DIGITAL VERSIONS NOW AVAILABLE!
Our plans come as digital files that you can take to a printer such as Staples to get them printed. Put them on a USB thumb drive or email them to your friendly neighborhood print shop.
Files are set up in A3 size (11″x17″) which we find much easier to handle on the job site than the larger sheets. If you must have the larger version, please let us know.
You will receive your invoice by email immediately, and within 2 business days you will get a NON-instant email with a link to download your files.
Feel free to contact us with any questions about your plans.
We can make modifications at a reasonable cost.
What’s special about our timber frame house plans?
Our timber frame house plans result from Forrest Rand’s 30 years of professional experience in designing, building – and living in! – post and beam homes.
The package (see “What’s included” below) will enable you to get quotes from different companies, knowing you are comparing apples to apples.
With this level of detail, any experienced timberframe company will have enough information to make you a quote and to build to your specifications.
Starting from plans such as these is much more economical than to have your project custom designed.
If you want us to build your timberframe, purchasing the plan you want will serve as a deposit on any custom work. Please contact us to discuss your needs.
If you want to purchase the plans for another timber frame company to build from, we can make custom modifications at our hourly rate.
Our plans come in an 11×17″ size, and are far more convenient than unwieldy, old-fashioned blueprints, whether on your kitchen table or on the construction site.
Enclosure systems
Our timberframes work for all enclosure systems. SIPs or other structural panels work perfectly. You also have the option of “outfilling” the frame with stud walls if you wish.
Here’s one of our clients enclosing his house. You can pick up a few tricks from him.
What’s included in the package?
Our packages contain both working prints and timberframe plans.
The Working Prints include floor plans, foundation plan, roof plan, sections, elevations, window & door schedules and construction details. The posts are shown on the floor.
The Timberframe Plans include the roof framing plan (plan view of roof framing), 2nd floor framing, 3rd floor if applicable, timber elevations, timber bent drawings (sections) as well as basic timber sizing and lengths and suggested timber configurations.
We send two sets of prints: one bound together and one loose, so that you have a master set to make notes in, and a set from which you can easily make copies as needed by different tradespeople.
We ask that you respect our copyright and use them for only one project.
Building your own timber frame house?
People often ask us, “Can I build my own timber frame from the information in your plans?”
Well, that depends:
If you are an experienced timberframer, yes, there’s more than enough information in the package for you to go ahead.
If you have taken a timberframe workshop, and have some woodworking skills, you could build a simple frame. Note, however, that it takes a while to learn to cut even simple joinery, and most post and beam frames have several complex joints.
Check out our timber frame Shop Prints if you would like to try your hand at a relatively simple project.
Prices are in Canadian Dollars. The US Dollar price is much less. Your credit card will convert for you automatically.
Modifications to our House Plans
Do you want changes made to one of our timber frame designs?
The packages for sale on this website give you a very cost-effective way to acquire detailed timber frame house plans. It is much more economical to start from plans such as these than to have your project custom designed from scratch.
If you want to keep your costs down but still want modifications to the plans, we can make them as our time permits at an hourly rate. It’s most cost-effective to keep to minor changes.
Please note that the smaller house plans, particularly those under 1000 sq. ft., have already been refined to the nth degree. There really aren’t many degrees of freedom for changing them and still having everything work in such a small space.
If you’re interested in custom modifications, e-mail us, detailing the changes you want made. We’ll respond with a price. If you wish to go ahead, buy the plan you want, noting in the comment box on the purchase form that you want modifications. That will keep us from shipping the prints to you until your changes are made.
How it works:
- E-mail us with the details of the changes you want. We will respond with a price for making the modifications — which, please note, is separate and in addition to the price of the plans. Purchasing the plans gives you the right to use the design for one house, and also includes our printing and shipping costs. Making custom modifications entails additional work for us over and above providing the unmodified plans. If you wish to proceed…
- Buy the plan, noting on the order form that you will be wanting modifications. That will prevent us from sending you the unmodified package.
- We will e-mail you images of the areas of the plan that have been modified for your approval.
- After receiving your approval and payment for the modifications (via our Modification Payment page) we will print the modified plan and send it to you.
- On complex modifications, the last two steps are taken in stages. We advance to the next stage after the previous stage is approved and paid for. That way, we are both sure that you are getting the changes you want.
We also do custom timber frame design.
Arlington Timber Frames Ltd. also builds custom timber frame homes. If you’d like us to build yours, you are not limited to the plans shown here. However, they may give you a head start in developing your ideas. Purchasing the plan you want will serve as a starting point for custom work. Please contact us to discuss your needs.