Can You Make Your Own Blueprints?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can you make your own blueprints?

SmartDraw’s blueprint maker is much easier to use than traditional CAD software costing many times more

. Yet it offers some amazingly powerful features. Start with the exact blueprint design you need—not just a blank screen. Draw walls and add windows and doors to suit your needs.

How much does it cost to have blueprints made?

Rates

start at $50 and go as high as $130 per hour

for a draftsperson to draw up blueprints or a house plan. Plans for a three-bedroom house require at least 10 hours to complete, and typically cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000.

How do you make blueprints?

Is it hard to make blueprints?

Is it illegal to copy blueprints?

Federal law protects the design of a house, not just architectural plans.

If you create blueprints copying the design of an existing building built after 1990, you are liable for copyright infringement

.

Can a builder draw plans?


Some companies do offer that service so they’ll get the drawings and put in for planning permission if it’s required for you

but the majority of the time you’d do this yourself then once you’ve got them in place your builder can use the drawings / plans you’ve provided to price the job.

Who can draw up house plans?

  • Architect. The term architect is legally protected. …
  • Architectural technologist. These professionals apply the science of architecture, specialising in the technological aspects of buildings, including design and construction methods. …
  • Package company. …
  • House designer. …
  • DIY home design.

Is there an app to make blueprints?


SmartDraw’s blueprint maker

is much easier to use than traditional CAD software costing many times more. Yet it offers some amazingly powerful features. Start with the exact blueprint design you need—not just a blank screen. Draw walls and add windows and doors to suit your needs.

Do architects create blueprints?


Blueprints are drawings that architects use to plan new buildings

. While architects today use computers to create building drawings, originally, the printing process created white lines on blue paper. Create your own blueprint with architectural parts to imagine your own building design!

What paper is used for blueprints?


Rolled bond copier paper

is a great architecture and engineering paper for use in wide format printing. Vellums are used to make high quality copies of blueprints. The vellum we carry is made from 100% cotton. It is an excellent choice for presentation quality work and archiving.

Do you need an architect to build a house?

Unless your local building code absolutely requires an architect,

most residential homes do not need to hire an architect

. Part of the excitement of building a new home or doing a major retrofit is spending time creatively designing the space that you will inhabit.

How do you draw blueprints by hand?

To create the floor plan, you first need a blueprint. Sometimes you can get one from the architect, the home builder, or from earlier home sales. Often, however, there won’t be a pre-existing blueprint, and

you need to draw the blueprint yourself, by hand

.

How do I make a blueprint on my computer?

Are house layouts copyrighted?


Both floor plans and entire house plans are copyrighted

since a floor plan is just a piece of an entire house plan. This means that you cannot build a house to that plan unless the owner gives you permission. Typically, this means that you have to purchase the floor plan.

Can you copy a building design?

Accordingly, any copyright in the building plans is owned by the original owners and therefore the building designer could not validly assign those rights to the new owner, so the new owner has no standing to sue. For all these reasons,

there is no infringement of the new owner’s copyright and the action must fail

.

Can home designs be copyrighted?

Just like books, movies, and songs,

federal copyright laws protect the intellectual property of architects and home designers by giving copyright protection to home plans and designs

. The copyright laws prevent anyone from reproducing or reusing the plans or design without written permission from the copyright owner.

Can I do my own drawings for planning permission?


Yes, you most certainly can draw your own plans of Planning Permission

. In fact, by doing that, you will save yourself the time of explaining your plans to a Consultant and you do not have to rely on them either. Drawing a plan for Planning Permission will add value to your land as well.

Can I get planning permission without an architect?

Is having an architect a legal requirement? No.

You are neither required by law to have an architect submit your planning application or design your home

. In fact, anyone can put together a set of floorplans.

Do you need drawings to apply for planning permission?

When making a planning application, it is important to make sure that a fully completed set of forms is submitted.

Accurate scale drawings should accompany all applications

. These should include a full set of planning drawings, a design & access statement and your duly completed application form.

How much does it cost for an architect to draw up plans?

As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay your architect between 8 and 15% of the construction cost for their ‘full services’; this breaks down as

35% up to planning

, 35% up to tender, and 30% during construction, as the illustrated example below aims to demonstrate.

How many hours does it take to draw house plans?

ESTIMATE

80 to 120 actual work hours

per average 2500 square foot custom home.

How do I start designing my house?

  1. Start simple. You don’t need fancy software to begin making decisions about your custom home plan. …
  2. Think about the future. …
  3. Showcase and maximize the lot. …
  4. Prioritize features. …
  5. Consider function and flow. …
  6. Reflect on light.

What is a good blueprint app?

  • Foyr Neo.
  • Planner 5D.
  • Floor Plan Creator.
  • Home Design 3D.
  • Magic Plan.
  • Roomle 3D and AR Room Planner.
  • Home Design Outdoor Garden.
  • Houzz.

How can I draw my house plans for free online?

Start with a Sketch


Use EdrawMax Online to create a sketch of the layout

, which is a simple representation of what you are going to achieve and how your space is divided. You can draw the basic floor plan on scale by using a template or building with pre-designed symbols.

Can I draw a floor plan in Word?

  • Click the File tab.
  • Click New, click Maps and Floor Plans, and then under Available Templates, click the template that you want to use.
  • Click Create.

Do people still make blueprints?


Most people still associate any type of drawing to blueprints

. But due to modern printing methods, architects no longer need to put the drawings through the chemical process that makes them blue. They can just print the drawings from their computers.

Do blueprints still exist?


Many of the original paper blueprints are archived since they are still in use

. In many situations their conversion to digital form is prohibitively expensive. Most buildings and roads constructed before c. 1990 will only have paper blueprints, not digital.

Are blueprints exact?

A blueprint is a two-dimensional set of drawings that provides a detailed visual representation of how an architect wants a building to look.

Blueprints typically specify a building’s dimensions, construction materials, and the exact placement of all its components

.

Why are blueprints washed with water?

Why do we rinse blueprints with water?


If you do not rinse away any unreacted chemicals, the paper will darken over time and ruin the image

. However, if all the excess chemicals are rinsed away, you’ll be left with a permanent colorfast image of your object or design.

Why is a blueprint blue?

The blueprinting paper, which is still white, is placed in an aqueous solution of potassium ferricyanide. This compound reacts with ammonium ferrous citrate and forms a compound called prussian blue. This compound, in it’s hydrated form, is blue.

Is a draftsman cheaper than an architect?

Should you hire an architect or builder first?


Hiring an architect first is usually the best way to go

, but it can still be important to have a builder involved in the planning process for budgeting purposes. You don’t want to fall in love with an architect’s plans for your dream home only to discover it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars above your price range.

How much does it cost to have someone design your house?

Fees typically range from

$2,014 to $8,375, with an average of $5,126

. But fees can be much higher than that, depending on the size and complexity of the job. Your best gauge is to speak to several architects in your area about the cost of designing your specific project.

Is drafting still done by hand?

Although

there are only a handful of architects that still hand draft construction documents

, many architects still use drawing in some form as a design and communication tool.

How long does an architect take to draw plans?

However, whether they are drawing house plans by hand or by computer, the process takes

several months

, not hours. Typically, homeowners should plan about four months for the design process from the initial consultation to the time the construction documents get submitted.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.