How can i find blueprints of buildings

Fortunately, more and more professionals in the industry are adopting technological applications to support online document retrieval. Soon enough, everyone will be able to geo-locate and request access to any and all blueprints through innovative cloud based tools.

Toggle navigation. Home Add Your Work on Google. Blog Insights, news and everything else building records. How to Find Blueprints of a Building. Find the Contractor who constructed the property Start your search with the contractor who originally constructed the property. It's possible that the county zoning board would also hold the original building permit, which would have the contractor's details on it.

The County Clerk holds the key or document The other option is to start at the county clerk's office. County clerks are the official record keepers of documents pertaining to building construction and permits. Each office operates differently, which means that the process to secure the permit or record you need will be different. Some will charge a small fee to request access to original files, so be prepared when you request building blueprints.

Locate the original owners of the property If the building was purchased from the same individuals who built it, they may have a copy of the blueprints. If not and they secured a construction loan to finance the building, the original lender may have the blueprints on file or be able to direct you to the construction company or contractor.

Don't get off track looking for plans for a Greek Revival, when your home may have begun as a Federal style. So, should you give up the hunt?

Not yet! There are several people and places you can turn to for help finding original blueprints for your home:. Your first line of inquiry might be with your realtor. If your house was built in the past 50 years, the sales agents at your real estate office may be able to help you locate facts about its construction.

Often they will know the local developers and be familiar with housing styles in your region. Because realtors deal with many houses inside and out, they tend to know about which stock plans were used in their locality. Other names for stock plans include catalog plans, stock building plans, stock house plans, mail-order plans, and pattern book houses.

Builders and developers would customize "off-the-shelf" stock plans, changing details to meet a client's needs, although a customized stock plan is not a custom home. Your realtor is likely to know the difference. At times in American history when single-family housing was in great demand, using stock plans could save time and money—costs escalate with changes.

Many stock plans began as customized building plans for an architect's client, which is why you may see a modified Biltmore Mansion in your neighborhood. Quiz your realtor on the town's history and not just house styles. Along with talking to realtors, explore what your neighbors know. There's a reason why that house across the street looks familiar.

It may have been designed by the same person and built by the same developer. Perhaps it is a mirror image, with minor differences in finishing details. Walking your neighbor's halls can be a good way to learn about the original floor plan of your own home. Stock plans are associated with production home builders, but anyone can buy stock plans and build on a plot of land. Planned and gated communities usually limit the available house styles, which are stock plans for that community.

As you drive through your neighborhood, you may notice many variations on the same essential plan. Although they are not unique, houses built from stock plans can be quite lovely. Public officials should also know something about the building history of your town or city, so check in with the building inspector or assessor's office at the town hall. In most cities and towns around the world, builders must file for a permit before beginning new construction or remodeling an older home.

This process ensures some standards of safety for occupants and for the fire company that protects your home. Permits, often with floor plans and elevation drawings, are usually filed in the Building Inspector's office at your local city or town hall.

These documents may not date very far back, but they can be useful for learning about modifications made to your house in the past 20 years or so. While you are in City Hall, ask where you can see the fire insurance maps for your area.

Once there, request copies of the blueprints on file for the property. However, the location of where the pipes come into the house is site specific and not included on the plans.

You can design your home online with our Interactive Planner. We feature interactive floor plans for 57 of our floor plans, giving you hundreds of possible configurations for building your own custom home. Look for efficient circulation and storage. Walk through the plan from foyer to kitchen and bedrooms. Follow the path from garage through mud room to the kitchen: coming in with groceries or other items should be as convenient as possible.