Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in purchasing plans from your site?

Each house plan will typically come with: Cover Page with window and door schedules, Foundation/Basement/Footing plan, Main floor plan, 2nd floor plan (if applicable), birds-eye roof plan, all exterior elevations, and a sheet containing sections and details. Each sheet may have their own notes and are designed to code standards for the IRC, however, some jurisdictions have more stringent codes that cannot be accounted for prior to your order. These are generally worked out by your contractor, who is responsible for building to code.

Can I re-sell the plans I buy?

When you purchase through CIHP you receive a "single build license" and agree that you are making the purchase to build a single instance of the plan you purchase. This purchase is unique to you alone and you cannot transfer the Single Build license to another individual or company without written permission from Central Iowa House Plans.

Which plan set should I choose?

The PDF Set is the most common choice. It gives you the ability to go to a local print shop and print as many copies as your single build job needs. It also gives you the limited ability to make plan changes by hiring a local designer, though, we also offer customization services that have very competitive pricing.

The 5 Sets would be bare minimum number of copies to use for building a single instance of the plan. Some building departments require two copies be turned in for permitting, leaving very few remaining copies for yourself, your contractor and any sub-contractors who may need copies. 

The 8 Sets is a more comfortable number for building a singe instance of the plan. It gives you more flexibility if there is not a local print shop locally to run copies via the PDF Set.

The CAD Set is what you would need if you were planning to build multiple instances of the plan, and purchase of the CAD set comes with a "Multiple Build License" rather than a "Single Build License". See below for more information on the CAD Set option.

Why would I need a "CAD Set"?

Purchasing the CAD set is something you would do if you are a builder and would like the availability to build the plan multiple times and more easily make changes. By purchasing the CAD set, the copyright ownership still belongs to the original designer, so you cannot sell the plan or variations of the plan.

What is a "Single Build" license?

A single build license is issue to you upon the purchase of a plan through CIHP in order to identify you as the one who holds the rights to a single instance build of the plans purchased. This single build license contains your information as the purchaser of the plan purchased, intended for you to be able to build a single structure using the plans you chose and purchased. This single build license is not transferable and you cannot sell the plans you purchased or sell copies of the plans you purchased without written permission from Central Iowa House Plans. 

Can I get a material list to go with the plans?

We do not currently offer material lists of plans sold on our website. We recommend taking your plans purchased to a local lumber yard who may be able to provide this information to you for a cost, which may or may not be deducted from a material order.

Can you provide a cost for construction on the plans?

Construction estimating is not a service we provide at this time. We recommend this be something you acquire through a contractor you wish to build the structure from the plans provided.

How long does it take to get my order?

Each order takes 2-3 business days to process payment and issue plans through email to the email address provided. Plan modification requests do not fall under this timeline and will be quoted to you based on your communication with our team.

What modifications are available and how do I get them?

There are a number of common modifications available with most plans. Some plans are designed with a foundation, and some include a basement. These types of modifications you can request upon ordering. Other modifications like changing roof type, moving walls or adding/subtracting square footage are available through the plan modification service. You can use the contact page to request an estimate of cost for changes and a timeline of when the changes can be completed.