Building any building requires a lot of planning and preparation. Planning is essential to avoid making costly mistakes and ensure that the building is legal in Los Angeles. A building plan is required for everything, from building a new house to convert a room.
A building plan is a visual representation of how your building will look once constructed. These plans help determine a project’s cost and can help create a budget.
You will need to obtain a building permit before starting a project. This approval for construction is available from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Building plans must be submitted with your application for a building permit. Building plans, when properly drawn, will give the construction team all the information they need to construct the property without making any mistakes.
The preliminary building design is a site plan. Additional plans, like floor plans, landscape plans, and elevation plans, may be required. Drawing techniques for smaller homes or commercial buildings can take around two days. It may take up to 3-4 days for more significant structures. The approval process can take up to 2-4 weeks once you submit the plans and other documents and your application for a building permit.
A building permit expediter will assist you in this process by checking that your plans comply with the code and speaking to the appropriate professionals at LADBS, who is responsible for approval.
This article will explain how building plans are drawn for building permits.
HOW DO I START?
You can start drawing building plans by looking at magazines and other buildings on the internet. You can also take a tour of facilities around your area. These sources can inspire you to design building plans that reflect your desired style and appearance. Remember that your site plan must include everything, from the boundaries and dimensions of the property to stormwater drainage in surrounding areas.
To correctly place them on your building plans, you must be familiar with property lines. It is crucial to understand the details of the land you are about to build on to not encroach upon land owned by another. Before you can start drawing building plans, the only thing left is to get the necessary supplies.
What SUPPLIES DO I NEED?
To create a building plan, you’ll need many materials. The desire to draw and enough patience to build building plans are essential. People who can use their imagination to create the best building plans often have the most success with them.
It is important to follow local codes when building plans are being drawn. However, it is also essential to ensure that the property is visually appealing. You will need different supplies depending on whether you are drawing with a computer or by hand.
These supplies are essential if you draw these plans by hand.
- Pencil
- Paper
- Durable eraser
- Calculator
- Architectural, engineering, and ruler scales
- A sturdy table and a comfortable chair
If you prefer to draw these plans on your computer, you will need the following supplies:
- For initial hand drawing, you can use all of the tools and other instruments that were mentioned before
- Internet access on a computer
- Monitor
- Scanner
- Printer
These supplies will allow you to prepare the plans for any building you are about to build.
STEPS TO DRAW A BUILDING PLAN
There are around seven steps required to draw a building plan.
- Set up a starting point and a proper scale for your project
- Modifying the scale
- Draw a plan for building and property lines at scale. This should be done in an overhead view
- Add information to the plan
- Sketch the details for the property
- Everything
- Sketch additional pages depending on the type of project
- Establish a starting point and a scale appropriate for the project
Before creating these plans, make sure you have a starting point. This will allow you to scale the project. The northwest corner of the land should be placed in the upper right portion of the graph paper. An architect’s scale should be used to outline the structure. You can place a 44×72 foot project on 11×18 inch paper using a 1/4-inch to 1-foot scale.
- You can practice changing the scale.
Next, adjust the scale. When you start with your drawings, practice changing the scale. To change the scale, pivot your pencil once you have reached the corner of a particular feature.
2. Make a scaled plan of the building and existing property lines. This should be done from an overhead perspective.
Next, draw a plan of the building and its property lines to scale. This should be done in an overhead view. The program should also include bump-out extensions for porches or other recesses. You should also have details such as driveways, trees, and patios.
3. Include some details in the plan
Add some basic information to your plan. This can include the address of the property and the name of nearby streets. In the correct location on the building plan, add “N” to denote the direction of the property. You should also indicate the scale you are using on the paper. It is essential to write your full name and the current date.
4. Draw the details of your property
After you have completed the outline of the building and property, it is time to sketch the details. These additions should be drawn on the building plan, such as a shed, deck, or fence. Note the dimensions of any acquisition, including their height and depth.
5. Everything should be labeled.
The sixth step is labeling each room in the property after drawing a floor plan. It is important to label each room in the house or building. It is also important to note the locations of smoke detectors and carbon dioxide.
6. Extra pages can be drawn depending on the type of project.
The final step is sketching additional pages as needed for your particular project. A foundation plan is required for the construction of a new building. On the other hand, a side view of how an addition to your home will be constructed will be required. This step-by-step guide will help you understand how to draw building plans. These drawings can be used to apply for a building permit.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD BUILDING PLANS
A building plan should provide the crew with all the information they need to construct the property according to your specifications. It also ensures that the LADBS has everything they need to approve the project.
The main characteristics of an excellent building plan are:
- Everything is marked
- The property boundaries are correct
- The specifications of the landowner are followed when designing
- The building was designed to be both functional and well-made.
- Plans are drawn to the proper scale.
If your plans don’t conflict with local building codes, the LADBS should approve them. Once you have submitted your building permit application, your goal should be to draw building plans. These plans will also be valid for the construction of your home once approval has been granted.
What do I need to submit a permit application?
You will need many documents and drawings if you want to submit a building permit request to the LADBS.
To apply for a building permit, will need to have these plans and drawings :
- Plans for building
- Floor plans in a minimum scale of 1:00
- Information about the structure
- Sectional drawings
- Elevations
You can apply for a building permit by visiting the LADBS website. You must ensure that you choose the correct building permit. These applications are usually only a few pages long and can be downloaded. After you’ve completed the application, it’s time to submit it at one of five LADBS offices. You will need a building permit to build a property in Los Angeles legally.