Q. Do your construction documents come with a mechanical plan? (Heating and Air Conditioning)
A. No. Air conditioning or HVAC plans vary depending upon the type of equipment specified, the direction the home faces, how the home is insulated including windows, and the type of climate (warm or cold) the home is being built in. Your HVAC contractor should engineer your home’s HVAC system based on all of these factors and provide the plans.

Q. Can I visit a Planworx designed home currently under construction?
A. Some plans currently under construction in the Triangle area may be available for viewing. However, it is the policy of Planworx Architecture not to give the locations of occupied homes.

Q. Does Planworx offer Study Plans?
A. Yes. Please contact our office for instructions on how to order a Study Plan. Planworx Study Plans are an 11” x 17” scaled to fit print of the home’s floor plan and elevations. These prints are for cost evaluation only. They are protected by copyright laws, which prohibit redrawing or reproduction of any kind! The cost of a Study Plan is non-refundable, however, we will credit your purchase of that same plan to the purchase of the construction documents.

Q. Can I use a Construction Plan more than once?
A. The fee we charge for a plan allows for the construction of only one home. For information on a multi-use license, please contact our office.

Q. Can I get my plans on a computer diskette?
A. Yes, but only under special circumstances. Please call us for additional information.

Q. What type of Foundation Plans do you provide?
A. It varies depending upon the type of foundation specified i.e. slab, basement or crawl pier curtain.

Q. How is the square footage calculated?
A. Heated square footage calculations are made from outside the exterior frame wall and do not include brick or stone facing, decks, porches, garages, unfinished basements or attics etc. We include two story and vaulted areas only once in the calculations of the first floor. Stairs are counted once. Balconies and open walkways in two story and vaulted areas are included in square footage. Brick is not counted in our square footage calculations.

Q. What do the window sizes represent?
A. Our home plans are usually designed using a double hung, divided light window. Each set of construction drawings uses a generic window sizing system that does not apply to a specific brand of windows. For example, a common size on our plans is 2/8 x 6/2. This is a window that is 32” wide and 74” tall (2’-8” x 6’-2”). This is also the standard system used to identify the size of doors. A door 2/6 is a standard 6’ -8” tall and is 2’-6” wide.

Q. Is it possible to modify the plan from a front load garage to a side load, or vice versa?
A. Usually this type of modification is possible with some ramifications. The most important
considerations are the structure and the beam that spans across the garage, and at the garage door. Depending on the current design of the garage doors and windows, the structure may need to be changed when the door is relocated. Planworx has an in-house structural engineer capable of calculating any engineering changes that need to be made. Please contact us with any questions you have regarding one of our plans.

Q. Can I make exterior materials substitutions i.e. (brick, siding, stone, stucco)?
A. Yes. However, the facing thickness may require a change to the foundation size. For example, a 60’–0” wide siding house would measure 60’-10” if designed as a full brick option. These differences in exterior dimensions are obviously very important.

Q. How accurate are the dimension listed on your stock plans and marketing sheets?
A. The dimensions listed on our stock plans and marketing sheets are for illustrative purposes only. Actual dimensions and square footage will be determined by final prints. Please give us a call if you have questions regarding the exact size of specific rooms.

Q. Is the Bonus Room square footage included in the second floor square footage?
A. Yes. We include the bonus room square footage in the second floor square footage. We consider the bonus room and any other livable, or potentially livable area as part of the total livable square footage.

Pearl Protected: At PEARL Protected® our mission is to make homes and families safer by providing options for an escape in the event of an emergency. PEARL® is a critical part of the home safety equation. We are committed to the mission of reducing the thousands of injuries and deaths caused by fires and other home emergencies. We believe that one death or injury is too many. We also believe that these tragedies can and should be eliminated and that our product plays a role in making that possible.

Visit the Pearl Protected Site by clicking here.

Newcomer network: Welcome to the Triangle, one of the most dynamic places in America to live. Whether you are a long-standing resident, a just-moved newcomer from another area of our great country, or simply considering relocating here, you’ll find a wealth of information inside this special publication. You can get a glimpse of what the folks are like in North Carolina, and where they eat, shop and play.

Visit the Newcomer Network Site by clicking here.