FAQ's

All information will be supplied on a CD in electronic format for additional copies to be made.

3. What are my options of ordering house plans?
There are 3 pack options:
The Pre-Application Pack
- This provides you with a simpler plan to discuss with the council.
The Planning Pack
- This basically includes the housetype drawings ready for submission to your Local Authority Planning Dept.
The Construction Pack
- This basically includes all the drawings required for submission to your Local Authority Building Control Dept.

Don't forget to visit our Package page for additional information here or click a link above.

5. What is a CD and what format are the details on it?
This is a complete set of the house designs and additional information in an electronic file format. The information on the CD is in a format that all home computers can read, with the relevant software, like Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat etc. However, there are specific drawings and information in an AutoCAD drawing format on the disk. To view these file we recommend you download the free DWG viewer from Autodesk if required. Please click this link to be forwarded to Autodesk's website, where you may chose and download their viewer.
This is the recognised CAD format and allows professionals to amend your house designs as required. You will want to consider this if you are planning to make your own changes to your house plans and a professional in your area is available to make the changes. This is also a good record of your original plans and can be amended as many times as possible. The purchase of any construction plans includes a copyright release allowing you to make changes and legally make copies of this copyrighted house design. However, don't forget that selfbuildplans can also offer an alteration service. Please contact us for advice.

6. Will you supply enough sets of drawings etc. to enable me to complete my project?
This can depend upon the Local Authority, however we suppl all plans electronically and if required we can supply the 5No. sets of all plans within the Planning Pack and 2No.sets within the Building Control Pack. If you should require more please speak to you local printers, who will make you additional copies.

7. What is a mirrored drawing?
The plans are designed in a particular way and as such may not be orientated correctly for your plot of land. We therefore offer a mirror option, which mirrors or flips the drawing. For instance if you require the garage on the right instead of on the left you can mirror the plan as required.

8. How is the square footage of a house design calculated?
This is calculated from the CAD drawing and therefore will be correct. The area calculated is the whole area of living space or habitable area internally and does not include the cavity wall or any porches, garages, canopies etc. Your finished build may differ but this is normal as there are alot of variables in building.

9. How Do I Know If I Can Afford To Build This Home?
The cost of building a home varies, depending on the location of where you plan to build, the cost of materials in your area, the specification of the finish etc. Due to the variances involved, we cannot tell you exactly how much it will cost to build a specific house design. Therefore we suggest you consult a local builder for advice or click here to email MGD Building Cost Services for further advice on all of the costs associated with your chosen plan.

10. Can I modify the house design or garage plan?
Yes, Once you purchase the Construction set of plans you will have full copy right release and may amend as required. In many cases your builder will make the changes for you, without having to go to the expense of having the original house design/working drawing changed. However, you can also submit a modification request to us. Our modification team will be able to determine if the changes can be done and give you a quote within 24 hours.

11. How Much Does it Cost to Have Modifications done to House Designs?
The cost to customise a home plan completely varies depending on the plan and the types of changes required. Customisation work can range anywhere from £50 to £100's, depending on the complexity of the changes. Please contact us if you would like a quote and we will get back to you within 24hrs!

12. Will the house design pack I order contain all the information needed for my Building Control Approval?
The Building Control pack will include all the information required for compliance under the building regulations. However there will elements or items that we cannot show simply because we do not have the information. i.e the drainage runs, septic tank requirement and position, a landscaping layout etc. There most probably will be additional items required and if you need our help please contact us. Please be aware the Building Control package is not a cofull construction pack and wont detail brick corbelling details, finish details etc, instead only have elements required for Building Control.

13. Can I return the plans if I change my mind?
Unfortunately not. Since it is possible to make illegal copies of the house plans you received, we do not allow any refunds. You need to make sure of your order before placing it. It is also VERY important that you check the dimensions of your plot or land before selecting a house plan, to make sure there are no problems. Also make sure you have the correct distances required by your Local Authority to any existing dwellings or buildings including the restrictions (if any) on your land. Mistakes and Planning refusal's are not valid reasons for a refund. Please see our T&C's for further information here.

14. Is my privacy and credit card information secure?
Absolutely. When you place an online house design order, all information is sent encrypted from our secure server to an automated payment-processing center that validates your credit card. Your order information is then sent to us for fulfillment without your credit card information. That way, no credit card information is ever stored on our server and no one will have access to it at any point in the transaction. As for your privacy, we take this very serious and all our website is SSL encrypted and we will never give out any private information to anyone, for any reason.

15. Do your plans provide all of the information necessary for the heating, plumbing and electrical systems?
The plans only show the necessary information for compliance with Building Control. We do, however, include part electrical and boiler positions on the construction plans as a guide only to help achieve building regs.

16. How do I know what foundations I require?
The working drawings can not provide for all instances where ground conditions dictate and therefore the use of a particular foundation/floor slab is indicative. You will need to employ a Structural Engineer to assess the ground conditions and provide suitable foundation/floor slab designs for your particular plot. Your Building Control officer is always a good contact and they are usually only to glad to help.

17. Are the House Designs Copyrighted?
Yes. All illustrations and plans contained on this website are the exclusive property of Selfbuildplans.co.uk. UK Law strictly prohibits reproduction in whole or in part of any plans unless previously agreed with selfbuildplans.co.uk. Selfbuildplans maintains the intellectual property rights at all times. A single dwelling may only be constructed from one construction set as purchased. House Designs may not be resold or copied. We strive for accurate representation of illustrations and plans on the website but will not be responsible for errors or omissions on this website. Strict penalties will be enforced for violators of copyright laws.

18. Can I Modify the Exterior Cavity Wall Construction?
Yes. All house designs are provided with a traditional 300mm cavity wall construction to meet the current regulations. If you wish to alter this please seek advice from your Local Building Control Officer.

19. How Long Does It Take to Get My House Design Pack?
It all depends on when the order is placed and what method of shipping is chosen. In most cases, we can ship out the plans within 48-72 hours. If you require any modifications to the plans, or a mirror, the time varies depending on the complexity. Please email us with the plan number and we can let you know when to expect your plans

20. What is a SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) rating and a Carbon Index rating?
The Standard Assessment Procedure provides your house design with a rating of energy efficiency. It is a basic energy rating, assuming average factors for shelter, shade and orientation and also considers the space and water heating. The SAP scale runs from 1-120 (extremely poor to extremely good) with a score of 80+ considered as an energy efficient home. Also included with the SAP rating is the carbon Index. This has a scale of 0.0-10.0 based on annual CO2 emissions from the completed dwelling. The SAP rating is a requirement of the Building Regulations which we can help sort for you if required.

We hope the above has answered most of your questions. However, if there is anything further you require then please send us your questions and we will respond as quickly as possible and add them to the FAQ's.

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