Most house plans include everything you need to build your home; however, additional items may be needed to obtain a building permit. You will need a site plan which shows the location of your house on the property, the property line, and the setbacks. Other items may or may not include a septic tank system design if your lot is not serviced by the city or county sewer system.

Depending on the part of the country you live in, you will need to insure your house plans are in compliance with local codes. Many areas have specific energy codes and/ or special engineering requirements that are to be followed. For instance, the west coast area have strict engineering requirements for areas subject to earthquakes. Areas such as Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the southeast coast line are areas with high risk of hurricanes requiring special engineering to withstand such risk. North east areas such as New York, New Jersey, Baltimore and surounding areas require houseplans to stamp by a local licensed professional such as an architect or engineer. Building in these areas, will likely require the need to hire a local licensed structural engineer to analyze the house plans and provide additional drawings and calculations required by your building department. If you are unsure as to what is required in you area, check with your building department. They usually have some form of written instructions listing all of the items they require to submit for and obtain a building permit.

You will want to submit your plans and other require documents for a permit as soon as possible so you can begin construction at your scheduled time. Residential permits can take up to 3 months if everything is in order. If it is rejected for any reason this can extend well into your schedule and disrupt the entire building process in the beginning. So be smart and properly plan for the permitting process.