Q. What does it cost per square foot to build one of your homes or cottage designs?

A. That is a difficult question to answer as construction costs vary widely from region to region. Also, it depends on how much trim detail you include and the type of finishing you choose. We suggest you speak to contractors in your area to get an estimate of the costs of construction.

Q. Are there any cottages built in my area, and can I go and see one?

A. Due to privacy considerations, we do not provide the contact information of our clients or specific locations of cottages that have been built. You may have a look in our gallery of finished cottages; the link is on the home page. The gallery is a on-going project, new pictures are added periodically.

Q. Do the plan sets include everything my contractor requires to build the cottage?

A. Yes, a complete set of plans are provided that include everything you will need. However, because of varying soil and drainage conditions, a local engineer must review and approve the foundation.

Q. Can I get a set of plans that are a mirror image and what is the cost?

A. Yes, all sets of plans are available in mirror (reverse) image. There is no additional charge for this service. All text and dimensions are mirrored for ease of reading and convenience.

Q. What do I do if I want to make a few changes to the plans?

A. We provide customization services billed at our hourly rate. Please refer to "Customize Stock Plan" for more information.

Q. What is a "ship’s ladder" or ladder to the loft?

A. A ship’s ladder is a permanently installed ladder for access to the loft. The ladder is sloped about 10 degrees and has narrow treads instead of the slats normally found on a ladder.

Q. The square footage in some plans includes the loft area, in other plans the loft area is not included in the square footage. Why the difference?

A. In some building codes, a loft accessible via ship’s ladder rather than by a stair is not recognized as “living space”. Therefore, the loft area is not included in the square footage calculation. The approved use of these lofts should be verified with local building authorities. If the loft is accessible via a stair, the loft space is included in the square footage calculation.

Q. Can I purchase a plan study set rather than ordering the whole set of plans?

A. No, we do not provide study sets due to copyright considerations. We can send you a page from the plan book for you to view.

Q. What types of foundations are available?

A. All units are designed with a concrete foundation and crawl space unless otherwise noted. All of our plans are offered with a pier foundation at no additional cost. Some plans give you the option of a full basement or a crawl space. As long as the plans have a staircase to the basement, you can have a full basement or a walk-out basement (if your building site suits a walk-out). Walk-outs are considered to be a custom change; therefore, the time required to draw the walk-out basement will be charged out at our hourly rate. Optional foundation types can be reviewed with a local engineer to suit soil and drainage conditions.

Q. Will these plans satisfy my local building code?

A. All plans are prepared to conform to the National Building Code of Canada, 1995. Due to local building codes and climatic conditions, plans must be reviewed by your local building officials prior to construction. Our plans have been updated to meet the requirements of the International Residential Code and the Ontario Building Code (our Ontario Building Code Identification Number is 28128). Any plans that are shipped to Ontario also include the necessary paperwork for building permits.

Q. Does Robinson Residential Design provide material lists?

Robinson Residential Design does not provide material lists for our plan packages. Material lists can create a confusing situation as we have found that some builders and framers require more lumber than others to build the same house. It is difficult to provide an exact quantity when we are unsure of quality, not knowing what percentage of lumber is going to be waste.   This is best determined by the company preparing the material take offs. Different methods of framing blocking, openings and corners can make quite a difference in the material required.

Many of the items that used to be provided as individual items, are now provided as packages, for example roof and floor framing. Until a few years ago, it was a matter of listing the various lengths of 2x10’s that were required to frame the floor. Now in most cases a truss manufacturer will provide a price based on the working drawings which includes the floor trusses, required headers and beams, and all hangers and tie downs that are needed. Roof framing packages are similar, and each roof package is prepared to suit the individual floor plan. The truss suppliers in these instances are best suited to preparing quotes, based on how their company would supply the package.

With our drawing packages, we include schedules which include door and window, millwork, and room finish schedules. Our framing plans indicate all floor openings, beam and column locations, and any pertinent information that the truss suppliers will require to design the trusses. We provide separate electrical drawings showing all the lights, switches and plugs that are required.

If you have any additional questions regarding the content and detail of the drawings please contact us for more information.