Planning an addition to my home

[ChiefRaj2026]

Hello,

I am new to Home Designer and am planning a one-story addition to my home in Fairfax County. The addition would include a master bedroom, master bathroom, and walk-in closet.

I have a plat for my property and would like to use Home Designer to create a preliminary design that can eventually be used as part of my county permit application.

I have a few questions:

1. Can I upload my property plat in PDF or PNG format and use it to establish the property lines and design the building envelope for the addition?

2. Can Home Designer help identify or check the required setbacks based on Fairfax County zoning requirements?

3. Once I establish the allowable building envelope, can I design the floor plan for the bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closet within that area?

4. Can I upload photographs of my existing home's exterior/elevation and use them as a reference to design an elevation for the addition that matches and blends with the existing home—for example, the roofline, siding, windows, doors, and overall style?

5. Can Home Designer produce drawings with sufficient dimensions and detail to be submitted for a Fairfax County residential addition permit, or would I need an architect/designer to prepare or review the final permit drawings?

I understand that Fairfax County requires a residential addition permit and that zoning requirements, including setbacks, need to be satisfied. I would like to use Home Designer to develop as much of the design as possible before having the final plans reviewed or prepared for permit submission.

Thank you for your guidance.

[y-g-m-n]

what experience do you have with home plans?

 

The software can do what you want but it does not know what FAIRFAX rules are; you need to know them.

you have to draw in the plot plan.

You use the library to find material like your house.

You would need to draw in your existing house.

 

and so on...

 

Might be better to hire a local house plans business..

 

Think of the software as a clean sheet of paper waiting for you to put something on it.

 

[ChiefRaj2026]

4 hours ago, y-g-m-n said:

what experience do you have with home plans?

 

The software can do what you want but it does not know what FAIRFAX rules are; you need to know them.

you have to draw in the plot plan.

You use the library to find material like your house.

You would need to draw in your existing house.

 

and so on...

 

Might be better to hire a local house plans business..

 

Think of the software as a clean sheet of paper waiting for you to put something on it.

 

I was able to upload the plat. I am familiar with my county's setback requirements. I want to first use this software to sketch a buildable envelope subject to side , rear and front setbacks rules. Will I be able to do this  using home designer on the plat I uploaded ? Can you point me to documentation that will guide me through the process

[y-g-m-n]

draw your property lines and make sure it is an enclosed poly line

then convert that to a terrain perimeter.

 

OR go to terrain tab and select create terrain perimeter.

 

The in floor plan turn on Terrain perimeter to ensure yo ucan see it then draw parallel lines inside these property lines.

set their distance from the property lines as you set backs so yo get a "mini" property to create your house.

 

no different then if you did by hand like an old timer on paper.

 

The software does not know what a setback is.

 

For more hel open the help screen and check the website as they pretty much cover how to do everything.