How Much Do House Plans Cost in 2025?

House Plans Cost Factors

Modern blueprints or architectural drawings—more colloquially known as prints—are simple digital files. Architects and contractors usually include the price of printed plans in their estimates. However, contractors sometimes request the homeowner to order prints from a professional reprographer.

A house plan is essentially a manual for a building. The drawing illustrates the final product's appearance and provides an instructional tool for achieving it. On average, draftspeople charge $50 to $130 per hour to create blueprints, and most people pay between $800 and $2,700 in total. Several factors affect the total cost of house plans, including the type of plans needed, printing costs, drafting fees, and alterations.

Printing Costs

Printing costs range from $0.06 to $25 per sheet. An average house has 10 sheets per level. A complete set of prints includes all the sheets for an entire project. Though pros commonly use digital PDF blueprints on the job site on tablets, laptops, and iPads, there is still demand for classic prints, which come in different materials.

• Paper sheets range from $0.05–$8.50 per sheet and are typically printed on 20-pound paper or thicker. However, they can get wet and tear on the job site. 

• Tyvek sheets are expensive at $3–$20 per sheet, but they’re waterproof and durable, eliminating the need for multiple sets.

• Bindings and covers add $2–$20 per set.

• The most common home size is 24x36 in.—called “architectural D size” paper.

• Reprographic services specialize in blueprint printing.

• Sizes range from 8.5x11 to 36x48 in.

Drafting Fees per Square Foot

Drafting fees range from $0.40 to $3 per square foot. Architects charge more, from $1.25 to $5 per square foot and sometimes up to $10 per square foot. Architectural fees typically run at the higher end of the spectrum for a new construction set of plans.  

Drafting Service Hourly Rates

Drafting services usually cost $50 to $130 per hour on average. A typical project takes 10 to 13 hours to complete, though larger, complex, and commercial projects take far longer.

Freelance Drafting Rates

Freelancer rates vary significantly due to experience levels and location but typically range from $50 to $150 per hour. Many freelancers charge a flat rate for a full project, which is usually an average of roughly $1,750.

New Build Drafts

Depending on the project's scope, new-build blueprints typically cost more than home addition plans because starting from scratch requires much more work. In general, expect custom plans to add $2,000 to $20,000 to the cost of building a new home. 

Alterations

Alterations to approved plans cost anywhere from $400 to $2,000, depending on how in-depth and complex the changes are. To save on the costs of changes like these, it’s best to submit all ideas and revisions to your pro before approving the final plans and moving ahead with construction.

As-Built Drawing & Survey Costs

An “as-built” set of plans refers to the existing building before any construction is performed, whereas the proposed set of plans is the scope of work. The as-builts are used as a benchmark for where the building begins so that the architect can give a demolition, framing, and foundation plan. More robust projects also have a set of mechanic, electrical, and plumbing plans. 

“However, most residential projects don't require such extensive detail,” says Ezra Laniado, Angi Expert Review Board member and Owner of Landmark Construction & Development Group, Inc. Unless the contractor is part of a design-build firm, seldomly do the contractors provide any plans; they would include as-builts. If a contractor includes plans in their price, they usually contract that out to a licensed architect.

An architect can create an official record drawing from the as-builts. This is the final version of the building as constructed. These plans are helpful for future homeowners who want to make structural changes, like an addition or remodel.

For older buildings with no known up-to-date plans, an as-built survey costs anywhere from $0.40 to $2.50 per square foot, depending on the complexity of the building, its size, and the level of detail you need. However, this is usually for commercial properties, as homeowners have little reason to do these.

Architect vs. Drafter Costs

The cost to hire an architect ranges from $80 to $200 per hour, while drafters come in lower at $50 to $130 an hour. Architects cost over twice as much or an average of $5,000 per project. They tend to deal with large-scale commercial buildings or large, complex homes.

Many architects are also trained drafting professionals and often do simple house plan projects outside other architectural work.

Other Types of Blueprints

Along with additions and new builds, there are several other blueprint types worth knowing about. 

Average Cost of Mechanical House Plans

A mechanical plan is a technical drawing that includes the locations of outlets, HVAC systems, plumbing, and appliances. These plans cost the same as any other drafting project and are usually included in the price. They’re also helpful during the construction phase of an addition or new structure.

Civil Drafts

Civil drafts are plans for bridges, highways, sewers, or government-related projects. They vary significantly in cost depending on the project.

Commercial Building Plans

Commercial plans have no relatable cost range as they’re project-specific. Most local and state governments have enacted regulations specifying that only licensed architects can design commercial building projects.

However, architects employ and oversee drafters. The architect designs the building, and the drafter turns that design into technical drawings. The architect then reviews and approves, or “stamps,” the final blueprints.

Costs for Additional Service Providers and Plans

Once your house plans are complete, you’ll require several other contractors and plans to complete the project. Depending on the project, you’ll likely have to budget for the cost to hire a construction manager, which ranges from $3,100 to $94,800, and the cost to hire a structural engineer, which ranges from $300 to $800. Some other common fees you may incur include:

Budgeting for House Plan Costs

House plans are often an essential part of many projects, but they don’t have to break the bank. Consider the following tips to keep the cost of house plans as low as possible:

• Custom house plans are much more expensive than pre-approved drawings. However, you can work from existing drawings to keep your costs low.

• Architects are often the most costly when it comes to drafting house plans. Opt for a draftsperson or freelancer for lower drafting fees.

• Don’t change the designs after the plans are drafted to avoid paying for alterations.

• Compare quotes from multiple architectural professionals in your area to find the most cost-effective option.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.