We are dedicated to providing homes of exceptional quality. Each home plan is the result of many hours of thought, ingenuity and labor by some of the nation’s leading architects.
If you have any questions, please call our toll-free number (1-888-388-5735). We’re available Monday – Friday, 10:00AM to 6:00PM, Pacific Time. Or email us at info@architecturalhouseplans.com. We also highly recommend that you visit the portion of our site titled FAQ’s, where many other important questions are answered.
BUILDING CODES & REGULATIONS
Our home plans and specifications met or exceeded local, regional and national code requirements in force when and where the house was originally built. Each municipality, county and state in the United States and Canada has its own building codes and regulations, and its own zoning laws and other ordinances. Your plan may need to be modified to comply with local requirements regarding energy codes, soil and seismic conditions, wind loads, snow loads, and a wide range of other matters, and you may need to obtain permits from, and allow inspections by, local government agencies before and during construction. Some cities and states also require you to have a licensed architect or engineer review and affix a “seal” to your plans prior to construction.
The foundation drawings included in each set of plans we market were originally created for a specific plot of land, in a specific county, and therefore they may need to be modified for your building site. Soil, climate, and potential natural disasters (floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.), along with your local codes and regulations, can affect any foundation design. Be sure to have your foundation plans reviewed and, if necessary, modified by a structural engineer in your area before the start of construction, even if your local officials don’t require that you do so.
COPY RESTRICTIONS & COPYRIGHT LAW
The plans we offer are covered under U.S. Copyright law, the copyrights belonging to the architects and designers who created each set of plans. These architects and designers retain all rights and ownership of their original designs, and all the documentation associated with them.
Copyright law is a federal law, and the current fine for breaking this law is $250,000 per occurrence, plus attorney fees. Please note that that when a plan is modified – which nearly all of our customers do before construction – the altered plan is considered to be a “derivative” of the original, and still covered under Copyright protection. The extent of the alteration is not considered, but rather the source of the material being altered.
Therefore, when Architectural House Plans extends to you – with permission of the architect or designer – a copyright release to build one house from the plans you’ve purchased, that legal document you receive covers the construction of one (and only one) house, no matter how much it has been altered.
DISCLAIMER
These drawings have been prepared to meet generally accepted professional standards and practices and have been developed without knowledge or reference to a specific site or geographical area. Therefore, supplemental to these documents, it is the owner and his/her builder’s responsibility to follow the material and equipment manufacturers’ instructions, and to use accepted standards for each building trade. Topographic and subsurface conditions should be verified and foundation plans adapted accordingly. Before starting construction, the builder should check and be responsible for all dimensions and other details, and should review the plans for compliance with governing code requirements for the geographic area in which the house is to be built. All structural, mechanical and electrical requirements should also be reviewed before construction begins. Codes govern over drawings and dimensions govern over scale. The owner should check with the local building department to see if a professional stamp is required on the drawings for permit purposes. It is suggested that a local architect be retained to review and make any changes necessary to ensure that the plans meet the above requirements. Any use of this information without adaptation to changes and codes, standards, site conditions and other factors is at the owner’s sole risk. Healthy Home Designs, LLC assumes no responsibility for changes made to these plans by others and makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, regarding these plans. The owner agrees to defend and indemnify Healthy Home Designs, LLC, and the architect/designer for all claims, costs, losses or damages resulting from the use of this information.
We authorize the use of our plans on the express condition that you comply with all local building codes, zoning requirements, and other applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.