The "Complete" Construction Set (What you actually pay for)

Paying 50k vs 500k for plans

You see an architect on FB: “Complete plans 20k!” Then you see a firm charging 500k. What gives?

The “20k Special”

Usually just 5-7 sheets.

• Floor plan (basic)
• Elevations (front/back/side)
• A generic plumbing layout that won’t work. This is enough to get a permit (sometimes). It is NOT enough to build a house properly. Your contractor will guess everything else. And when contractors guess, they guess “expensive” or “wrong”.

The Real Deal (What you actually need)

If you want a house that doesn’t collapse, you need these:

1. The “Boring” Structural Details

• Beam details (How much stirrup spacing? 10mm every 15cm?)
• Column footing details (Don’t let them just dig a hole and pour cement).
• Roof framing (Welding specs. Most welders just spot weld… dangerous).

2. The Reflected Ceiling Plan Fancy name for “Where do the lights go?” Without this, the electrician will just put one ugly bulb in the center of every room.

3. The Spec Sheet This is the bible.

• “6063 Aluminum” (Not random scrap metal).
• “Class A mixture for columns” (Not the weak stuff).
• “THHN wire” (Not cheap automotive wire).

The Architect Hunt

Don’t just look at their renders. Ask to see a previous “Construction Set” they made. Does it have 30 pages? or 5? If it’s 5 pages… run. or prepare to be the site architect yourself.