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contact_if_interested Joined: 23 Feb 2008 Posts: 10	Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:36 am    Post subject: Any one reviews house plan? what will it cost? Hi: My husband has completed all architectural floor plans, elevations and detail drawings etc. He has done all the load calculations also. I am very confident that he knows what he is doing. My problem is that by profession, he is a mechanical engineer working in the nuclear power industry (construction). My worry is that it is much more stronger than required; that means it is going to cost more. I was wondering if there is any structural engineers out there who can review and tell us if anything is overdone and can be modified? Secondly, once the plan is reviewed I would like someone with a software who can run a material estimate for us? It is probably much easier to do with software than by hand. If any one interested please respond and let us know what it will cost? Thanks Judy
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kmapro Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 133	Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:43 pm    Post subject: Hi Judy - Not to discredit your husband in the least, but there is a lot more to designing a house than just the engineering aspect of it. There are tons of building codes to be concerned with and a lot of knowledge of building practices that need to be considered when designing. If you and your husband are not willing to go to the expense of having a professional do the design work for your house, I think you are doing the right thing by having a professional look at it - not only from the engineering stand point, but from the general design aspect of it as well. Be prepared though, you will probably have a hard time getting an architect to sign off on a set of plans that they did not draw and even if you do, you will probably be looking at a cost close to what it would have been from scratch any how. Mainly because they will have o run all the calculations again and verify what has been shown. I am not an architect, nor a structural engineer, but I do work in the engineered wood industry and deal with load calculations/distribution all day long. I would suggest you contacting a professional that is close by you because that individual will be more in tune with how your area builds and what special codes are required for your inspecting body. As far as over-engineering, as long as he does not stamp the drawings with his engineer stamp, any of the engineered wood companies can provide you with an engineered floor layout of what is necessary to adequately build your home from engineered wood (floor joists, wooden beams (laminated, strand, etc). Fair warning - if he stamps it, they will have to go with what is on the drawings. If they do not follow specs, that company can be held as designer of record and that is a title that no company wants to carry when dealing with someone else's calculations and what not. I hope this helps some.
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Antisthenes Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 756 Location: Phoenix	Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:00 pm    Post subject: search retired plan checkers in the phone book or bust our your UBC current to your juristiction _________________ The most necessary/useful piece of learning is that which unlearns what is untrue: 'evil' may be acquired, Happiness through virtue which is based on knowledge!/?
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contact_if_interested Joined: 23 Feb 2008 Posts: 10	Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 5:08 pm    Post subject: Thanks, kmapro He did buy a building code book and did follow all the regulations. Since we are building personal home for ourselves, architect’s sign off is not a requirement. I feel a second set of verification would be helpful. I agree with you, the architect may come up with some recommendations. I created a model to the scale and we did modify 2 of the areas.
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contact_if_interested Joined: 23 Feb 2008 Posts: 10	Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:17 pm    Post subject: Any one else would like to give your opinion? Thanks
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phansford Joined: 18 Apr 2004 Posts: 853 Location: SW Ohio	Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:46 am    Post subject: Re: Any one reviews house plan? what will it cost? contact_if_interested wrote: I was wondering if there is any structural engineers out there who can review and tell us if anything is overdone and can be modified? Based on your posts..... I am assuming you are going to build the project yourself. You might not necessarily need an architect or a structural engineer to review the drawings. Most residential building codes are prescriptive - meaning the code has tells you what you have to do. ie - Floor joist spanning a certain distance and carried a defined weight must be a certain size and spacing. You either met code or you don't. If you are using an engineered wood product - such as TJI's for floor joists, you will get a layout drawing of the floor system from the local supplier. You can even get a set of shop drawings reviewed and sealed (approved) by a professional engineer as part of purchasing the product. (This is what Kmapro does for a living - he works for a material supplier and provides the design and layout of engineered wood products) You can ask them to value engineeer the design or review the design contact_if_interested wrote: Secondly, once the plan is reviewed I would like someone with a software who can run a material estimate for us? It is probably much easier to do with software than by hand. You need to take a set of the drawings to your local Builder's Center. Not knowing where you are located, I can't recommend one....... Here locally (Midwest) - you could find the local ProBuild. and meet with one of their sales representatives. They can provide you with a proposal for materials (From lumber to nails to windows/doors to kitchen cabinets) and they can also provide the engineering you might need. Probuild also has divisions that manufacture roof trusses and can panelize the house for ease of construction. They just need a set of your drawings. There will still be materials missing (concrete, plumbing, electrical, maybe brick/block) but you need to get those estimates from those subcontractors. Quite honestly, the issue with designing things yourself without the input of a homebuilder or an architect will be cost. Most people make the house much to large for their budget and then have to come to the realization that they are not going to build a 5,000 SF house for $200,000. I have yet to actually design a house larger than the client wanted because they missed the budget..... its more of too much house for the budget. In summary, it sounds like its time for you to take your plans and visit your local Probuild. You can get some material estimates and some engineering all at one stop and all included in the cost of purchasing the materials.
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djswan millennium club Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 1159 Location: Montana, USA	Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:26 pm    Post subject: contact_if_interested wrote: Any one else would like to give your opinion? Thanks Hubby is an engineer eh? Designed it himself. I review other folks plans everyday. I've got a couple of the owner/client is an engineer designs and remodeled by me under my belt. I won't let all his time go wasted. is it a timberframe? _________________ An event is to chaos as function is to form. n/a http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kalispell-MT/Swan-Woodworks/74815304856
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