Guides
Guides for building a new home in Florida.
What the Florida Building Code, the building department and your builder need from your plans, explained in plain words and shown on a real plan set.
Getting started
- Step by step
Building a house in Florida
From your lot and survey to plans, the permit, inspections and the final certificates.
- Our process
How to get house plans drawn for your lot
Every step from your first message to a permit ready set in 3 weeks.
- Choosing plans
Custom plans or catalog plans?
What a catalog plan still needs before a Florida permit.
- Building it yourself
Owner builder permit plans
What Florida's owner builder exemption allows and what the permit needs.
Your plan set
- Sheet by sheet
What's in a permit plan set
Every kind of construction drawing in a complete set, and why it is there.
- Reading plans
How to read house plans
Sheet numbers, title blocks, scales, tags, symbols and schedules.
- Structure
The structural engineering in your plans
Wind design data, soil, foundation, trusses and who seals what.
- Energy
Florida energy calculations
The three ways to comply, the forms and how the air conditioning is sized.
Building for Florida
- Wind
Hurricane ready house plans
Design wind speeds, the High Velocity Hurricane Zone and protected openings.
- Flood
House plans for flood zones
How high the lowest floor goes, elevated foundations and elevation certificates.
- Construction
Concrete block house plans
Reinforced block walls, bond beams, lintels and roof connections.
- Questions
House plan questions, answered
Prices, timing, surveys, soil reports, permits and Florida code.
Ready for your own plans?
Fixed prices with engineering included, delivered 15 business days after your project starts.