Need some Design Software Advice for Building a Home

[vteknical]

Hey Guys,
I am planning on a major rebuild of my home this year and would like to see what you guys are using out there.
The rebuild will be removing 90% of the existing home to build new.  I guess a one wall left new house remodel/construction.

I have used Punch Pro about 5 years ago, so I am bit out of the know.  I am looking for something that can provide finished drawings good enough to submit to the City. 

I liked the materials calculation component of Punch Pro since I plan on doing most of the work myself.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Victor

 

[Mark]

Avoid Sketchup if you are wanting to create plans to submit for permitting. There is no simple way to get 2D out of Sketchup as far as I can figure out. Their Layout application that works with Sketchup is fine for making presentations to clients but definitely lame for trying to create 2D for permits and for dimensioning. I "love" Sketchup but this is their one major weakness and still demands some other tool like AutoCAD to create plans to permit and to build from. Other FOG'ers might have found a way to get this done but to date I haven't. I've considered taking an AutoCAD class at our local community college but I don't have enough work to really justify the cost right now.

 

[GreenGA]

Well, one of the premier packages for serious architects that design residential, and maybe small business, buildings is Chief Architect, the current version being XI.  However, the company that produces CA also publishes another product called Better Home and Gardens Home Designer Pro.  What I think the folks at CA do is use most of the features from a recent release CA for the BHG version.

I have been using this product since it was known as 3D Home Architect version 2 and I like it a lot!  I used my copy of version 4 to design a house for a friend in Kennebunkport (up the road from the Bush compound).  Granted, the plans were given to the builder who did what he needed to present them to the local council for approval.

The current version of BHG Pro is 8.  I presented the output from it to get permits to put an addition I am planning for my house.  Not the same as what you're planning but who knows.  It's available on Amazon for about 500.  There are also scaled down versions of BHG for less than 100 but I do not know their feature set.

You may be able to locate a copy of 3DHA on eBay for only a few, and I do mean f.e.w. dollars.  A word of caution, DO NOT BUY V5,  It sucks... It was so bad, BAD..., that most purchased copies were returned.  It was published by a different outfit.  When Broderbund decided to go a different way with the product (probably wanted more money and CA was not willing ????)

Here is a link to the BHG user group.  Hang out there for a few and you may get some pointers or even find a copy for sale.
http://hometalk.homedesignersoftware.com

There is also a group called Chief-Users on yahoogroups if you would like to see what IT is all about.

Any questions, just ask.

HTH

 

[Dane]

I just went through this process and designed and built my own home.  You can check it out at www.greenmodernhome.com .  What I discovered, is that even though I have been designing for years, the actual work of creating scale drawings that can be used for building is a task that will never be accomplished as quickly or as cheaply by an amateur.  Plus it is maddening, slow work best left to those who have a high tolerance for sitting in front of a computer for hours on end scaling lines and boxes so that they line up correctly.  What I ended up doing was keeping the fun, design part of the work for myself and outsourcing the the tedious stuff. 

I used Sketchup, and yes you can do 2-D views on Skectchup, for the concept drawings.  I then took that and used Punch for the floorplan layouts.  Sketchup is not good for tight tolerances that you need for blueprins, but as a concept tool and for getting the measurements to within an inch or so, it is great.  Once I had all of my dimensions and layouts worked out on those two programs I took the files and gave them to an architect that I found on craigslist who worked them up into a CAD file and returned blueprints that were not only ready for the city, but perfectly scaled for use in the actual construction. 

The thing with working in CAD is, it is tedious.  Don't listen to what anyone tells you, it sucks.  If you do it for a living, you can get quite a bit faster at it, but if you only need CAD drawings once in awhile you will never get fast enough for it to be worth it and your accuracy will not be as good as someone who does it for a living.  There are thousands of recently graduated architecture students who are working as CAD monkeys in large firms who would like nothing more than to make a few extra bucks.  They are just out of school, know all the latest programs and can knock it out in no time.

Oh, and its cheaper to have someone else do it.  A version of Chief Architect, which is the bare minimum to get really good drawings will run you about 2500.00.  I think I spent 1100.00 for a full set of plans including all the framing, foundation and cross sections.  Not trying to dissuade you from designing your own house, but you can do all the creative stuff and spare yourself the tedium.

 

[nickao]

Where I live the architect has to stamp the plans for a job like that and very few are willing to stamp your personally made plans.

If they are willing to stamp your plans they have to go over them with a fine tooth comb and its going to cost quite a bit anyway.

It may be different where you live but every building and even additions where a new foundation and roof structure tied into an existing structure , required a stamped plan by an architect.

I was involved in one project for HGTV that had no architect and at least 3 different subs(Electric, plumbing and I can't remember the third off hand) walked off the job becasue the plans were NOT drawn by an architect and stamped. Even though we had the permits in place.

We had to go with small one man or family non union companies to even look at the job.

 

[robtonya]

Where I live the architect has to stamp the plans for a job like that and very few are willing to stamp your personally made plans.

If they are willing to stamp your plans they have to go over them with a fine tooth comb and its going to cost quite a bit anyway.

It may be different where you live but every building and even additions where a new foundation and roof structure tied into an existing structure , required a stamped plan by an architect.

I was involved in one project for HGTV that had no architect and at least 3 different subs(Electric, plumbing and I can't remember the third off hand) walked off the job becasue the plans were NOT drawn by an architect and stamped. Even though we had the permits in place.

We had to go with small one man or family non union companies to even look at the job.

I've wondered about those shows, and how much planning they have to do beforehand. The one I really wonder about is thay Extreme Makeover Home Edition. They must really have to pull some strings to get those permits, and inspections signed off on.

 

[tbellemare]

Victor:

Can you even buy HVAC equipment?

Tom

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Vteknical,

About 30 years ago when "Mother Earth News" from Rodale Press was popular, one of the engineers I worked with built a new 2-story framed house in Akron, OH area.  For the exterior walls, he built a 2x6 wall and inside another 2x6 with the studs offset relative to the outermost wall.  Both walls were filled with fiberglass.  R60? when the official recommendations were about R19 for walls.  His ceilings were even more insulated.  He also designed it to encourage gravity/convection heat flow from a wood -burning stove to be located in the full basement.  Officially, his home was heated with electricity.  The electric company audited him several times before they accepted as accurate his extremely low usage.

Dave R.

 

[nickao]

Victor no splurge, FOG guys get a deal, a BIG discount. Heck, if I have extra or a cancellation that works for you possibly free. I would just want video of the install for the web site. I would come over and take care of everything for you, install etc.

 

[jaegerhund]

Guys,
Truly, thank you for your information.  I actually will be using a little bit of everyones suggestions.  To give you a little background I took Architecture in HS for 4 years and then 2 at a community college, this was still back in the pencil days.
Autocad 10 was out and I never learned it efficiently.  Forward 18 years later, I certainly would hate to whip out the velum and tools only to be frustrated as heck.  My father in law is(or should I say was) a builder and works with an Architect that will stamp or if necessary redraw my ideas relatively inexpensive. 

I'm not all that old but old enough to have done manual drawings (steel detailing) for my father ---- what a process it use to be and I remember the vellum/blueprint routine.  Mind you, CAD was around but the price for the whole setup --- Computer, CAD, Printer/Plotter was way out of the league for most small outfits.  Now he has a nice setup in a home office including inkjet plotter, and I don't think he misses those "good old" days ---- and sending drawings and revisions through email is a big plus.  CAD has made it easier for the average, computer literate person to do drawings ---- it does take practice but the skill set that my father had took much longer to acquire and required abilities that a CAD user just doesn't need ----

Justin

 

[nickao]

You have to remember I only make them by commission and never make them first.   

The only inlays I have in stock I either did not make myself or the clients changed their minds.

I never actually had a return, but homeowners tend to change their minds when I am half way done at least a few times a year.

 

[Ladygaga17]

Home building software will help you get started by providing you.  Plus, you'll also get some important project management advice. It provides you with all the information you need and even help you identify possible level of CAD software and 3D design programs, which can be very expensive.

_________________
Patio furniture

 

[Holzhacker]

I would start out by figuring out what your municipality will allow or require. If they require stamped plans, then doing a bunch of CAD work yourself may not be the best option. I'd suggest making the basic drawings/layouts to save money and then hand it over to the architect to finish. Mind you I am no big fan of architects. I have often ended up chasing them off jobs.
You stated you are leaving 'one' wall and taking down essentially 90% of the house. From my experience, you are doing this in order to stay within the rehab Code; So you don't fall under new construction Code, setback and zoning requirements; So you are in a muni that is going to be watching?