KSihota Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 In order to obtain building permits from the municipality they require several different drawings of the plan. 1. Site Plan (legal description, setbacks, right of ways, easements other structures etc.) 2. Floor plans (dimensions, window sizes, area names, structural info) 3. Sections (wall cross section(s) to detail all construction assemblies) 4. Foundation Plan (footing and foundation location and sizes, slab info or floor framing members) 5. Elevations (all elevation views, label direction facing, building height, finishes etc.) I have been able to produce #1, #2, and #4 using HD Suite 2016. I can produce #5 but don't see how I can label or place measurements using the program on the elevation view. I don't see any way to produce #3 Wall sections with labels providing the detailed information. Is there some way to produce these in HD Suite or do any of the other versions (Pro or Architect) do this? I could produce the drawings by hand or manually fill in the info on the existing drawings or pay someone to produce the drafts for me but it seems that I should be able to do this type of task right in the program. Is this possible? Thanks for any help. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 Not in Suite , it is one of the Limitations , there are no Cross Sections or scaled Elevation views AFAIK and you cannot use Text or Dimensions but with a Exported JPG of the Elevation , you could add Text etc in a Program like Paint ,but I am not sure the City will accept them as they wouldn't be to Scale , you could ask them. Pro can definitely do this , but I am unsure how far HDA can , , a HDA User or Perhaps DJP can clarify that for you , if you want to upgrade , or perhaps call the Sales/CS 1-800# and ask. , you do get the cost of Suite back as a rebate AFAIK though. If you want someone else to do it for you, Myself, Eric (Solver) or David Potter (DJP) could all likely help you with that , but you could also get the Upgrade to Pro and do it yourself. some of the information is in the Product matrix here https://d37kxq42vikeaj.cloudfront.net/1/pdf/product-info/2016/comparison-matrix.pdf on pages 5 and 6 M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidJPotter Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 A foundation plan in the USA in most States Must be designed by a State Licensed Structural Engineer for it to be used as part of a plan permit package. If you live in the country (county) then only county regulations then apply, check and find out what is and is not acceptable where you live. In Austin (where I live, some projects require an Architect's stamp and a Structural Engineer's stamp) where as out in the county in general these are not required by the county except for septic system designs. You are better served to obtain Home Designer Pro and then learn how to use its tools, Suite is just for conceptualizing and hobbyists. If you have to work with an Engineer or Architect then do so, there is no GOOD reason to cut corners on something as involved and important as a custom home or remodeling project. DJP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSihota Posted July 9, 2015 Author Share Posted July 9, 2015 Thanks for the information. I am in BC Canda and the information to obtain the building permit does not appear to be very detailed. The pic I included is an example of what they are looking for. Once the permit is approved then we will need to have an engineer draw up the proper blueprints. I guess the municipality just wants to make sure you are meeting minimum requirments before building and it would be silly to pay a bunch of money for detailed plans just to have it refused once you go to get the permit. I will see what it will cost to have my plans drafted but my guess is that it will be more than me upgrading to Pro. I would rather spend the money on the program (which I can use for other projects) than to just give it out for a single job. If Pro can give me the ability to produce dimensions on the elevation plans as well as produce the cross sections (as shown in the pic) I would go with it. I suppose I could downlod a trial version of it an import my plan to check it out. Of coursse I could just manually add the required data to the existing plans and hand draw the cross section. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 Not sure where you are In BC , Van? but it will depend on the City, as I know a lot of City's no longer allow hand drawn drawings and usually the Eng. has to do his structural Drawings before you get a permit if they are needed as those details are part of the Permit Set. M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSihota Posted July 9, 2015 Author Share Posted July 9, 2015 Langford Colwood area near Victoria (Vancouver Island) The 5 plans I listed originally is all the municipality is asking for and the pic I sent is one of their examples. As I stated before it looks like they are asking for a minimal amount to obtain the permit. Actual building plans to be obtained after the permits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 You need the Actual Building Plans for the Permit and the Engineer use the actual plans to calculate the structural Info (no#2) such as Beams and Load Points , The Truss Engineer does his stuff separate and most City's also require Mech. Air Engineers Report too. With luck you wont need a Land Survey ,(BCLS) if you have a current one. But you haven't said what you are doing either , new house ,addition, garden shed , Bathroom Reno ? they are all different........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 That is strange as I did the plans for a sunroom addition and a new deck on my house. I only provided a site plan showing distances to all of the setbacks for the new addition and a plan plus one elevation. I had three 3"x3"x1/4" steel columns supporting the extension sitting on concrete foundations and the city required that the structural columns be designed by a licensed structural engineer -- nothing about the foundations. I sent the engineer a drawing of the columns and he put them on his title sheet and stamped it. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 it really depends on the City , some even allow there Section examples like above to be used in the Permit submission....assuming they match the Construction. Kim .... BC doesn't post their Code but Ontario does as it is considered a Public Document there so you can use there stuff too , do a search on TACBOC CAD DETAILS and you will get a link to some PDF's , there are 2007 and 2012 PDf but I think 2014 version should be findable now too. this is the 2012 version, page 59 perhaps? : ONT_tacboc_details_2012_Rev.1.3.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSihota Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 Thanks all for your suggestions and input. I did get a set of plans from the builder to show me what the municipality is looking for (permit.) They look very similar to the ones you lined to KBird1 BTW it is an addition onto an existing home. THe house is being extended on one end by about 12 feet and front and back about 5 to 8 feet. This essentially means a new roof for the larger section over half the house and the other portion is left as is. The original house is a simple rectangle (24' x 44' approx. with 2x4 framing) and the new portion adds a larger rectangle on one end covering half the original foundation and creating a T shape. The foundation is slab on a footing. The end wall of the original home remains as an inside wall or will be rebuilt if necessary as the roof over this section will be completely redone. I downloaded the Pro version and it appears to be able to do most of the suff I need, but then I looked at the Chief Architect Premier at it is really the product to use. Of course I can't afford it (although I could rent it for a month) and the Pro version is still a little pricey for me. I will try to do the permit plan using what I have. Is there any way to get the 3D elevation to display without all the detail and colours? I want it to be more like a technical drawing. I tried using white siding but only one wall shows white the rest is gray. I assume this has something to do with the lighting as the roof does the same thing. I can't see any way to get the section views I need so those I will have to draw myself. The ones I have seen appear to be rather standard construction sections. Is this true? If so I could just copy ones from plans I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 try turning off Colour and Patterns ....two toggle buttons usually on the RH Toolbar....at least in Pro they are , or try the 3D menu for both , you may also want to turn off Line Weights on the same Toolbar.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSihota Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 Thanks, I'll check it out. I wasn't planning on actually doing the final building plans. If those are what are needed for the permit then I may as well get someone else to do all the work based on the basic plan I have already drawn. I was doing the basic stuff for my daughter (to save her some money) like giving her design options that she could take to the contractor to get a price range in order to then go to the bank and obtain a mortgage to complete the job. She was told that she would have to have draft plans submitted for the permit and then plans drawn up by the engineer as the blueprints for the builder. However, if she only needs a set of plans now to submit to the municipality for the permit and these are the same plans used by the builder then I don't have to do any of this extra work (although it is quite fun and would be even better with the full blown software.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSihota Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 The colour button (on the Objects Properties dialog - Wall Specifications) does not appear to do anything. It does not even adjust the preview (which appears to be its purpose based on what I have read.) I can set the rendering to Glass House and set transparency to 0% but then the surfaces are grayed (based on the selected colour) and too dark. I find it strange that I can see one of the walls as white (light gray) siding (I changed the material for the exterior walls) where the other 3 sides of the building have darker gray siding. I assume this has something to do with lighting but I can't find anything to control or adjust this. The colour menu item under View toggles the colours on the floor plan view but does nothing for the 3D elevations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Not Sure In Suite Kim but in Pro , we have the View Toggles Toolbar with the 3 Icons I was talking about , the Pic I took in Plan view so the toggle button is greyed out currently. you can use the Windows Snipping Tool in Accessories , to take quick pics like the Above for posting here. And what I see in Pro ...may not be possible in suite of Course? All On Colour Off Colour and Patterns off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Thanks, I'll check it out. I wasn't planning on actually doing the final building plans. If those are what are needed for the permit then I may as well get someone else to do all the work based on the basic plan I have already drawn. I was doing the basic stuff for my daughter (to save her some money) like giving her design options that she could take to the contractor to get a price range in order to then go to the bank and obtain a mortgage to complete the job. She was told that she would have to have draft plans submitted for the permit and then plans drawn up by the engineer as the blueprints for the builder. However, if she only needs a set of plans now to submit to the municipality for the permit and these are the same plans used by the builder then I don't have to do any of this extra work (although it is quite fun and would be even better with the full blown software.) What you have done so far is probably great for your Daughter , for ideas and Options etc , which can save money as you will basically know what you want and the Architect wont have to do 3- 4 "concepts" for you, so you can basically just have a Draftsman/Designer do the Permit set. I am not sure about Colwood/Van.Isl. but in The GRVD you have to supply Schedule A (Architect.) and Schedule B (Engineer) Papers with a Full set of Plans to get a Permit , at least for new homes , for Renos only Schedule B (Engineer) but still a full set of Plans, they still allow some Drawings by Owners ( must be in CAD software) but only if they are undertaking the Work themselves, eg a Basement Reno, though I know a lot of stuff changed Jan. 1st 2015 too in Van. itself as it has it's own Building Code on top of the BC one. Engineer's don't do the Full "Blueprints" , they take the Full Set of Drawings and analysis it for Loads and give the Designer/Architect a stamped Drawing based on the Full Drawing, showing the Beams and Posts needed and any special needs for the Foundation , eg Earthquake hold downs etc. The Designer then add these notes to His/Her plans , usually on the Foundation and Framing Plans as needed. These days a Mechanical Air calculation has to be done too by the Engineer to make sure the bathroom fans and Kitchen hood etc are supplied with enough "makeup Air". The Survey may or may not be required depending on the Job , and can cost $2000+/- so an expense most people aren't aware of , so hopefully you have a current one or they don't require it. M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSihota Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Thanks so much for your help Mick. We will take what we have done to the Draftsman/Designer and they will create the set of plans from it for the permit and building and will have the engineer make any required changes. We will have to have the CRD verify the septic (not on sewer) and provide any requirements which will be added to the plans by the D/D. Luckily they have a relatively recent surveyor's certificate which they will also pass on to the D/D to use as the basis for the plans. What we have already is pretty complete and relatively accurate so the D/D should be able to produce the plans without too much trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Your Welcome.....If you can't find a Designer with Chief who can use your Plans, let me know if I can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now