Plans and Documentation

Types of Building Plans and Drawings

Understanding the different types of plans and drawings required for your construction project is essential. Each serves a specific purpose and provides different information to various stakeholders involved in your project.

Click the buttons below to navigate to your desired documentation.

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Floor plans typically use a scale of 1/4 inch = 1 foot, making them easy to read and interpret. They’re essential for visualizing how people will move through the space, ensuring adequate room sizes, and planning furniture placement. For multi-story buildings, separate floor plans are created for each level, showing how the spaces relate vertically through stairs, elevators, or other connections.

Good floor plans consider functionality, traffic flow, privacy needs, and accessibility requirements. They serve as the foundation for many other types of plans and are among the first drawings created in the design process.

How to Find Floor Plans

Metal America provides comprehensive floor plan services for your project:

1. Call or email Metal America to schedule a consultation with a designer
2. Discuss your building needs, space requirements, and preferences
3. Metal America’s design team will create custom floor plans or modify standard plans to fit your project
4. Review drafts digitally and request any adjustments
5. Receive final floor plans ready for permit submission and construction

Metal America designers ensure your floor plans meet local building requirements while maximizing the functionality of your space.

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Site plans typically use a larger scale than floor plans, often 1 inch = 10 or 20 feet, depending on the property size. They’re crucial for ensuring your project complies with zoning regulations regarding building placement, height restrictions, and lot coverage ratios.

Site plans also help contractors understand site access, where to stage materials, and how to protect existing features during construction. Environmental considerations such as erosion control and tree protection are often addressed in these drawings as well.

How to Find Site Plans

Finding accurate site plans is essential for project approval and proper construction planning. Here are the most effective ways to obtain site plans:

1. Your Mortgage Company: Contact your mortgage lender, as they typically require a property survey when financing a home purchase. Provide your loan number and property information to request a copy of the survey that shows property boundaries and existing structures.
2. Closing Documents: Review the paperwork you received when purchasing your property. Site plans are often included in your closing package, sometimes as larger folded sheets.
3. County Records: Visit your county clerk’s office, land records department, or assessment office. They maintain archives of property documents, including surveys and site plans filed with previous permits or property transactions.
4. Title Company: The title company that handled your closing can often provide copies of site plans from their transaction records. They sometimes maintain relationships with surveying companies and can help locate additional documentation.
5. Professional Survey: If you cannot locate an existing site plan, or if your property has changed significantly, you may need to commission a new survey. Metal America can get you right.

For properties with complex topography or special zoning considerations, Metal America’s team can help evaluate your existing site plans and determine if additional documentation is needed for permit approval.

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Counties and municipalities require these drawings to verify that your project will meet basic safety standards, zoning requirements, and building codes. While less detailed than blueprints or construction documents, generic drawings provide the essential information needed for permit approval in many jurisdictions, particularly for residential projects like simple additions, detached garages, or basic renovations.

How to Find Generic Drawings

Metal America Provides These

1. Generic drawings come included with your Metal America building package and are stamped by an engineer
2. These drawings are customized to your project specifications while meeting local requirements
3. Metal America formats the drawings according to local building department standards
4. Both digital and printed copies are provided for your convenience
5. If changes are needed during the permit process, Metal America quickly updates the drawings

These drawings include all the basic structural and dimensional information needed for standard permit applications in most jurisdictions.

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These specialized drawings ensure your metal building is perfectly suited to your property’s conditions rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. They’re particularly important for properties with unusual topography, challenging access, or special environmental considerations like flood zones or high wind areas.

Site-specific drawings typically include customized versions of standard plan elements but with modifications addressing your property’s unique aspects. This attention to detail helps prevent construction problems, ensures proper building performance, and can simplify the inspection and approval process.

How to Find Site-Specific Drawings

Contact a Metal America Specialist

• Metal America’s team creates comprehensive site-specific drawings tailored to your property:
• Call or email Metal America to schedule an on-site consultation 
• Our specialists will evaluate your property’s unique characteristics 
• Discuss how site conditions might affect your building design and placement Receive custom drawings that address your specific location challenges 
• Get documentation formatted to meet local permit requirements

Our specialists coordinate with surveyors and engineers as needed to ensure all site-specific elements are properly documented and incorporated into your building plans. This comprehensive approach helps streamline the approval process and ensures your metal building performs optimally on your specific property.

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These drawings typically cost more than generic plans due to the specialized knowledge and liability assumed by the engineer. However, they provide assurance that your structure is designed for safety and durability, potentially saving significant costs by preventing structural failures or code violations.

The engineer’s stamp or seal serves as their professional certification that the design meets all applicable standards and is structurally sound. This certification is legally binding and represents the engineer’s professional judgment and responsibility for the design.

How to Find Engineer-Certified Drawings

A Metal America Partner Can Provide These

1. Metal America first determines if your project requires engineer-certified drawings (lots of times, you will have to contact the city/county yourself personally)
2. We connect you with our licensed engineering partners who specialize in metal building systems
3. These partners create stamped structural drawings meeting all local code requirements
4. The engineering services include structural analysis, load calculations, and foundation design
5. If changes are required during permitting, the structural engineer handles the revision process

Through these established partnerships, you receive professional engineering services at competitive rates without having to find and manage engineering firms yourself.

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Blueprints serve as the master reference for builders, providing every detail needed to construct the building as designed. They coordinate the work of various trades and ensure all systems integrate properly. For complex projects, blueprints may consist of dozens or even hundreds of sheets, each addressing specific aspects of the construction.

These documents are typically created by architects and engineers working together, with input from specialized consultants as needed. They represent the culmination of the design process and translate the client’s needs and desires into detailed instructions for construction.

Blueprints also serve as legal documents that form part of construction contracts, establishing exactly what is to be built and to what standards. They provide the basis for building inspections and verify compliance with approved plans.

How to Find Blueprints

Metal America with Their Partners Will Provide

1. Metal America partners complete blueprint packages
2. The process begins with your initial consultation and develops through collaborative refinement
3. All required components are included: architectural plans, structural drawings, foundation plans, and system layouts
4. Blueprints are prepared in permit-ready format according to local jurisdiction requirements
5. Both digital and printed copies are provided for submission and construction

This integrated approach eliminates the need to coordinate between multiple design professionals, saving you time and reducing the potential for errors.