Selecting A House Plan
Having a general idea of what you are looking for in your new home can save you hours online. Knowing an approximate square footage, the width and depth of your lot, the number of bedrooms, baths and additional rooms you will want as well as a style of home is always helpful in narrowing your search. It is important to familiarize yourself with blueprint requirements for the area in which you will be building your new home. To obtain this information you can contact your builder or local building permit office. Having this information will help you determine if the plan you select will be accepted as is or if small modifications may be necessary before you purchase the plan. It is not necessary to know exactly what you want because part of the fun is seeing what is available but a general idea will cut your browsing time.

Why order from us
 As you may know there are hundreds of Home Design sites out there and many of them have fancy renderings of their houses. Here at Illinois Blue we don't think you should pay extra for a pretty picture when you are actually wanting house plans. We focus our strengths on quality drawings at an affordable price. We guarantee the lowest prices out there. If you find a lower price on a comparable home email us the link and we'll beat it. Now lets say you would like that rendering of your home, that is available upon request. 
In addition not all Home Design sites drawings are equal in quality. You could end up paying high dollar for a floor plan and some elevations. Our designs are of architectural quality with full construction details so you should be familiar with what to expect when ordering plans.


Know what to expect in a set of blueprints
  A complete set of blueprints should include:
1. Foundation Plan: Concrete slab, crawl space, basement, etc.
2. Detailed Floor Plans: Placement of exterior walls, room dimensions, doors, windows, fireplace and stairway location (if applicable).
3. Exterior Elevations: Front, rear and side views of the house with detailed measurements and exterior requirements.
4. Cross Sections: Cross section details of the home, flooring, insulation and roofing construction.
5. Roof Plans: Rafter, truss, dormer, gable and other feature layouts.
6. Specifications: Recommendations for materials and equipment such as structural specifications, masonry work, concrete work, wood specifications, excavating and grading, drywall, flooring, caulking, glazing and sealants.

Determine how many blueprints you will need
  Your financing, builder and where you are building your home will determine how many sets of blueprints you will need. For a handy blueprint calculator scroll down.

Ordering your new house plan
 Before you order your new house plan be sure that you check with your builder to insure that the plans you are ordering are suitable for your lot and/or the land in your region. Modifications may be required to meet your local building code requirements. Local requirements can be obtained from your local building permit office.

How many blueprints will I need?
We have created a helpful check list to assist you in your home plan purchase.

___Owners Set
___Builder
     (Usually requires 4 sets)
     One as a legal document
     One for inspection
     Two for tradesmen and subcontractors
___Building Permit
     (May require 2 sets)
___Mortgage Source
     (Usually requires one set for conventional mortgage)
     Two sets for FHA mortgage
     Three sets for VA mortgage
___Subdivision Committee
     (Usually requires one set)
___Total Sets Needed

Your Plans will Include:
concrete slab foundation plan, (alternate crawl space or basement plan available by checking appropriate space
on order form), detailed dimensioned floor plan or plans (if second story plan is appropriate), four exterior elevations, wall sections and details, fireplace and stair details where needed, roof plans and details, and suggested structural specifications and/or material.

Plans Do Not Include:
Heating or electrical plans: because of regional differences in climate and variations in building codes. These plans are available through one of your local licensed subcontractors. Typically the one who will be installing the trade.

Other Services:
All of the plans on this website are computer generated. Minor changes and modifications usually can be made quickly and economically.
We offer complete design and drafting services for all of our clients. Should changes become necessary to one of our stock plans, please feel free to contact us toll free at 1-800-747-7070 or e-mail us at Illinoisblue@illinoisblue.com and we will be happy to quote you a price for changing the plan or custom design your new home for you. Feel free to call us at the above number for rate information or any additional material you may need.

Payment:
Payment should be made by check, draft, postal or express money order and should be sent at the time of your order. For your convenience, we also accept MasterCard, & Visa

Return Policy:
No refunds or returns are accepted. Be sure to check your exterior dimensions and square footage before ordering plans.