A Roadmap to House Plans: Part 2

Welcome back to our blog series, "A Roadmap to House Plans." In part one, we explored the initial introductory pages of what you receive in a Sater Design Collection house plan, including the cover sheet, typical wall sheet & details, and the foundation layout. Now, we're delving further in and exploring three additional components: the floor plan callout sheet, roof layout, and exterior elevation. 

House plans play a crucial role in the home building journey, and as a family run business that’s the best in the game, we aim to help you understand their significance so that you can approach the process with confidence and ease! 

Floor Plan Callout Sheet

The floor plan callout sheet is an important part of any house plan and serves as a comprehensive guide to the home, consisting of drawings and descriptions for the layout of each floor. It will appear in your house plan in one of two ways: as its own entity followed by a floor plan dimension sheet or as an all in one page, dimensions included, with the latter typically being reserved for larger homes. Depending on the size of the home, individual floors may also take up as much as one whole sheet. 

The detailed drawings and descriptions include but are not limited to elements such as doors, windows, and closet systems. Additionally, the sheet provides general sizing and modifications, as well as any code issues that may need to be considered. The area tabulation is included here, providing the gross area of the living space. Insider tip: our gross area includes the thickness of the walls, which is standard practice. Specific details about ceiling designs are briefly mentioned but know there is a separate sheet later in the house plan dedicated to breaking this down in full detail. 

Roof Layout Plan 

A roof layout plan is next and plays a critical role in home design, conveying the overall design of the roof to the builder, enabling them to lay it out properly. This plan includes important details such as the location of hips and valleys, roof pitches, overhangs, plate heights, as well as attics and storage areas. The plan also highlights the location of air handlers so that provisions can be made for installing HVAC systems. Please note: the plan does not include the trusses, as they are usually engineered using software programs by different companies. Due to the unique nature of handling trusses, we recommend working with a separate truss company or structural engineer for this part. Therefore, a detailed and comprehensive roof layout plan is necessary to ensure the successful construction of a home's roof.

Exterior Elevations

Exterior elevations are architectural drawings that provide an approximation of how the finished home will look from the outside. These drawings typically include front, rear, and side views of the home. Exterior elevations are highly detailed, with information about the types of materials that will be used. Though the materials are typically referred to generically, specific brands may be mentioned for reference purposes from time to time. We love to promote our favorite tried and true brands, but please note you are always welcome to sub your preferred brands in, should you have any. 

Additionally, exterior elevations often call out specific decorative details of the home, such as rafter details, grille inserts, or bands that create design features like horizontal emphasis. Building sections may also be included in exterior elevations, which show a section of the home that might not be visible from just looking at a side wall. Overall, exterior elevations are crucial for conveying the design intent of the home to the builder, and they allow for detailed planning and construction of the exterior of the building.

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