What makes a plan builder friendly, and what multifamily adds

1. The enclosed footprint has 8 or fewer exterior corners.

2. A slab foundation is offered.

3. One main roof form.

4. Fits a lot 60 ft wide or less with typical setbacks.

5. Heated area between 1,000 and 2,600 sq ft.

How each rule is read, corner by corner, is on the Builder friendly page. Every plan page shows each rule met or not, and its questions say which rule a plan misses. [1]

The badge is facts about the drawing and nothing more: nothing about what a plan costs to build where you are, what it would rent or sell for, or any return.

Repeating a plan across lots needs an unlimited build license; a single build license covers one house at one address. [2]

Duplex, triplex, fourplex, townhome and larger plans list every unit with its bedrooms, baths and heated area, the total, and the lot the building fits.

The International Residential Code covers detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses of up to three stories. [3] Within it, the two units of a two-family dwelling are separated by wall and floor assemblies rated for at least one hour, and townhouse units by rated walls. [4]

Texas exempts some small apartment buildings from the engineer requirement, up to four units in a two-story building or eight in a one-story building [5], and multifamily buildings of up to two stories and 16 units from the architect requirement. [6]

A building with more than one home in it is often reviewed under commercial or multifamily code rather than the residential code, needs rated fire separation between units, and in many cities needs an engineer's seal and a longer permit review than a single-family set. Check with your city or county before you buy. Build This Plan does not provide engineering.