How Do I Get Started?
Found a plan you love but want to make it your own? You’re in the right place. Our team has helped homeowners across the globe customize their dream plans. Getting started is simple.
1. Submit Your Request Online
Go to the plan page where your house plan is located on our website and click the blue “Modify this Plan” button,
located just below the “About House Plan” section. You’ll be directed to
our Free Quote for House Plan Modification form. Enter your contact information and describe the changes you’d like to make, whether they’re small adjustments or major redesigns. The more details you provide, the more accurate your quote will be.
2. Need Help Explaining Your Changes?
Not sure how to describe what you want? Call us at 866-787-2023. Our experienced team will help you clarify your ideas and make sure nothing gets lost in translation.
3. Review and Receive Your Quote
Once you submit your request, our customer service specialists review it carefully and reach out if we need more information. We’ll then send your request to one of our trusted design professionals, who will prepare your quote.
You should typically have a free quote within 2-4 business days.
4. Approve and Begin Your Customization
If you’re happy with the quote, you’ll purchase the PDF or CAD file
(as required by the designer) from our website. After your purchase,
we’ll connect you with the house modification
professional handling your project. They’ll provide a
customization contract for your review and signature, and collect payment directly for the design work. Once those steps are complete, your designer will begin customizing your plan with your input every step of the way.
5. Turnaround Time and Expert Advice
Our designers are experts in residential architecture and understand what makes
a home both beautiful and buildable. Most customized plans are completed in about
4-6 weeks, depending on the scope of the changes and the season. You’ll receive professional guidance throughout — from concept to final drawings — so you can feel confident your modified plan will be exactly what you envisioned.
Modifications FAQ
What aspects of a house plan can be customized? What level of modification is possible?
The good news is you can change many things in a house plan. Examples of small changes include adding doors or windows, or moving walls that don't hold up the house. Medium changes include making the kitchen larger, adding a room, or changing the foundation. Major modifications to an existing house plan can include increasing the square footage of the house by 15-20% or or moving critical, load-bearing walls that support the house.
What important considerations should be taken into account when customizing a house plan?
When changing a house plan, think about what's feasible. If you make a house much smaller, it might not be structurally sound. You also need to follow national rules and local building codes, so modifications to reduce the width of hallways or doorways may not be in compliance. Also, remember that modification fees increase based on the extent of customization required, which should be taken into consideration along with your home building budget.
How much does it cost to customize a house plan?
The cost of modifying a house plan you purchase from The Plan Collection depends on how much you want to change it. Small, relatively straightforward changes cost $500 to $1,000. If you need a bit more done, medium-sized changes can cost in the range of $1,100 to $2,000. Significant, more extensive changes are $2,000 or more. It is important to note that the total cost of a modified house plan is the modification fee plus the cost of the plan (typically the PDF file or CAD file is the required plan purchase).
Is it cheaper to customize an existing plan or design from scratch?
It's usually cheaper to change a plan that already exists than to create a brand new one. Even though there are costs for making changes, these are often less than the high design/architectural fees and lengthy timeline of starting a plan from nothing.
How long will it take?
This will depend upon the number and type of changes needed. Typically, once you and the house designer have agreed upon the changes to be made to the plan, the designer can implement those changes in 2-4 weeks.
How do house modifications work?
Find the house that meets most of your needs. Share with us your ideas, big or small. Once we receive your request, we match you with the house designer who would be working with you from start to finish. Within a few business days, you’ll get a free, no obligation cost estimate quote. After approving the quote and purchasing the required plan file, you will sign a customization agreement directly with the design professional, who will begin your modifications. Throughout the design process, you will receive one-on-one guidance to ensure the plan meets both your vision and national building standards.
What if I just want the house plan in reverse?
Fortunately, many of our designs come with an option to purchase a plan in a right-reading reverse or mirror (type is backwards) option. If you find a house that does not come with either option, a modification can be made. The normal costs would be the price of a PDF file or CAD file plus an additional $150-$300 in modification fees
Can I change the foundation option?
Yes, it is possible. Many of our plans come with
options to purchase different foundations. If you find a house that does not come with the foundation option you need, please let us know. If the foundation is not available, the typical cost would be the price of a PDF file or CAD file plus an additional $150-$300 in modification fees.
How do local regulations affect customization?
Local building rules impact how much you can change things.
What must the width of hallways, doorways, and staircases be? Can I add another space to the garage? If I raise the ceilings, will the ridge height of the home be acceptable? All of these questions are likely addressed in your local building codes, be it your state, county, or city/town. Many jurisdictions have adopted model codes, often the International Residential Code (IRC) and adopt it in whole or with modifications. Other municipalities use it as a guide to create their own code.
A fast and accurate approach to get answers to your questions and
their building code implications is often a professional home builder.
An experienced builder will also have a good understanding of
the local building department’s process and expectations. An alternative approach is to contact your municipal building department directly for answers; however, depending on their backlog you may find it a time consuming option.
What happens if I make major structural changes?
When you make big changes to your home's structure,
like making it more than 20% bigger or critical moving walls that hold up the house, these modifications are considered major and thus expensive. We'll need to make a lot of adjustments to your house plans. Our designers will update the right files for your builders to make sure everything is structurally sound. It's also important that these major changes follow national building rules. Given the widespread differences in local building code, you should work with your local draftsman or engineer to add municipal building code changes to the plans.
What if I want a completely custom plan?
We work with a large network of very talented designers and architects. We will be more than happy to put you in contact with someone in your local area. Submit a request for a custom design.
What are some popular house plan customization trends?
We receive countless modification requests only limited by the imagination. That said, here are some of our most common modifications and our trending customizations.
Our most common requests include making modifications to the layout of a kitchen or bathroom, adding or removing a non-load-bearing wall, and bumping out part of an exterior wall by 2-3 feet to add space to a room.
Trending house plan customizations reflect many homeowners’ wish to build their forever home. Ground-floor studies or home offices are modified into optional bedrooms with closet space (for visiting in-laws or aging-in-place). Bonus rooms above the garage are finished with an ensuite bath to be used as an extra bedroom or a game room.
Other popular trends in modifications of house plans are driven by empty nesters looking to downsize. Many couples who fall in this category are not ready to give up all the luxuries they’ve grown accustomed to. Popular modifications include adding more space to primary suites, including bumping out a wall, and reconfiguring the bathroom and walk-in closets for greater spaciousness and mobility.
Do you have any customer testimonials from those who have gone through the customization process?
Yes. Here are three recent customer modification experiences. The first two represent fairly typical modifications that require some professional design work. The second one is a more extensive design customization.
Gregory E. and his wife found a plan they loved, a three bedroom, 1651 square foot ranch that they wanted to build in The Woodlands, Texas. They had some ideas to make design modifications. Greg initially reached out to us though the “Modify this Plan” form, with an outline of their modifications. Working with him, we scoped out an itemized list of changes, including uniform 9-foot ceilings height throughout, bumping out the right-side exterior wall by two feet to enlarge the bedrooms and bath on that side, and changing the exterior wall framing from 2x4 to 2x6. According to Greg, “Excellent service. The Plan Collection team and the architect worked efficiently to bring my vision to life. The results were exactly what I hoped for.”
Looking to build an affordable, cottage-style home outside of Huntsville, Alabama, Nancy L. came across this just under 1500 square feet, 3-bedroom home. She found the floor plan to be wonderful, but hoped some modifications could be made to the primary suite to make it perfect. “This company was awesome! The architect quickly verified my requested modifications and delivered fast, accurate results,” according to Nancy. Her modifications included shortening the depth of the primary bedroom by two feet and redesigning the primary bath layout. “The Plan Collection’s service and attention to detail exceeded my expectations.”
Regina H. and her family were so impressed with this house plan that they wanted to customize it into their dream home not far outside Knoxville, Tennessee. A 2-story house design with five bedrooms, it was ideal for their large family. According to Regina, “we customized our plan by transforming the garage into a game room with glass doors, a fireplace, and vaulted ceiling… resizing the living room into a cozy study, and flipping the kitchen and dining layout. We also requested a rustic French Country exterior with stone cladding and wood trim to suit our mountain setting.” Our customer service team answered her family’s questions and offered them recommendations as we scoped out the customization project and a cost estimate. Ultimately, Regina was ready to move forward with the customizations. Reflecting on her experience, Regina said “The team’s guidance and design support made the process enjoyable and stress-free!”
