Preparation for Home Additions

Drawing Site and Floor Plans

If you've hired an architect, the architectural firm can produce the site plan and floor plan for you. If you're doing the home addition plans yourself, you can draw them by hand or use a computer-aided design (CAD) software program to help you. Some CAD software is expensive, complex, and difficult to learn to use efficiently. Some CAD programs won't allow you to communicate a particularly unique quality that you want to incorporate into your design. If you're computer-savvy, CAD software might be a good option. Home-design programs allow you to create floor plans more easily, and although they might not have the capabilities of a full CAD program, one of these could be a good choice for you.

You can draw the plans by hand with a few simple materials, and you don't need any artistic talent. The supplies you need include large sheets (18x24 inches) of grid paper, pencils, an eraser, drafting tape, a T-square, an adjustable triangle, and an architect's ruler. Site plans are usually drawn to a scale of 1/8 inch equals 1 foot. Floor plans are often drawn at 1/4 inch equals 1 foot.