Our plans are designed to meet the national building codes in place at the time each plan is created. However, we DO NOT guarantee the plans will meet all local building codes. Due to the wide range of building codes and zoning requirements in cities, counties, municipalities, and states/provinces throughout the United States and Canada, it is possible the construction drawings may not include all the information required by your local building department. It may be necessary to hire a local design professional or engineer/architect to adjust the plans to comply with your local building codes.

Our construction drawings will not be engineered for your specific city, state, county, or province, and they WILL NOT include an engineer's/architect's seal or stamp (engineering requirements). Engineering (or a BCIN for Ontario) is a local requirement. Often, engineering requirements are influenced by climactic and geographic elements that are specific to the area where you plan to build, making them local requirements. If you need engineering or an engineer’s/architect’s review, seal, or stamp, to obtain building permits, it will be your responsibility or that of your builder to hire a local engineer/architect to review and seal/stamp the plans. This professional must be licensed in the state/province where the structure will be built. We recommend finding someone who can help you with this before you purchase plans.

Below is a listing of the elements typically incorporated in a set of construction drawings published by The Garage Plan Shop:

Coversheet – The cover sheet is an artist’s rendering of the finished garage. Typically, this page is not needed for construction, but rather offers a visual representation of what the structure will look like when construction is complete. Not all designers provide a cover sheet in their set of plans.

Foundation Plan – The foundation page is a detailed drawing of the foundation and includes necessary information such as the thickness of foundation walls, floor joist sizes and spacing, column locations, and other pertinent construction details and notes.

Floor Plan – The floor plan page(s) provide(s) the layout and construction for each floor of the structure. In general, these pages include room dimensions, window and door locations and sizes, wall sizes, notes about ceiling details and design, and other notes and details regarding layout and construction.

Basic Electric – Basic electrical information can be found on the floor plan page or on a separate page. This information reflects the suggested locations of switches, fixtures, and outlets when applicable.

Simple Plumbing – Simple plumbing information is found either on the floor plan page or on a separate page of the construction drawings. This information shows placement and locations of bathtubs, toilets, showers, and sinks when applicable.

Interior Elevations – When applicable, the interior elevations page describes and provides details and drawings about the built-in elements of a garage apartment or other finished living space such as, fireplaces, vanities, kitchen cabinets, moldings, handrails, and built-in bookshelves or niches.

Exterior Elevations – The purpose of the exterior elevations page is to describe the look and feel of the structure’s exterior finish. It provides views of the garage on all four sides and specifies the type and placement of finish and trim materials including brick, siding, stone, stucco, roof shingles, and decorative elements like window shutters. Other details are provided on this page as well, like roof pitches and ceiling heights. In some instances, window and door sizes are called out here.

Details – Construction details may be found on a separate page of the construction drawings or on various pages throughout. The details communicate information about how smaller elements should be constructed such as, the design of the handrail spindles, the sizes and styles of moldings and other trim used throughout, and the look of the fireplace or built-in cabinets.

Sections – Construction drawing sections may be a separate page in the set of plans or they may be found on various pages throughout. In general, they are views of the structure showing the elements and composition of the foundation, exterior and interior walls, roofs, floors, and stair details. These drawings show the relationship between floors and indicate ceiling heights and rooflines.

**Note: Not all pre-drawn plans incorporate every element described here. Plan pages vary by designer.

For more information, please refer to What You Need to Know about Stock Garage Plans.

There are a few options for modifying or changing a plan. We offer a modification service for customers who need to make changes to their construction drawings. Our team will be happy to provide a free, no-obligation quote for your changes before you purchase plans. All requests for changes must be submitted in writing using the modification request form. Simply click on the “Modify this Plan” link at the top of any plan page to complete and submit the modification request form for that specific plan number. NOTE: It is necessary to monitor your inbox and your junk/spam folder after submitting your modification request. Sometimes modification quotes will end up in your junk mail.

Learn more about our modification service.

Another option is to hire a local design professional to modify the construction drawings. When you purchase a PDF, CAD file, or reproducible master plan package (depending on availability), you will receive a copyright release granting legal permission to modify the original copyrighted construction drawings. This allows you to work with a design professional of your choice.

Sometimes, your builder or contractor can make minor changes at the jobsite. You should discuss any changes you want to make with your builder before purchasing plans. In some cases, your builder can make changes during construction without the extra expense of having the original construction drawings modified.

Material lists are available for some plans published on The Garage Plan Shop website. If a material list is available for a specific plan number, it will be listed on the plan page under the “Additional Options” heading for an additional charge. When a material list is not available, we recommend checking with a local lumberyard. Most lumberyards will create a material list for you at no charge when you supply the lumberyard with a copy of your construction drawings. NOTE: Material lists are only available with the purchase of a plan package for the same plan number.

Some of our designers require that you sign and return a license agreement before your order is emailed or shipped to you. This requirement varies by designer and by plan package. Please be sure to check your inbox and junk mail for a license agreement after you place your order. If the designer requires you to sign a license agreement, it will be emailed to you.