Plan Types and Purposes

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Your new construction design starts with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the flood zone rating for your property. If your plans call for the demolition of an older home and the construction of a new home, be sure to check the flood elevation requirements for your property. You may be developing your lot at a higher elevation than the current elevation. Many coastal areas in Florida have elevation requirements that may affect your design. Elevating your lot and dropping the garage below floor elevation to lessen the slope of a driveway is not uncommon.

Once you have established your floor elevation, the next step is to determine house placement on the lot and how water drainage will occur.

The site plan determines how your design will be placed on the lot. House placement and size restrictions are determined by your county and city residential planning policies. A corner lot will have different requirements than a non-corner lot. Requirements will include the ratio of house "under roof" size to the lot size and the set back requirements.

The foundation plan provides the below grade plan for footings, floor elevations, and typical slope for exposed slabs. 

The floor plan provides a two-dimensional top to bottom view of the project design. 

The electrical plan provides for the placement of electrical outlets and light fixtures, including recessed lights. 

Once the Floor Plan is created, the floor plan is used by the truss company to created a roof plan. The roof plan includes roof planes, truss design, and weight bearing requirements based on the type of roof. The roof plan also takes into consideration any attic areas that may be used for storage.

The Elevation Plan is three-dimensional view of the exterior of the house. The elevation plan includes measures from the ground to the top of the roof. The plan also displays where windows and doors are placed.