Garage Blueprint Packages and Supplemental Items
Your needs and the needs of your builder and subcontractors, will determine the number of blueprints necessary to construct your new garage. Begin with yourself. As the owner of the garage, it is a good idea to keep one set of garage plans for your use. They will come in handy when monitoring progress at the jobsite, and you may need them in the future for remodeling purposes. In general, you will need to provide at least one copy of the blueprint, if not more, to the building department when applying for building permits. The lender will require a copy of the garage plans as well if you plan to get a construction loan. Check with your builder and/or subcontractors to find out how many sets of garage plans they will require for construction. Review the following plan packages before ordering. Availability varies by designer and plan number. Please check the plan page for availability and pricing.
Blueprint Packages
1-Set (Study Set): A one-set garage plan package is a single copy of the complete construction drawing. It is considered a study set and is stamped "not for construction" allowing you to review your garage in detail before construction begins. The one-set plan package can be used to obtain bids and estimates for materials and labor as well as determining how the structure will fit on your lot. Building with a stamped set of blueprints and/or reproducing a stamped set of blueprints is a violation of the United States copyright laws. After reviewing the study set, you can upgrade to another blueprint package by paying the difference in the cost of the garage plan packages giving you the proper sets of plans for construction. This must be done within 90 days of the initial plan purchase.
5-Set: Typically, a minimum of five sets of blueprints will be necessary for the construction of your new garage. This may require subcontractors to share copies of the garage plans, which can get tricky when it comes to keeping track of each set of blueprints.
8-Set: If you plan to build your garage the way it was originally drawn eight sets of blueprints will be the best blueprint purchase. The eight-set package offers the least expensive price per set of plans and ensures better quality of construction because all appropriate parties involved in construction will be using their own set of garage plans. In this case each subcontractor can make notes on the blueprints relevant to their specific job. With an eight-set plan package, you can keep a set of blueprints for yourself, give a set to both the building department and the mortgage lender, and then distribute the rest of the copies to the general contractor and subcontractors.
Reproducible Master: A reproducible master is a complete set of construction drawings printed on erasable paper such as vellum, mylar or sepia. This allows the residential designer or architect to erase a portion of the blueprint and make your desired changes. The reproducible master is necessary when you want to make minor modifications to the original construction drawing. It comes with a copyright release granting legal permission to make the changes to the blueprints and then reproduce the finished drawing. You will need to take the copyright release with you to the copy shop to make the necessary copies needed for construction. The reproducible master entitles you to build the structure one time. Multiple builds with the same set of construction drawings is a violation of the Copyright Law. Note: Some designers print reproducible masters on bond paper, and it is necessary to use White Out to make changes. The garage plans will come with a copyright release.
CAD file: CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) files are a complete set of garage plans in an electronic file format. You must have CAD software to open a CAD file. If you want to make substantial changes to your garage plans, The Garage Plan Shop recommends purchasing a CAD file. We offer .DWG and .DXF file types. You will need to hire a professional to make changes to your blueprints. CAD files include a copyright release allowing you to make legal changes to the copyrighted garage plan. This blueprint package entitles you to build the garage one time. Building more than one structure with the same set of construction drawings is a violation of the Copyright Law.
PDF file: A PDF file is a Portable Document Format of your garage plan. This computer document is designed to capture formatting information (i.e. fonts, graphics, color, etc.) from many different desktop publishing applications making it possible to send, open and print your garage plan in its intended format regardless of the possible different applications used by the creator and the recipient. Because the PDF is an electronic version of your garage plan, it can usually be emailed to you within 24-48 hours of placing your order during regular business hours. When you receive it, you can take the PDF file to a local print shop to have your blueprints printed. The PDF file allows you to reproduce the number of blueprints necessary for obtaining bids, gathering estimates and building your new garage. A PDF file cannot be altered electronically.
Supplemental Items
Additional Set: Sometimes the eight-set garage plan package may not be enough to accommodate your needs. Additional sets are available if you need extra copies of the construction drawings, and they can be purchased with your initial order or within 90 days of the original blueprint purchase. You must purchase the same plan number as that of the original order.
Mirror Reverse: Sometimes a garage will fit better on a lot if the layout were printed in reverse. In this case some designers offer a mirror reverse floor plan, which flips the floor plan from left to right so that all the rooms and spaces are on the opposite side of the building than what is shown on the original plan. Think of a mirror reverse plan as if you were looking in a mirror. The floor plan is a mirror reverse image of the original drawing with the text appearing backwards. With a purchase of a mirror reverse plan, we require that you purchase at least one set of right-reading plans to help you read the backwards text.
Right-Reading Reverse: This type of garage plan is also printed in reverse layout from the original drawings. These garage plans are helpful when your building site would better accommodate your garage if all rooms and spaces were on the opposite side than what is shown on the original floor plan. With right-reading reverse plans, the floor plan flips from left to right and the text is readable. When you order this option, all plans are shipped to you in right reading reverse.
Material List: A material list can be a very handy tool for any construction project. It is a detailed list of all the materials needed to build your garage. A typical material list calls out the sizes, quantities and descriptions of the major building materials needed for construction. With a material list, you can obtain accurate bids and estimates from contractors and lumberyards. It will save your contractor the time it takes to create a material list from scratch, and it reduces material costs by paying only for the materials needed for construction. The material list may not include appliances, foundation materials, rough plumbing, HVAC and various finish materials. A material list can only be purchased with the order of a blueprint of the same plan number.
2x6 Wall Framing: Construction using 2x6 wall framing provides better energy efficiency offering thicker walls for extra insulation than a building framed with 2x4 exterior walls. Many of the garage plans published on The Garage Plan Shop website were originally drawn with 2x4 exterior walls, but 2x6 wall framing is available for several of the designs. If you order your garage plans with 2x6 wall framing, all copies of the blueprint will be shipped to you with 2x6 exterior walls.
Shipping Costs
Shipping and handling rates vary and are based on the plan you purchase, the point of origination, its destination and delivery method. Shipping charges are shown before you enter your credit card information.
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