Cost to Build

Estimated Material Costs: $35,000 (461 sq ft) or $41,500 (557 sq ft)

Want to know how much it will cost to have a contractor build it for you?
Visit Build-Cost.net and follow these instructions. General notes about construction costs:Costs for materials are almost the same in different regions but labor costs will vary greatly depending on where you live. We provide costs with a concrete poured perimeter foundation. Depending on where you live, it is possible you will need an engineered foundation designed by a licensed contractor or engineer in your state.

Loft

We don't count the loft as square footage in this house because with so much sloped ceiling, it doesn't officially qualify as a habitable room. That said, the loft is 6'8" tall over much of its space. The loft is accessed by a drop down stair ladder. The plans come with two options for the loft: Option 1: A full loft over the kitchen, bathroom, living room and front bedroom. The stair ladder is located in the kitchen. Option 2: Two lofts are split by a cathedral ceiling over the living room, and the lofts have a railing making the living room open. There are two stair ladders, one for each loft located in the kitchen and front bedroom.

Can I put in stairs instead of a stair ladder?
Stairs won't fit in this design.

Why does the picture in The Small House Book show a staircase?
Originally, the sleeping area was in the loft, but to improve the design the stairwell was removed. This allowed the living area to become much larger, and the bedroom was moved downstairs. Meanwhile, no space was lost in the loft area.

Foundation

We sell our plans with a poured perimeter foundation. However, it is possible to put this house on a slab foundation or even over a basement. However, you may need to work with an architect or engineer licensed in your state to get approval from the building department.

Can this house be built on wheels?
No. This house is designed to be built on a permanent foundation.

Utilities and appliances

The kitchen maximizes spaces and includes a dishwasher, full size range with oven, and built in microwave. The tank-less on demand water heater ensures that you never run out of hot water, and tucks away completely out of view. A small fireplace is tucked nicely in the corner of the great room. The one bedroom house features a washer/dryer closet just off of the kitchen. The two bedroom house has an under counter washer/dryer in the kitchen. You can choose to convert the closet in the back bedroom near the shower into a washer/dryer closet.

Can I install air conditioning?
Yes, you can. Our plans don't include an air conditioning unit, but you can install one in the loft or outside the house.

What type of fireplace does the house have?
We don't specify a specific fire place or heater because codes vary so much based on climate. We recommend discussing your options with a building contractor licensed in your state.

Building this house

We sell the construction plans to build this house. It is designed to be built on site. This house is not designed to be on wheels. We recommend working with a licensed contractor in your state to build the house. When you build this house, please send us pictures. Since we don't build the house ourselves, we are dependent on you to supply us with real pictures.

Download Free Study Plans

Download the study plans for free.

Whidbey Construction Plans include 13 total pages:

When you purchase these plans, you'll receive 2 sets:

A complete set of plans with a cathedral ceiling over the main room

A complete set of plans with a full loft over the main room

Floor Plans
Detailed floor plans for both the downstairs and loft include pertinent dimensions, for walls, windows, rooms and door openings. You'll also find the location of all appliances on these plans as well. Two loft plans are provided giving you an option of a cathedral ceiling over the main room, or extra loft space above.

Exterior Elevations
These plans include 4 elevation drawings showing the front, back and both sides. Siding and facia boards are called out.

Electric Plans
These pages include both the main floor and loft and show locations for outlets, light switches and lights.

Transverse Section
Perhaps one of the most important pages on any set of plans, the transverse section cuts the house in half and shows details such as wall thickness, roofing material details, flooring details, roof pitch, ceiling heights, and insulation.

Foundation Plan
A perimeter foundation plan is included as well with floor joists.

Roof Plan
Showing the birds-eye view of the house, you see the slopes and pitches clearly called out, as well as the amount of overhang, and individual rafter locations from above.

Kitchen Detail
Unlike other many plans on the market, we include a full kitchen plan, showing location of all shelving, cabinetry and appliance as seen from both above and front view. We use standard size cabinets available at most hardware stores.

Material List
Includes windows, doors, water heater, bath tub/shower, kitchen sink, dishwasher, range, washer/dryer and more.

What's not included

Heating requirements
Because they vary by region we do not include those. Our plans are designed with a single fireplace heater. Depending on where you live, you may need to work with a local architect or engineer to submit plans that meet local requirements.

A cut sheet
Cut sheets shows the quantity of lumber needed. We do suggest the types of materials, but the quantity of each is not included. Windows, doors, kitchen cabinets and appliances are included with the drawings.

Architect or Engineer seals
Some building departments require a licensed architect or engineer in your state to approve the plans. This often has to do with regional safety or energy issues,for example, hurricane safety in Florida, fire safety in California, energy efficiency in New York, etc. Please contact your local building department to learn about the requirements in your area.

Other Notes:

Building Codes
These plans have been designed to meet the International Building Code. Some municipalities have additional restrictions or requirements. Please check with your local building department to verify that these plans meet your local codes.

Square Footage
The square footage listed is an estimate. Unfortunately, not all municipalities calculate square feet the same way. The square footage we list includes the bottom floor, plus the space in the top floor where the ceiling height is 5'0" or taller.

Altering Plans
When you purchase a set of plans, it includes a license to build one house. Unfortunately, at this time, we don't offer alterations. If you require changes we suggest finding a local architect or engineer who will do the alterations for you. For that purpose we have made the CAD and DFX files available online. With those files, your architect (or engineer) doesn't need to start from scratch; they can simply open the computer file and start making the adjustments you want.

TIP: Make sure the architect or engineer your select works with AutoCAD (or other similar software) and is willing to work with you on these plans. Some professionals will only take a job if they do it from start to finish. By carefully selecting someone to work with these plans, you can save thousands of dollars.