As-Builts - Important - Pippin Home Designs

Why As-Builts Are Important

When it comes to a renovation, you need to know where you are actually starting before you can get started. What do we mean by this?

If you don’t have the original blueprints or construction plans of the home you plan to renovate, it is essential that a set of As-Built Plans are created to have a clear understanding of what is already there infrastructurally and dimensionally. If you have blueprints, but modifications have been made since the original blueprints, As-Built Plans will still need to be created.

The As-Built Phase of the project is the most critical part of getting a Renovation and Addition project started on the right footing. Without it, it becomes a guessing game, and do you really want to be guessing with your hard earned and soon-to-be invested dollars into your home?

The As-Builts help us work from a concrete set of plans to design the renovations and additions in a way that actually works and ties in with the existing structure.

Why would anyone want to skip this critical piece of the process?

The answer typically is cost and the question, “Do we really need to go to that expense?” While it may seem like an expense, it is more like an insurance policy that will help you avoid unnecessary expenses down the road in your renovation or addition construction. Have you heard the term “change order”? This typically brings chills to the spine of many a homeowner. Without As-Builts, like we said before, you are asking us to design by guessing versus knowing. Why would you want us to guess when we can know? And with guessing comes the likelihood that the proposed design won’t structurally work with existing home or consider the spatial or dimensional ramifications of the new design with the existing space.

Any residential designer of merit would not design a renovation
or addition without an As Built. If you are considering anyone
who is offering to take this short cut, we encourage to
seriously question their ability and integrity.

How As-Builts Are Created: Once we laser site-measure the home and photograph everything, then we will re-create the whole existing house on the computer in our software. The As-Built process takes an average 30-45 days to complete. It usually takes about two weeks to turn around the site measure data. Then the data is provided to our CADD team to prepare the As-Builts. From there we can begin the design process.

What They Will Include: Your As-Built Plans will show your existing floor plans (each level), exterior elevations (front, rear, left and right sides), and roof plan. In addition to the 2-D elevation, the As-Builts will include 3-D perspective drawings of the exterior only, typically from the four corners of the home. As-built renderings should detail the shape, dimensions, and precise locations of any and all elements within the scope of the existing structure.

As-Builts ensure a successful project lifecycle. They are used throughout the entire process of your home renovation. First, they are used as a guide throughout the design phase. Then, they are referenced again in the construction planning phase, along with in the creation of the construction plans for the build. Finally, they become the reference for the demolition plans.

There is also value to your As-Builts for the future sale of your home. When your renovation is completed, you will have both the As-Builts prior to renovation as well as the new set of plans from your completed renovation. When you should want to sell you home, having these plans adds a bargaining chip to the value of your home, especially if the purchaser may be interested in renovating or adding onto your home.

Cost for As-Builts typically start at $4,500
depending on complexity and timeline factors.

When it comes to one of your most valuable investments, whether it’s your primary, secondary or vacation home, the amount spent on producing your As-Builts is a small percentage for peace of mind and the end result of exceptional, one-of-a-kind, You-Inspired Design!