Dan's Video Series - House Plans Explained

Dan Sater has launched a new video series. After nearly 40 years of designing award-winning house plans he is uniquely qualified to explain what is in a set of plans. This is the first video in this series. 

Typically a printed set of plans will be printed on a 24 inch by 36 inch sheet of paper. Larger plans may be printed on a 30 inch by 42 inch sheet. The reason the sheet is so large is because they are printed to scale.

Printing a house plan to scale means that each measurement on the printed sheet can be translated into the full size measurement. Typically all house plans are printed in what is called One-Quarter inch scale. This means that one-Quarter of an inch on the printed drawing is equal to one foot.

Beyond the benefit of consistency between sheets is that any dimension can be checked. If a builder wants to know the exact dimension between any point on the drawing in relation to the home under construction, all they have to do is measure the drawing and do some simple math. While every house plan includes all the major dimensions needed for construction, it would be impossible to document every single measurement.

In Dan’s first video in this series he goes over the first few sheets in a typical set. He explains the information and purpose of the cover sheet. From there he goes on to explain all the information that is on the Typical Wall Section sheet.

Lastly, Dan explains the plumbing location plan sheet. Not only does he explain the reason behind each of these sheets and the information you can find there, but he also includes added information about building a home. After you’ve watched this series of videos you will be better prepared to build your dream home.

Dream Home Explained

The plan Dan has chosen to use as an example happens to be one of his best sellers. The Prairie Pine Court house plan is not only a best seller, but it is the plan he designed for himself. It is a beautiful home, but don’t take our word for it, check it out for yourself! Below are links to the plan page as well as a video tour of his home.

Note: This home is not available for a physical walk-thru.