QUESTIONS ABOUT FLATFISH ISLAND HOME PLANS 

• What is a builder-driven process versus an architect-driven process?

  • We created Flatfish Island Designs as a way to provide well-designed homes by Charleston’s top architects and designers at affordable prices.  Because of the limited nature of the documents we provide, the process of designing and constructing a home using Flatfish as your designer is more of a builder-driven process than an architect-driven process, where your builder is involved early and throughout design and construction - to provide feedback and coordination regarding materials, systems, details and overall pricing direction.

• I’m interested in your Home Plans. Are model homes available for viewing?

  • To protect the privacy of our clients, we are not able to provide addresses to the homes that we have built in the past. While we do not have model homes available for viewing, we encourage you to browse our website and visit our social media pages, where you will find an extensive collection of recent photos and information on floor plans that you may view at your convenience. If you are based in Charleston, SC, we may be able to introduce you to builders that have built or are currently building some of our home plans, and it may be possible to tour a home by arranging this with the builder.

• Are there any additional photos of Flatfish Island Home Plans?

  • Yes, absolutely! If you’re looking for examples of our work, your best bet is to visit our social media channels, where you will find hundreds of high-definition photos for you to enjoy and use as templates for your own design. Need a photo for a specific home plan? Send us an email and we’d be happy to help.

• What is a Study Set?

  • A Study Set is used to help you determine in more detail how the house may fit within setbacks on the lot and can also give you a more detailed view of the plan helping you to determine any changes you may want to make (see how to modify a plan). Our Study Sets include each of the 4 elevations of the home as well as its floor plans. The Study Set can also be given to your builder so that they may provide you with initial pricing estimates. Note: If you decide to move forward with a Construction Set after purchasing a Study Set (for the same plan), the amount you paid for the Study Set will be credited toward your final Construction Set purchase.

• What is a Construction Set?

  • Your construction set is a road map that your builder will follow when he is constructing your home. These drawings will help maintain the thoughtful level of design we put into our Flatfish Island Home Plans.
    Our Construction Sets include dimensioned floor plans, 4 exterior elevations, roof plan, exterior opening schedule (doors and windows), building section, wall section and lighting plans (lighting, switching and outlet locations). Construction Sets do not include foundation plans, framing plans, or structural details. **If you decide to move forward with a Construction set after purchasing a Study set (for the same plan), the amount you paid for the Study set will be credited toward your final Construction set purchase.

• Are CAD Files of the Home Plans Available?

  • If you have purchased a construction set we can provide CAD files (.DWG or .DXF).
    Any reproduction, modification or reuse of the plans without written authorization of the copyright owner is strictly prohibited. All home plans designed by Flatfish Island Designs are protected under federal copyright laws, and violators will be prosecuted accordingly.

    We also offer the service of showing your home plan footprint on your site for a nominal fee provided your surveyor can send a .DWG file of your site survey.

QUESTIONS ABOUT BUILDING YOUR NEW HOME

• Should I purchase my lot or my home plans first?

  • The choice is up to you! Either is acceptable and solely up to what is more important to you.
    If you want to build in a certain area with a particular view, or in a desired community, you would need to purchase your lot first. If you aren’t set on a location, and have fallen in love with a particular FFID plan, we would recommend purchasing the plan first and then finding a suitable lot. If a floor plan Charleston SC you love will not fit on your lot, you can always contact our sister company, Sandlapper Design Group, about making modifications to meet your lot’s requirements.

• How much will it cost me to build a Flatfish Island Designs Home Plan?

  • It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how much it will cost to build your new home because Construction cost is dependent upon a multitude of factors: detailing, degree of difficulty of the building site, finishing materials, interior selections and contractor pricing will all factor into the overall expense. We suggest that you get quotes from a variety of builders, especially those that have great reputations in the area where you would like your Flatfish Island Home Plan constructed. If you’re new to the Lowcountry and need recommendations, we’re happy to help.

• Do Flatfish Island Home Plans come with an architect’s stamp?

  • No.  To keep our prices relatively low, plans produced by Flatfish Island Designs are limited in scope and rely on information supplied by your builder and other consultants to complete a full set of construction documents.  Typically on small-scale residential projects, a structural engineer is required to certify and stamp the structural documents and not the architect and designer of the home.  If your jurisdiction requires the stamp of an architect, you have a number of options:

    You can engage an independent architect in the jurisdiction of the project to become the architect-of-record, or you can engage our sister company - Sandlapper Design Group - to provide a more detailed and site-specific design that may be stamped by a licensed architect in the state of South Carolina.  Certain restrictions apply.

• Do your Charleston Home Plans include structural engineering?

  • Since building codes vary across the country and each property has specific requirements based on location and soils conditions, our plans do not include structural engineering.  Each purchaser of our designs must engage a structural engineer familiar with and licensed in the jurisdiction where the project is to be built, to evaluate and design a structural system which will comply with all applicable codes and site-specific requirements.

• What type of heating and air conditioning do the plans call for?

  • Because heating and air conditioning requirements will vary from region to region, we suggest that you consult with your builder and their HVAC contractor to determine the best installation for your particular needs for the home you are building.