have an email I can reach you at?
- rafamvc 3y ago
  I am interested too.
gwbas1c 3y ago
TLDR: Talk to a highly experienced general contractor (GC) who builds homes. The good ones will have plenty of plans that you can edit to your heart's content. All three GCs that I interviewed immediately showed / emailed me plans they thought I would like to start from. --- I built a house in Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States,) a few years ago. A few things to consider: When I started working with my GC, he had a whole filing cabinet full of designs. They weren't "open source," (as in copyrighted under GPL/MIT/Apache,) but he scanned the design we started from. I then used (shockingly) preview on Mac to cut and paste it up to move some walls and rooms around. (Basically, we took some space out of the master bedroom to make one of the other bedrooms larger. The master bedroom still has a lot of extra space.) He then sent my changes to a professional designer who brought the design up to something that the contractors could follow, and made the garage deeper so we had extra storage and a garage door for a riding lawn mower. In 2017, in Cape Cod, this cost me a little over $1000. --- But, if you really want to get creative, I suggest hiring an architect. They have the experience that you, as an untrained novice, don't have. A good architect should be able to weigh your desires and give you something that'll be better than you could imagine. Considering that redos are very expensive when building a house, spending a few thousand on an architect will be much cheaper than spending tens of thousands on a "redo" after the fact. --- Furthermore, if there is a house you like, at least in MA, it's easy to find the dimensions online. Just google "[town name] GIS", and you will find the town's database of all homes. Enter the address (or street,) and you will be able to find room layouts (with sizes) used for assessments, and even the assessment of value for the home. These are all publicly available records. It's also useful to pull the GIS data of any land you're planning on buying (in MA.) This will tell you who paid what for the land going back as far as the records are available. You can use this in negotiations. (I knew that my GC overpaid for the land before the 2008 crash, so I adjusted my negotiation style accordingly.)
gbalint 3y ago
In Hungary there is a public project to create freely accessible house plans with all necessary documentation to start to build them. The website is only available in Hungarian (but google translate manages to translate it quite well), and the houses are mostly really small compared to American standards, and their style is just way different from American houses. Anyway, let me drop the link here, maybe there is something interesting to be found there: https://www.oeny.hu/oeny/nmtk/mintatervek https://www.oeny.hu/oeny/nmtk/mintatervek
- ilyt 3y ago
  Now I'm interested, why would someone in https://www.oeny.hu/oeny/nmtk/tervreszletek/NMTK-138 https://www.oeny.hu/oeny/nmtk/tervreszletek/NMTK-138 waste all that space on the recessed entrance instead of just making straight wall to the roof ?
  - seszett 3y ago
    It provides shadow and protection from rain above the entrance. It's a pretty common design.
    - ilyt 3y ago
      Okay but why not separate small roof over entrance? This design is making wall more complex (now whole roof overhangs over entrance) for not all that much gain.
      - seszett 3y ago
        Well it's sometimes forbidden to have multiple roof sections, I don't know about Hungary but it might be often the case there. And it looks very different, I wouldn't do it at least.
      - koliber 3y ago
        - it looks nice and is a popular style right - there might be distance requirements between the building and the lot boundary which would prevent a roof from sticking out
thegabriele 3y ago
What if you just wanted to train a specialized diffusion model on free house plans?
blcArmadillo 3y ago
Several years ago the city of Phoenix released plans for a net zero single family home: https://www.phoenix.gov/sustainability/home https://www.phoenix.gov/sustainability/home You do have to provide some basic info to get them but I can confirm that they're a full set of plans.
- Dowwie 3y ago
  Did any developers or private homeowners use these plans?
- kevinpet 3y ago
  I looked into that when it came out. 1. the house uses novel construction techniques. it's more of a design exercise than a serious attempt at something people might build. 2. you can't use the plans without getting sign off from an architect or engineer. this defeats the whole purposes of "releasing" plans.
rcazangi 3y ago
At the risk of being slightly off-topic, what are good sources to find out wether and in which conditions building your own house is financially advantageous vs buying an existing (new or old) house.
- ilyt 3y ago
  > At the risk of being slightly off-topic, what are good sources to find out wether and in which conditions building your own house is financially advantageous vs buying an existing (new or old) house. I'd imagine only if you do a lot of the actual building yourself. New house will just cost same or less than you trying to get a project then hire people to do it. Project is tiny part of the cost, but for developer it's already amortized over tens of homes they've built. Workers also "know the process" and I'd imagine build it faster than some custom. Now old house, that's interesting question, and that will heavily depend on state the house is in. Putting some insulation on old house and doing some renovation might come out far cheaper. Or you might get into some kind of renovation hell where every fix uncovers another problem with the house, then it turns out you not only need to re-do electrics but also water/sewage, or remove old insulation and replace it with better, or remove some rotting boards etc. Then there is of course question about whether you like house layout or not or how much you'd want to change it. On flip-side, the advantage of fixing up old house is that you don't need to do it all at once and so can take smaller mortgage and so pay less in cost of that.
- toast0 3y ago
  Financially advantangeous would be simple: Get an itemised estimate of the cost of land, cost of construction (include permitting and utility connect fees), and cost of housing while under construction, convert those to net present value, and compare to the all-in purchase price of the house with taxes and fees. If you think future taxes or maintenance will be significantly different, you can estimate those in net present value as well. IMHO, building your own house isn't usually about financial advantage, it's about getting a house that fits more of your needs and wants with less compromise than picking from what's available. But there might be exceptions if you have access to land, labor, or materials at a significant discount to market rates. Or if you want a much smaller house than is usually marketted.
isaacremuant 3y ago
You need to think architecture instead of software development. The same way an architecture would be wise to converse with software developers to start building a mental model of their industry, so should you in the reverse.
djinnandtonic 3y ago
ngl I read this as "open source house plants" and immediately had some future shock
philomath_mn 3y ago
Important questions: - Are you going to build it? OR - Are you going to act as the general contractor? OR - Are you going to have a builder build it? I just finished the lattermost process. In that case, you can get ideas from open source plans, but getting a builder to build your plans will be a full-custom build with the corresponding costs. We looked at the plans several builders offered, modified one we liked, and then had them build it. From what I can tell, this route saved a lot of time and cost (assuming you are going the builder route).
deleted 3y ago
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506 points by tsingy 3y ago

Wanting to build a house, and looking for a DB of open source plans if such thing even exist.

Just browse the myriad of floor plan sites and find one you like. Any plan (at least in my area) is going to require an licensed Architect stamp and engineering to match local code. It's also worth it to spend the money up front to get a house designed that fits your lot (terrain, light, elevation, etc) - you'll more than make up for it in final home value.

deleted 3y ago

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Q6T46nT668w6i3m 3y ago

Episodes of This Old House.

cratermoon 3y ago

Did you know that Sears used to sell and ship complete houses? http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/images/1933-1940/1935_3407.jpg http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/images/1933-1940/1935_340... All the listings from 1908 to 1940 are at http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm

jameshowison 3y ago

Not open plans, but cool CC licensed construction details/manual: https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/ https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/ e.g., retrofit windows: https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/3-windows-doors/3-2-window-retrofit/ https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/3-windows-do...

yawniek 3y ago

If you want to build an original midcentury two story house, i am doing a model from a leica scan and plan to share it.

b59831 3y ago

Are you doing all the work? Or will you be able to give these plans to a plumber, mason, roofer, ... and have their questions answered? Building plans are generally pretty simple but there's a designer (engineer or architect) that backs them up (and gets sued if something goes wrong)

janquo 3y ago

Polish government has released free plans for special <70 squared m houses that do not need permission to be built. I'm afraid you have to fill in the form with fake info to download them. https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane

jppope 3y ago

The city of South bend has a bunch available: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/10/6/pre-approved-house-designs-jump-start-infill-development-in-south-bend https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/10/6/pre-approved-h...

extstopcodepls 3y ago

There are free plans on polish gov site: https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane. You must provide some data and email.

Mycromanage 3y ago

app.sketchup.com is the AMAZING web app version of SketchUp. In the 3D Warehouse, there are millions of homes & buildings already made. You can download all for FREE and then easily take them apart & make them unique. NOTE! When you first get to the 3D Warehouse area, you'll default be in & searching the "Products" area, this is just for official Products that manufacturers have uploaded (super cool!) but you must click "Models" button/area right next to that, this is where billions of models uploaded by random people are found & 99% of the time the only place to search. Some Models are insanely detailed. Keep searching different words to find what you want, search here is picky. Good Luck!

TheRealPomax 3y ago

See if someone sells knocked down kits. And if you've never heard that term, you have an entire world to explore now.

ergo14 3y ago

https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane https://www.gunb.gov.pl/projekty-architektoniczno-budowlane Here you can find multiple projects for free approved and shared by gov agency.

bradley13 3y ago

We recently built a house. Of course, we spent endless hours drawing on paper, considering budget restrictions, the building site, etc.. You know what made the biggest difference? Looking at actual houses. Plans on paper, or even the (universally crappy) 3D simulations are nothing like walking into an actual house and seeing what works, and what doesn't. What "works" is ultimately very subjective: a mix of your personal requirements and your personal taste. Abstract drawings are too dry, to objective, and just don't convey how a house actually feels, when you are inside the structure.

orthoxerox 3y ago

It's not free as in speech, only as in beer, but d100d.ru is a complete set of plans for building a house. It was specifically designed so that people who can't afford an architect can have a complete set of documents and architectural decisions to build a house on their own or hire a contractor without compromising on quality, as they can't afford to fix errors either. Unfortunately, it's practically unusable in the US, as the ground floor is built from AAC, very popular in Russia and practically unheard of in the US. It's probably too small for American tastes, too.

dave333 3y ago

Log Home Builders Association https://www.lhba.com/ https://www.lhba.com/ is not free open source but is very cheap to take a course and get a cookbook for building so called butt and pass log homes. Many self builders have built amazing homes with this method but it is not for the faint of heart and takes most people several to many years to build their home. Worth knowing about since the building technique uses big whole logs carefully graded for taper and diameter stacked in a rectangle and "nailed" together with rebar nails driven vertically down into 1/2 inch holes drilled in the logs. Finished houses look amazing check out the website gallery pages. https://www.lhba.com/student-homes-gallery https://www.lhba.com/student-homes-gallery

dave333 3y ago

Free tiny house plans: https://www.thespruce.com/free-tiny-house-plans-1357142 https://www.thespruce.com/free-tiny-house-plans-1357142 However building any house is about 10 times as much work as you think it will be. Once the main structure is built and roofed in you are about 10-20% done. For my money this fold-out tiny house on steroids with a base price of $85k is way more cost effective than self-building a house from free plans. https://podxgo.com/pages/grande-s1 https://podxgo.com/pages/grande-s1

dave333 3y ago

https://sonomashanty.com/ https://sonomashanty.com/

deleted 3y ago

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smnscu 3y ago

Is this the kind of open-source house plan you're looking for? - https://www.wikihouse.cc/ https://www.wikihouse.cc/ - https://www.openbuildinginstitute.org/ https://www.openbuildinginstitute.org/ - https://www.openstructures.net/ https://www.openstructures.net/ I don't think anybody's compiled them in an "open-source house plans DB", but it's a pretty neat idea.

treyfitty 3y ago

You mean plans made by someone and provided for free?

HumblyTossed 3y ago
Yeah I don’t know why we can’t just say free plans in this context. Open source should be a generic for everything that’s free.
- mattbrewsbytes 3y ago
  I'd disagree that the terms are synonymous. Free plans probably could mean printed out single sheet plans with renderings. Open Source usually means the legal freedom to change, update and share whatever it is. To me, the source of the plans is provided so that someone could change/update the plans as they wish. In the context of architectural plans this could be the files in something like Fusion 360 if that were actually used for full house plans (I don't think it is). Edit to add: I doubt an architectural firm would give their source files to plans away for free. They put a lot of effort into creating them, its their business after all.
  - HumblyTossed 3y ago
    I should clarify, I meant to type Open Source should NOT be a generic for everything free, but I was on mobile at the time.

deusebio 3y ago

It'd be really cool if people who used a plan could go back and add pull requests for ways they'd enhance the plan after real world use.

blitzar 3y ago
Or bug reports ...
- soggybread 3y ago
  Sorry, tech support can't help with that, you'll need to call pest control
PeterisP 3y ago
This. There are so many things you notice while living in a particular house which would have been trivial to fix in planning stage, but impractical after it's built.

Veuxdo 3y ago

Isn't "source" short for "source code"...?

print_goto_ten 3y ago
It can but not really. "source" means "place of origin" .

twelvechairs 3y ago

Consider: - buying some architectural books. Many (good ones) have plans in them from excellent architects. A sample from a good one is at [0]. If your tastes are not so 'architecture school' there are others. - looking at the development approvals in your local area. Plans are often open to all. And they will (assumedly) be up to code in your area today. Imo the concept of 'open source' doesn't translate to houses as well because regulation, construction approaches and tastes can be so locally specific and also change over time. [0] https://issuu.com/birkhauser.ch/docs/floor_plan_manual_housing_5th_editi https://issuu.com/birkhauser.ch/docs/floor_plan_manual_housi...

hnbad 3y ago
> Imo the concept of 'open source' doesn't translate to houses as well because regulation, construction approaches and tastes can be so locally specific and also change over time. I think that's the biggest problem. You can draw up a house in free apps in a couple of minutes or hours but that doesn't mean it's structurally sound or that the walls will have the right dimensions for the pipes and cables that need to run through them or that they're the right size for the kind of insulation you want or that the windows meet your country's/state's legal regulations or that the house meets the code for where you want to build (which can literally depend on the part of the road the building will be on). We approached our architect with pretty much a full floorplan in hand but it still took us months to pin down something that would get fast-tracked for approval and even then the floor plans had to be modified by the construction company to account for the placement of things like toilets and showers. Even without changing any of these details we couldn't take the floorplans and just submit them for a different part of town as they would likely not match the requirements there.
- wiredfool 3y ago
  Otoh, if your house was built by a developer, the plans on file may have only a vague relation to the as built. My first house was a Seattle skinny, garage off the alley. The plans on file were for a garage in front, different upper floor layout, and a different roof shape.
- 3y ago

hockey 3y ago

Check the local council websites. In Australia at least we need to submit development approvals which are public for some time. As part of these approvals there will be floor plans and architectural drawings. They won't be enough to build off (usually), but they're a great source of inspiration it you're looking for ideas, costings, and what your local council is willing to approve.

ryaniscool 3y ago
This is true in most parts of the USA as well. In the State of Florida where I live, all drawings and plans become public record and these would definitely be enough to build. This is because all drawings used to build are required to be submitted. This includes details like engineering drawings and calculations and roof truss layout. They are still protected by copyright but I'm not sure if it's relevant in the context of using the same plans to build a house. Copyright is meant to protect against copying and derivative works not how the information is used.

polonbike 3y ago

Not completely what you are looking for, but still open source plans of house: Wikihouse https://www.wikihouse.cc/ https://www.wikihouse.cc/ Earthships are also said to be open source, but the plans are (definitely) not free https://earthshipbiotecture.com/ https://earthshipbiotecture.com/ You can also check Open Source Home, by Studiolada (those are free, but the plans are in french) https://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/news/g4636/open-source-house-free-plans/ https://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/news/g46... Open Source Ecology is now listing a house in their list of builds https://www.opensourceecology.org/extreme-build-of-the-seed-eco-home/ https://www.opensourceecology.org/extreme-build-of-the-seed-... Open Building Institute is also promoting a configurable house https://www.openbuildinginstitute.org/ https://www.openbuildinginstitute.org/

j0r0b0 3y ago
> You can also check Open Source Home, by Studiolada (those are free, but the plans are in french) https://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/news/g46 https://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/news/g46... The plans aren't on the website anymore, but you can get it from https://web.archive.org/web/20170918182346/http://www.studiolada.fr/docs/telechargement/maison/dossier-synthese.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170918182346/http://www.studio...
iancmceachern 3y ago
Also check our Yurts: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.instructables.com/Build-yourself-a-portable-home---a-mongolian-yurt/%3famp_page=true https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.instructables.com/Build-you...
araes 3y ago
Wow. I scanned through this entire thread, and haven't seen an automatic house plan generator. I saw one comment with a request, and no responses. The architecture industry is enormous. Real estate is enormous. There's no automatic drawing, electrical, plumbing, insulation, ect... generators given specifications? I'm kind of amazed no one's trying to disrupt that. "Hi Stable Diffusion, please draw me blueprints for a 2000 sq. ft. house, with two stories, given this landscape. Thanks Stable Diffusion."

friendzis 3y ago

Real estate ads?

HenryBemis 3y ago

May I assume that you want a DB so that you can see similarly sized houses/flats and get ideas on laytouts, balconies, etc? Someone already wrote: ads. Go to your house/flat hunting website of choice, use the appropriate filters (house/flat) floors, sqm/sqft, etc. Usually the photos and the layout are there, and if you put a price range you can also see the cheap ones vs the expensive ones.

Sohcahtoa82 3y ago
A very surprising number of housing listings don't include a drawing/diagram of the floor plan. Just photos of the interior taken with a wide-angle lens that distorts the size of everything.
prawn 3y ago
Presumably they want detailed drawings that can be taken to a builder and bypass the cost of an architect and draftsperson.

paulhart 3y ago

Here’s a set of designs from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, all lovingly posted by an acquaintance to IA: https://archive.org/search?query=Canadian+house+designs https://archive.org/search?query=Canadian+house+designs

uptown 3y ago

Not exactly what you're looking for, but I've gotten hooked on the "Floorplan" subreddit lately: https://www.reddit.com/r/floorplan/ https://www.reddit.com/r/floorplan/

zemvpferreira 3y ago

Here's the thing: The idea of planning a house without taking into account the site where it will sit will never produce a good house. Would a pre-existing plan account for the sun exposure of your land? Would it have a roof that makes sense for how much it rains or snows? Would getting sunlight in the bedroom also mean facing traffic? Would it take advantage of elevation for views or make sure to block a nearby neighbour? Would it deal well with moisture, or fires, or access roads? Would you build a porch where you can laze away late summer afternoons and feel everything's just right with the world, or a place to dry laundry where nobody goes? If you really want to design your own house (a great idea), look up materials around A Pattern Language instead. Learn what makes a great house, then design a plan incorporating those ideas but customised towards your plot and your needs.

samtho 3y ago
I’ve worked in construction, maybe this was true for post-and-beam and perhaps some other methods where you are using what is available from nature. Historically, for example, log cabins are popular in the woods because logs are plentiful and adobe was used in desert environments because of the abundance of sand, lime, binders, etc. I would not build a solid wood home in the desert of New Mexico for the same reason why I wouldn’t build a masonry house in the forests. Today, we have all but perfected the manufacturing of, developed logistics for, and codified laws governing building standards focused on raw building materials that you can order from a lumber yard or even Home Depot. Modern building construction, at least in North America, is based around the “balloon framing” idea that the walls support subsequent floors and the roof, maybe with a load bearing wall in the middle somewhere. With 2x6 framing members, you can go up to 3 floors in some jurisdictions without additional engineering sign off. As long as there is a flat platform to build the first floor, you can build up. The foundation is the only thing that would require custom construction, with a pier and beam, you need to drive your pier 1-3ft below the frost line and with a slab or basement foundation, you also need to reach below the frost line, but requirements differ between codes. Drainage is another area that needs special attention and is 100% custom for each project.
- rascul 3y ago

georgeolaru 3y ago

Perhaps you're looking for 'Neufert'? Here's the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architects%27_Data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architects%27_Data. It was a go-to reference book during my university studies.

spacebouy 3y ago

It's not plans/drawings, but worth mentioning the Pretty Good House framework: https://www.prettygoodhouse.org/ https://www.prettygoodhouse.org/

dfworks 3y ago

Planning applications in the UK are publicly available and many have architectural drawings/site plans attached with varying degrees of detail. There are millions of applications and each local authority has a different database so it may take a bit of digging to find what you are searching for. Application example - https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=L8QSEJQDD2000 https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/a... Drawings example - https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/files/3AD8D46CE508BF6795FF656D2D2C905B/pdf/10_00986_CAC-SITE_PLAN___EXISTING_PLAN___ELEVATIONS___A1-251478.pdf https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/f...

mrweasel 3y ago
Same in Denmark, you can either look them up on https://weblager.dk https://weblager.dk or if a house you interested in isn't available there you can normally request the drawing from the city, for a small fee.

NKosmatos 3y ago

You can find some plans over here: https://www.sweethome3d.com/gallery.jsp https://www.sweethome3d.com/gallery.jsp Check also their forum for many member submitted plans: https://www.sweethome3d.com/support/forum/listthreads?forum=6&lang=en https://www.sweethome3d.com/support/forum/listthreads?forum=... Did I mention that the free/open source software Sweet Home 3D is great :-) It’s been posted a few times on HN.

Untit1ed 3y ago

Not exactly a database but the Australian government has a few available at https://www.yourhome.gov.au/house-designs https://www.yourhome.gov.au/house-designs

digitcatphd 3y ago

I would still advise you to use an architect. Different home structures and styles work better in different conditions. You should first consult a specialist and seek confirmation before doing if fully DIY.

IgorPartola 3y ago

Related but the International Building Code is freely available. Its point isn’t to restrict you. It’s to do the engineering for you so you don’t have to.

franole 3y ago

Here are plans from the argentinian governent. https://www.argentina.gob.ar/habitat/modelos-de-vivienda https://www.argentina.gob.ar/habitat/modelos-de-vivienda I don' know where are you from, but be advised that construction techniques that we use are mostly brick based with reinforced concrete structure.

hombre_fatal 3y ago
The Mexican government also has pretty nice plans: https://decideyconstruye.gob.mx/index.php/paso-a-paso/descarga-planos-y-manuales/ https://decideyconstruye.gob.mx/index.php/paso-a-paso/descar... They target different climates and some of them can be built in multiple stages. I'd easily live in some of those renders.

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fhk 3y ago

My plan for this was to learn how to frame… https://onlinecourses.shelterinstitute.com/courses/free?utm_campaign=youtube-vs https://onlinecourses.shelterinstitute.com/courses/free?utm_... There’s also then a in person course to actually do it!

bombcar 3y ago

I want the plans for a bog-simple square house with boring peaked roof. I want it to be designed to minimize cuts and make building simple. I want the roof to be two slabs with no fancy protrusions, angles, gables, etc. I want something that is easy to build and maintain. As far as I’ve been able to find out, bardominiums are the closest to what I want.

turtlebits 3y ago
You can literally sketch this yourself and give to a structural engineer and file for a permit to build.
gwbas1c 3y ago
Any GC (General Contractor) in Massachusetts (US) can build one of those for you. They are called "Ranches" and "Raised Ranches" depending on how deep the foundation is at your front door. Any GC should have a huge stack of these plans sitting around, or has worked with a designer that can quickly edit a pre-existing plan for you. FWIW: I grew up in a Raised Ranch built into the side of a hill. One side had the basement mostly buried, the other side had the basement wall mostly exposed with a garage. The front door was at the point where the basement as 50% underground, so the entry has a very high, and impressive ceiling. At the end of the day, it was still a box with the roof you want.
kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 3y ago
Loads of people on YouTube building those, usually as cabins. Bushradical has several small ones, but there are plenty of examples out there. Haven't found any plans, per se, but I haven't really looked, either.
0x53 3y ago
I have wanted to build something similar for a long time, but I would like it to be a passive house as well. I gave up on ever finding a premade plan. Instead I have been using fusion 360 and sweet home 3d to design it myself.
- bombcar 3y ago

regularfry 3y ago

The example I'm aware of is the Segal Method: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Segal_Method https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Segal_Method It's a modular design system based on the dimensions of commonly-available construction material, intended to be both cheap and easy to construct without (too much) assistance. The gotcha is that it's based on dimensions of materials commonly available in the 1960's, so I have no idea if something you bought today would fit.

hedgehog 3y ago
His design system doesn't try to get anywhere near modern levels of insulation and overall thermal performance, though I suspect that is fixable and even at the time he modified the system as locally available materials changed. I think it would be really interesting to do an update, everything is sort of on a grid system so it should be relatively amenable to building software tools to help with the analysis and generating complete sets of plans. Even if I had those tools and the time to do my own build I think I would want an experienced architect involved with input into the design.
- regularfry 3y ago
  It's apparently possible to do it to Passivhaus standards, but I don't know what you need to tweak to get there. It would be an interesting exercise to try, though. It's the sort of thing that's got me thinking that the next time I need to build a garden shed I'll give it a go. Anything that doesn't need foundations, like a deck with a roof on an existing concrete pad, or similar, I'd give it a go to get some experience with it. Round here that wouldn't need planning permission so it's comparatively low-risk. Just need to make sure whatever I did to replace the ties into the foundation blocks was suitable, but that doesn't strike me as beyond the wit of man.
  - hedgehog 3y ago
    I looked at some similar ideas a while back. Screw piles are a good option for a stable base on uneven ground. Insulation requires coming up with a compatible design for the exterior walls to accommodate 4-6 inches of insulation and then rain screen on top of that. Top and bottom not so hard. Air sealing is quite a trick to do without compromising on disassembly-ready construction by using tape. Picture windows are a challenge, there's nothing really suitable available at least at US hardware stores. Not a problem for a shed but kind of in conflict with the motivation behind the system.

max_ 3y ago

I just got side project idea, dribble/GitHub for Architects. What do you guys think?

pxtail 3y ago
It won't work - not because it's bad idea but because people from most of industries/crafts different than IT are not interested and even very hostile to the idea of sharing their knowledge, projects, work for free.
weego 3y ago
There's no such thing as good "generic" architecture. Context and location are key.

RektBoy 3y ago

For my amusement, I presume you're from US or UK. How much do you usually pay for a house project? For comparison, I've paid around $2000 for whole family house project, it's not just plans but also heat-loss computation, heating systems plans etc. Country CZ (EU). It's two story house made of "bricks", with gas+wood+heat pump heating systems. I would say pretty classical here. For ~$270k, not counting the property. Also soon there is starting another round of EU subsidies in range of $50k paid upfront for houses with solar panels, green roof etc.

ChumpGPT 3y ago
In Canada you are typically looking at approx 10-15k for drawings and to build the home you will spend anywhere from 400-Plus CAD per sq/meter depending on what kind of finish you want. This price is for a brick home, wooden frame, asphalt shingle roof. Nothing fancy. Typically drawings don't include any of the rough in like plumbing and electrical. That is designed on the fly by the contractor who does the work. House are typically built like shit since people only want to invest in the finish and don't care about the mechanical piece since it is out of sight and out of mind. If you can GC your own house, you can pick the contractors and supervise the construction and the quality of work will be better. If you hire a General Contractor, they will typically charge cost/plus 15% -20%. Most folks in Canada and the US buy houses that are built by large corporations where they have no control over the quality, etc. They just pick a model from the handful offered when there is a new development.There are few incentives or subsides. The US is very similar.
jjtheblunt 3y ago
How are "bricks" different from bricks?
- RektBoy 3y ago
  I wasn't sure how this brick is called in US https://cdn.hornbach.cz/data/shop/D04/001/780/491/166/959/DV_8_4271107_01_4c_CZ_20170513180252.jpg https://cdn.hornbach.cz/data/shop/D04/001/780/491/166/959/DV... Or this Ytong https://as1.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/01/99/70/94/1000_F_199709412_vWVXtUv8qVkI6FP5bqzvF97TQiJeV9CH.jpg https://as1.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/01/99/70/94/1000_F_199709412_vW... Because these are most common materials used for building houses, (in CZ). And wanted to distinguish I don't mean classic house made of classic bricks. Because if American see a brick house, they think this, right? https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/afd1745b0164c256_14-6933/home-design.jpg https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/afd1745b0164c256_14-6933/home-des... And this type of house is very rare here. Maybe you can't even build it here, because of bad heat insulation etc.

LightRailTycoon 3y ago

Truss manufacturers will usually provide structural drawings for your house using their trusses, if you talk to the lumberyard that sells them. You bring floorplans, and they'll design the trusses to support it. Lumberyards often have fully kitted plan+materials packages you can order, and can often make some changes to suit your needs. Someting like https://www.hancocklumber.com/package-type/home-packages/ https://www.hancocklumber.com/package-type/home-packages/ Local lumberyards can be hit or miss, but you likely have one that is happy to offer a huge range of services to customers.

wrmanis 3y ago
I know this is a little buried - but I own a truss manufacturing operation and I'd totally recommend finding one to talk to. If you can find drawings, or sometimes even just sketch out a floorplan (we frequently build out barns or other simple structures based on literal napkin drawings) we'll give you a layout of all the trusses, joists and beams that you could take and just stick frame it yourself based off. Naturally we're here to sell trusses, but I think most plants like us are always down to help out folks in the community if we've got the time.
- hasbot 3y ago
  Is the price of a truss fairly linear or is there a length where the price starts to really accelerate? I'm considering building a 30'x60' pole barn with 18" or 24" eaves making the trusses 33' or 34' long.
  - wrmanis 3y ago
    It's fairly linear for the same kind of truss, like say a 15 foot span to a 20 foot span - just think bigger triangle. Past a certain point, in order to support the shear/wind/snow loads across a span requires increasingly higher grades and width of lumber and you start getting into non-linear territory. Pole barns are an extremely common order for truss plants, and that size should be pretty standard. In single family houses, though, you start getting into "features" pretty quick which affect the price quite a bit, think ceiling trays, HVAC platforms and so on, so you're pretty quickly into some nonlinear territory there as well.

fuball63 3y ago

I look at these while I'm daydreaming of building a cabin during work. https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/housing https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/housing

aaron695 3y ago

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runxel 3y ago

Just hire an architect?! You'll need him anyway because of the building permit.

fsloth 3y ago
In general house is a big investment. If someone is already familiar with construction then DIY is probably fine. But if not … I would like to know the rationale for not hiring an architect. I’m sure there are many who will draw a bog-standard gabled house in no time? Plus, if they are familiar with the region they should be aware any gotchas in building codes and permits.

dangus 3y ago

If you’re going to go through the trouble and extra expense of constructing something that is brand new, you might as well hire a professional architect. Why go through the trouble to build something if you’re just going to get a mediocre building plan someone is willing to give away for free? In other words, you get what you pay for.

gmenegatti 3y ago

Please, does anyone know any open source house plan generator? Let’s say something that can generate house plans according to some parameters.

NoMoreNicksLeft 3y ago

I've been curious about this sort of thing ever since I first read about the Sears kit homes from the 20th. I mean, if anyone has those plans, then you'd think they'd have been scanned and uploaded to IA. I guess no one ever took Sears up on the "we'll send you the plans for free" page that was in the catalog. I can say that the places that sell house plans, they want anywhere from about $3000 on up for the paper version, and they're usually numbered and watermarked. Digital ends up costing you several more grand on top of that, and I'm not sure exactly how they lock those down. On top of that, they're often missing important things like the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans. Your contractor is supposed to do that on the back of a napkin or something. Ideally, any plans you'd find would have the following: 1. foundation 2. floorplans, 1 per 4. exterior elevation 5. cross section 6. electrical 7. interior elevation 8. perspective 9. construction notes/details 10. materials list

trey-jones 3y ago

I want to respond here because I actually built (am still building) my own house. I looked around for this type of thing back when I started, which was 2008. At the time I didn't really find anything. My wife and I ended up drawing it out ourselves, and my dad and I ended up sort of winging it during construction. As in, "These plans don't quite work here, so we'll make these adjustments right now." It should be said also that neither I nor my wife are architects. At the time I would have said my dad was an extremely experienced and proficient amateur builder (he also built his house around 1980), and that I was just an amateur. After 15 years of working on this project, I will call myself a proficient amateur as well. I know that we could have done better at planning - I did not know enough about building before we started and relied too heavily on my dad during those times. If I had the opportunity to do it a second time, it would be better, but I'm not doing it! (Probably). Here are some of the benefits of building your own house: 1. You know everything about it. Well, some things you forget, but most of it remains in the back of your mind. "Didn't I run some extra wire here just in case?" 2. You learn all of the skills that you will need to maintain your home, if you don't already have them. This means you never need a handyman (but your weekends are shot). 3. Just like nobody will watch your money like you, nobody will build your house like you. There are a lot of really crappy houses being built in 2023, and for the last 75 years or so. The reason for the crappiness, of course, is money.Being able to make the decision to use quality building materials instead of collecting 10% more profit, for example, can result in a really big improvement over conventional building. 4. It's really satisfying living in your handiwork. I'm sure there are more reasons - I can't write all day. Now the pitfalls and reasons it sucks: 1. It's really frustrating living in your handiwork. For me, every time I walk past something that still needs my attention, it's a little stressor. Of course that's not too different from regular homeownership, I think. There are also a lot of times that I wish I would have planned it better. 2. Regulations (and financing) are really, really not in favor of building your own home. Unless you are a professional builder as well. Permits will expire way too soon, you won't understand their processes, they won't understand your processes. Assuming you need to borrow money, the bank won't know what the hell to do. They will literally freak out and nobody will be able to help you. This is too far outside of their routines. 3. It's a lifetime commitment. I mean, I guess it doesn't have to be, but for me it definitely feels that way. I built too big, and now I'm stuck working on it for what feels like forever. Also, I'm in a temperate climate (Georgia, USA) where I don't have to worry about cold weather too much. I'm back in the woods where people don't ask too many questions. I have the support of my family, which I couldn't have done without. Overall, I'm happy with where I am. I usually enjoy the work, and at this point I don't mind taking time to do other things as well.

jmforsythe 3y ago

Could we please stop calling anything with a permissive copyright "open source"?

mountainriver 3y ago

Anyone interested in building this? My family has a long history in construction and I now work in AI, this is piquing my interest

Dowwie 3y ago
I've been interested in this concept and mulled it over for years. I can't find an incentives model that leads to success. Nonetheless, group deliberations with fresh perspectives could lead to interesting new ideas. I'm open to connecting with others.
perlin 3y ago
Let's get in touch. Do you have an email I can reach you at?
rafamvc 3y ago
I am interested too.

gwbas1c 3y ago

TLDR: Talk to a highly experienced general contractor (GC) who builds homes. The good ones will have plenty of plans that you can edit to your heart's content. All three GCs that I interviewed immediately showed / emailed me plans they thought I would like to start from. --- I built a house in Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States,) a few years ago. A few things to consider: When I started working with my GC, he had a whole filing cabinet full of designs. They weren't "open source," (as in copyrighted under GPL/MIT/Apache,) but he scanned the design we started from. I then used (shockingly) preview on Mac to cut and paste it up to move some walls and rooms around. (Basically, we took some space out of the master bedroom to make one of the other bedrooms larger. The master bedroom still has a lot of extra space.) He then sent my changes to a professional designer who brought the design up to something that the contractors could follow, and made the garage deeper so we had extra storage and a garage door for a riding lawn mower. In 2017, in Cape Cod, this cost me a little over $1000. --- But, if you really want to get creative, I suggest hiring an architect. They have the experience that you, as an untrained novice, don't have. A good architect should be able to weigh your desires and give you something that'll be better than you could imagine. Considering that redos are very expensive when building a house, spending a few thousand on an architect will be much cheaper than spending tens of thousands on a "redo" after the fact. --- Furthermore, if there is a house you like, at least in MA, it's easy to find the dimensions online. Just google "[town name] GIS", and you will find the town's database of all homes. Enter the address (or street,) and you will be able to find room layouts (with sizes) used for assessments, and even the assessment of value for the home. These are all publicly available records. It's also useful to pull the GIS data of any land you're planning on buying (in MA.) This will tell you who paid what for the land going back as far as the records are available. You can use this in negotiations. (I knew that my GC overpaid for the land before the 2008 crash, so I adjusted my negotiation style accordingly.)

gbalint 3y ago

In Hungary there is a public project to create freely accessible house plans with all necessary documentation to start to build them. The website is only available in Hungarian (but google translate manages to translate it quite well), and the houses are mostly really small compared to American standards, and their style is just way different from American houses. Anyway, let me drop the link here, maybe there is something interesting to be found there: https://www.oeny.hu/oeny/nmtk/mintatervek https://www.oeny.hu/oeny/nmtk/mintatervek

ilyt 3y ago
Now I'm interested, why would someone in https://www.oeny.hu/oeny/nmtk/tervreszletek/NMTK-138 https://www.oeny.hu/oeny/nmtk/tervreszletek/NMTK-138 waste all that space on the recessed entrance instead of just making straight wall to the roof ?
- seszett 3y ago
  It provides shadow and protection from rain above the entrance. It's a pretty common design.
  - ilyt 3y ago
    Okay but why not separate small roof over entrance? This design is making wall more complex (now whole roof overhangs over entrance) for not all that much gain.
    - seszett 3y ago
      Well it's sometimes forbidden to have multiple roof sections, I don't know about Hungary but it might be often the case there. And it looks very different, I wouldn't do it at least.
    - koliber 3y ago
      - it looks nice and is a popular style right - there might be distance requirements between the building and the lot boundary which would prevent a roof from sticking out

thegabriele 3y ago

What if you just wanted to train a specialized diffusion model on free house plans?

blcArmadillo 3y ago

Several years ago the city of Phoenix released plans for a net zero single family home: https://www.phoenix.gov/sustainability/home https://www.phoenix.gov/sustainability/home You do have to provide some basic info to get them but I can confirm that they're a full set of plans.

Dowwie 3y ago
Did any developers or private homeowners use these plans?
kevinpet 3y ago
I looked into that when it came out. 1. the house uses novel construction techniques. it's more of a design exercise than a serious attempt at something people might build. 2. you can't use the plans without getting sign off from an architect or engineer. this defeats the whole purposes of "releasing" plans.

rcazangi 3y ago

At the risk of being slightly off-topic, what are good sources to find out wether and in which conditions building your own house is financially advantageous vs buying an existing (new or old) house.

ilyt 3y ago
> At the risk of being slightly off-topic, what are good sources to find out wether and in which conditions building your own house is financially advantageous vs buying an existing (new or old) house. I'd imagine only if you do a lot of the actual building yourself. New house will just cost same or less than you trying to get a project then hire people to do it. Project is tiny part of the cost, but for developer it's already amortized over tens of homes they've built. Workers also "know the process" and I'd imagine build it faster than some custom. Now old house, that's interesting question, and that will heavily depend on state the house is in. Putting some insulation on old house and doing some renovation might come out far cheaper. Or you might get into some kind of renovation hell where every fix uncovers another problem with the house, then it turns out you not only need to re-do electrics but also water/sewage, or remove old insulation and replace it with better, or remove some rotting boards etc. Then there is of course question about whether you like house layout or not or how much you'd want to change it. On flip-side, the advantage of fixing up old house is that you don't need to do it all at once and so can take smaller mortgage and so pay less in cost of that.
toast0 3y ago
Financially advantangeous would be simple: Get an itemised estimate of the cost of land, cost of construction (include permitting and utility connect fees), and cost of housing while under construction, convert those to net present value, and compare to the all-in purchase price of the house with taxes and fees. If you think future taxes or maintenance will be significantly different, you can estimate those in net present value as well. IMHO, building your own house isn't usually about financial advantage, it's about getting a house that fits more of your needs and wants with less compromise than picking from what's available. But there might be exceptions if you have access to land, labor, or materials at a significant discount to market rates. Or if you want a much smaller house than is usually marketted.

isaacremuant 3y ago

You need to think architecture instead of software development. The same way an architecture would be wise to converse with software developers to start building a mental model of their industry, so should you in the reverse.

djinnandtonic 3y ago

ngl I read this as "open source house plants" and immediately had some future shock

philomath_mn 3y ago

Important questions: - Are you going to build it? OR - Are you going to act as the general contractor? OR - Are you going to have a builder build it? I just finished the lattermost process. In that case, you can get ideas from open source plans, but getting a builder to build your plans will be a full-custom build with the corresponding costs. We looked at the plans several builders offered, modified one we liked, and then had them build it. From what I can tell, this route saved a lot of time and cost (assuming you are going the builder route).

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