| Q: What is the difference between the house plan set packages? |
| MHP: Click the "Buy This Plan" button below the exterior image of the plan you are interested in. This will display a list of the plan packages available for this design. You can click the "Show Detail" link to see a description of each package. OR, you can always give us a call if you need more clarification. |
| Q: I love this house, but it's a little too big. Can it be reduced it by about 200 square feet? |
| MHP: Anything is possible, but not always practical or economical. Technically, we can direct our CAD programs to reduce the size of a house by a certain percentage. However, you would have to find fixtures (such as doors, appliances, bathtubs, windows, etc.) that are the same percentage smaller. In other words, it would be very expensive, if not impossible! It would also be very difficult for a designer to remove 200 square feet from a plan without changing the entire arrangement. You would probably pay more for this modification than almost any other. It would be best to look for a plan in the square footage range that is within your budget, rather than trying to shrink a larger design to fit within your budget. |
| Q: I want to build a home as economically as possible. What should I look for in a house plan? |
| MHP: Architecturally, you want to keep the shape as simple as possible with the least amount of corners. You would also want to keep the roof simple. A crawlspace or slab foundation is less money to build than a basement. A simple 2-story home is less to build per square foot than a comparable 1-story due to less roof and foundation area. |
| Q: What is the difference between 'mirror' reverse and 'right reading reverse'? |
| MHP: Reversing a plan is the same whether it is Right Reading or Mirrored. In both cases, the structure is flipped so that all areas are on the opposite side of the existing drawing. Mirror reverse is done when plans are hand-drawn. The prints can be run flipped, but there is no way to also flip the text. Therefore, when we mirror a plan, all of the numbers and text read backwards. Right Reading Reverse is also flipped, but because the plan is drawn with a CAD program, we have the ability to flip the text and numbers so that they read properly. |
| Q: I'm confused about whether to purchase a PDF, a Reproducible Master or a CAD file. Can you help me figure out which one I should buy? |
| MHP: All three of these plan set types come with a Copyright Release so that you or someone you hire have permission to make changes to the plans and then print them for use. PDF's are the most popular because you save shipping cost and delivery time. The designer e-mails the plans directly to you with the Copyright Release so that you can print the number of sets you need locally. A Reproducible Master is mostly obsolete because of advances in technology. A CAD file is recommended when you want to make more than minor changes. Although a CAD file often costs more, it is likely the professional you hire to make changes for you will be able to work faster with a CAD File, thus saving you money. Many designers, architects, and engineers have done-away-with their drawing boards and will only work with CAD files. Before you order, make sure you ask the professional you hire which method he will use to make changes. In all cases, your license to build will be for one house only (unless you purchase a plan with unlimited builds). |
| Q: What is your return/exchange policy? |
| MHP: Refund / Exchange Policy: Plans printed by MonsterHousePlans.com's designers are refundable within 10 business days of purchase under the following conditions: Plans are in their sealed, original packaging and have not been opened (to be determined by the firm that shipped the original order). Customer will pay a 20% re-stocking fee plus all shipping charges. Reproducibles, CAD Files & PDF's are not refundable under any circumstances due to copyright issues. Plans ordered from MonsterHousePlans.com may be exchanged within 30 days of purchase under the following conditions: Upon designer approval, customer may exchange for a plan within the same designer's collection (plan number to have same prefix). Customer will pay 20- 40% of the amount of the original order for re-stocking, plus the difference in cost if exchanging for a higher priced plan. Customer will also be responsible for all shipping charges. Reproducibles, CAD Files & PDF's are not exchangeable under any circumstances due to copyright issues. |
| Q: Why is it that when I add up all of the room dimensions, I come up with less square footage than you state the plan has? |
| MHP: Living square footage is calculated to the exterior surface of the heated walls. You probably have not included spaces such as hallways, linen closets, stairways and interior walls. All of these areas are considered part of the living square footage. Our designers are very careful to calculate this figure accurately. |
| Q: Why isn't engineering included with my plans? |
| MHP: The simple answer is that we cannot anticipate where plans will be built. If our plans were engineered for every location in North America, they would be over-kill and cost you thousands of dollars more to build than they should. Why should a house being built in Arizona be engineered for hurricanes? Why should a house being built in San Diego have beams designed for snow loads in Alaska? Why should a house being built in Detroit be engineered to withstand an 8.0 earthquake? You will be saving thousands of dollars by purchasing a pre-drawn stock house plan. Yes, you may still need to take that additional step and hire an engineer to review the plans for compliance in the area where you plan to build, but you'll still be saving a bundle on the architectural fee. |
| Q: Are mechanical details such as plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical included with the plans? |
| MHP: Plans will show the location of plumbing fixtures, lights, switches & outlets. They will not include the location of plumbing pipes and risers, nor will they show an electrical wiring diagram or panel location. This information must be determined locally by your builder, electrician and plumber based on the foundation you build and local requirements. Location and type of HVAC units (heating and air conditioning) will also be determined by local conditions and requirements. Note: Some designers do not show any electrical on the plans due to builder preferences in their area. If this is an issue, please check with us before ordering plans. |
| Q: How do I view my Favorite Plans? |
| MHP: Simply sign into your account with your username and password. This will display all of the plans that you have saved. Here you can add comments or delete saved plans. |
