Plan Changes
All our plans have been developed on the basis of giving you exciting designs and superior floor plans at an exceptional price. The reason we can do this is because we have optimized the purchasing power of your dollar in terms of the materials used in the construction of each home.
We want to make sure you get the best possible value if you want to make changes to a given design. For example even small changes to the width of the great room or pitch of the roof can disproportionately add to the cost of the home. In other words the additional space added can cost substantially more per square foot than that contained in the initial design.
We have developed some simple guidelines for you to follow if you wish to change the exterior and interior dimensions of your home.
Great Room You may extend the length of your Great Room in almost all cases. However changing the width is more problematic due to the structural loading requirements of the vaulted areas. Increasing the span length from the center beam to the walls can add major costs for very little increase in square footage if substantially stronger rafters are required.
Side Wings The length of all side wings can be extended fairly simply as long as the width and roof pitch remains the same. It is also more cost efficient if the length is extended in increments of 4 feet as this conforms best to the standard panel sizes used in all construction.
Roof Pitch All designs are engineered with existing roof pitch in mind. Changes to the pitch is not recommended as this will often involve major structural issues as well as potentially altering the size of windows required.
Interior Walls We use a post and beam system in all vaulted areas. As a result moving interior walls is both easy and inexpensive. Changing load bearing interior walls is more complicated and usually adds additional cost.
Windows Adding windows is generally a straightforward process provided no structural concerns are raised. Non-standard shapes of windows can be expensive and should be avoided if there is a desire to keep costs down.
You can work with your sales consultant to modify any of our designs within the parameters outlined above. They can also help you choose the specifications that best suit your individual needs.
There may be a small additional charge for drafting and design services based on the hours of work required to modify your design. Our computerized pricing system will provide you with a firm quote for the entire package including any such design changes prior to you signing a contract.
Once the contract is signed your final construction blueprints will be prepared. These will meet local building code requirements and planning approvals as well as act as a construction guide for the builder.
