Study Plans include:
- A mini set of design-oriented drawings set up for 11"x17".
- A choice between a Paper version sent by US Priority Mail or the PDF version sent via email.
- Unlimited printing with PDF's for sharing with family members.
- 6 to 9 pages of drawings depending upon the complexity of the home.
- Click here to see an example set for a 1.5 story home with daylight basement.
- Schematic site plan, floor plans (with room sizes and furniture), daylight basements if applicable, exterior elevations, a schematic section of the house to help visualize the interior, kitchen elevations and garage plans.
- A mini set of construction drawings set up for 11"x17"
- Choice of PAPER sent by US Priority Mail or PDF version sent via email. (Select PDF to print extra copies or share electronically with other building professionals.)
- 10 to 16 pages of drawings depending upon the complexity of the home.(See each house plan description for the drawings that come with each design.)
- Dimensions and construction notes.
- Click here to see an example Review Set of a 1.5 story home with daylight basement.
- A copy of the Study Plan.
- An "Opinion of Probable Construction Cost" from Sun Plans if requested. Sun Plans evaluates the design and compares it to similar home designs for which other clients have provided construction costs. A range of construction cost is provided. (This is based on national information. Sun Plans does not have statistics by state, region or country.)
- Six sets of Construction Prints on 24"x36" paper shipped via UPS ground or PDF computer files sent by email
- 10 to 16 pages of drawings depending upon the size and complexity of the home. (See individual house plan descriptions for specific drawings for each design.)
- Schematic site plan (cover sheet showing how to orient the house for passive solar gain)
- Foundation Plan (either slab-on-grade, crawlspace, below grade or daylight basement)
- First and second floor plans (many construction notes, window sizes, etc.)
- Exterior elevations (all four sides shown in hatched detail)
- Schematic Building section (cut-away through the home showing basic configuration)
- Kitchen elevations (all sides of the kitchen)
- Typical wall detail (showing the various building materials recommended)
- Schematic electrical (showing lights, switches and outlets)
- Schematic framing plans (showing floor framing, roof framing and beams)
- Garage or Carport
- Custom Energy Specs. (Read more.)
- Under the Tell Me More about the Review Set, you can see an example set of drawings; however, with Construction Prints, the plans are updated to the current in-house checklist, do not have the Not For Construction, and include the Custom Energy Specs.
- One hour of technical support with the architect by email or phone
- Order Construction Prints through the Pricing tab on any house plan.
- After an order is placed, reply to the email received to advise of the requested information Sun Plans will need to prepare the Custom Energy Specs.
- Allow 5 business days for updating the design to the Sun Plans in-house checklist and preparation of the the Custom Energy Specs. (Shipping then takes another 3-7 days.)
- With PDF's, unlimited copies of the Construction Prints can be printed locally so long as they are used for building one home. PDF's are handy for sending to builders, mortgage companies, appraisers, home energy raters, and others who may be assisting with the planning and construction of the home such as the builder's subcontractors. Some building inspection departments require PDF.
- CAD files of the Construction Drawings (see below for options)
- PDF file of the Construction Prints (see Construction Prints)
- PDF file of Custom Energy Specs
- PDF file of Copyright Release to allow the house to be modified and changed to build one house
- Under the Tell Me More about the Review Set, you can see an example set of drawings; however, with Construction Prints and CAD Files, the plans are updated to the current in-house checklist, do not have the Not For Construction, and include the Custom Energy Specs.
- One hour of technical support. This can include review by the Sun Plans' architect on proposed changes prior to preparing Custom Energy Specs. If the customer sends a list of proposed changes immediately after placing the order, the architect can review them for energy implications and try to address them in the Custom Energy Specs.
- Order CAD files through the Pricing tab on any house plan.
- After an order is placed, reply to the email received to advise of the requested information Sun Plans will need to prepare the Custom Energy Specs.
- Allow 5 business days for to allow for updating the design to the Sun Plans in-house checklist and preparation of the the Custom Energy Specs.
- With the CAD files, many changes can be made to the design.
- With PDF's (part of the CAD file order), unlimited copies of the Construction Prints can be printed locally so long as they are used for building one home. PDF's are handy for sending to builders, mortgage companies, appraisers, home energy raters, and others who may be assisting with the planning and construction of the home such as the builder's subcontractors. Some building inspection departments require PDF.
- If consulting on changes is desired before the order is placed, then Adapt-A-SunPlan Consulting and Review Service is the process to take.
- The design professional may expand the house a couple of feet, change the exterior materials, move a bathroom, or rearrange interior walls and doors.
- The structural engineer may want to add engineering information such as rebar sizes and specific connections suitable for the local codes, soils, winds, snow or seismic activity.
- The builder may find it easier to perform take offs and layouts with this electronic version of construction prints.
- Home Energy Raters or HVAC subs creating duct work layouts can increase the speed and accuracy of their services.
- The CAD Files are designed to be used by an experienced residential design professional
- The standard method of preparing the CAD files is in AutoCAD 2000 DWG file type, with the files split into separate files. Approximately 95% of CAD file orders are prepared in this format. (Sun Plans can export to any version of AutoCAD between version 12 (released in 1992) and 2021, but 2000 is the default as that seems to be the most common one that design professionals can use including those with older versions of the software. It is not uncommon for other design professionals to use very old versions of AutoCAD.
- Can't use any of these CAD File types, but still want the local design professional to copy and redraw the design with changes? The Copyright Release that comes only with CAD Files allow for this. (Please see Copyright.)
- Special requests for all-in-one CAD files, DXF or AEC (DataCAD) files can be honored if advised within one business day of the order.
- Split CAD Files are divided into separate files - cover sheet, foundation, first floor, second floor, elevations, section, kitchen, wall detail, and detached garage as applicable. More than one of the printed sheet may be in each file. For instance, the fp1elect and fp1framing will also be in the fp1 file, but these are recommended to be printed separately as shown in the PDF files that come with the CAD Files.
- More questions? Have the design professional contact us.
Craftsman simplicity graces the front of the Mountain View 4. The welcoming entry is embellished with stone-based tapered columns, shingle siding and knee braces. Spacious south windows on the back maximize solar gain and brighten winter days. Balanced north windows reduce inside glare and provide low-light areas for the study nook and master bathroom. The split bedroom concept places the master bedroom on the sunny morning side and provides privacy from the other bedrooms. With the garage doors near the entry, the house can fit on narrower lots and give easy access to the front door.
The central great room is open to the kitchen, dining, and study as well as the sunny south patio. The front study nook near the foyer is flexible enough for a study, game nook, or music alcove.
The kitchen is centrally located yet semiprivate with the surrounding breakfast bar. This allows for a view out to the south and the great room. A foot of kitchen space has been traded to create room for a larger dining table. The larger pantry steals a bit from bedroom 2's closet.
The master suite has its own foyer that screens both the bed and bath from view. The large master bath and closet illustrate that even simple homes need not sacrifice luxury.
On the other side of the home, the large mechanical area is nestled between the house and garage. Its uses are vast, including an extended laundry, pet room, or storage. There is a set of steep stairs to a root/storm cellar.
The attached garage on the northwest helps shelter the home from winter storms. Garage doors on the east are also less affected by the same northwest winter winds.
Construction Info
The entire first floor has 9' tall exterior walls. The living, dining, and kitchen as well as the study and laundry can have vaulted trusses to make the rooms seem even more spacious. Exterior walls of 6" studs are easily adaptable to various levels of insulation both inside the wall and on the exterior. Roof trusses economically allow for extra thick roof insulation. The lower sloped, metal roof is durable and wind-friendly, and when combined with cement board siding, makes the home fire-resistant. There is attic storage above bedrooms 2 & 3 and the garage. Thermal mass is economically located in the cold-climate insulated concrete slab floor of the south rooms. It can be stained or covered in stone, tile, or brick pavers.
Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance.
- Add a woodstove stove or fireplace on the living room wall then build in an entertainment center to either side
- Move the washer and dryer into the mechanical space to create a large uncluttered family foyer or mudroom
- In warm climates, reduce south glass but keep the concrete slab to aid in cooling
- Move the side porch to the master bedroom side
- To bring light into the center of the home and to further aid in passive cooling, add a daylight cooling chimney as described under FAQ
For this plan, the following are included with Construction Prints and CAD Files:
- Schematic Site Plan
- Concrete Slab On Grade Foundation Plan
- Floor Plan with Attached Garage
- Exterior Elevations
- Building Section
- Kitchen Elevations
- Typical Wall Detail
- Schematic Electrical Plan
- Schematic Framing Plans
Comments and Photos
When the design was updated, the south glass was decreased from 12% to 10% to make the design more affordable to build. Warm climates could have the south glass reduced a little further. The Custom Energy Specs can address these custom energy recommendations on a case-by-case basis with each order of Construction Prints or CAD files.