PlansPlace Blog: Building and Designing a Home

Guides on house plans, building costs, permits, materials and energy efficiency, with plans you can buy today.

Choosing a House Plan · 7 min read Square Footage on Canadian House Plans: What Counts and What It Really Costs A 1,600 sq ft plan can turn into a 3,700 sq ft quote. Here is how Canadian plans, appraisers and builders count area, and how to budget per square foot without surprises. Read more → Design & Layout · 6 min read Four-Bedroom Two-Storey House Plans: 8 Myths About Laundry, Pantries and Flex Rooms Four bedrooms upstairs, laundry on the same floor, a pantry off the kitchen and a flex room below are what Canadian families ask for most. Here is what is true about these layouts, and what is just habit. Read more → Design & Layout · 8 min read What a Four-Season Cottage Really Costs in Canada: Lofts, Porches and Winter-Ready Layouts A year-round cottage costs more than a summer cabin, and not only because it is bigger. Here is where the money goes, from the basement to the septic bed, and how to keep the budget in check. Read more → Costs & Budget · 6 min read Energy Rebates for a New Build in Canada: CMHC Eco Plus Refunds and Provincial Programs Most federal energy grants are for renovations, not new builds. This checklist shows which refunds and rebates a new Canadian home can claim, what rating each needs, and when to book the EnerGuide evaluation. Read more → Costs & Budget · 8 min read Two Builder Quotes, $150,000 Apart: How One Canadian Family Compared Them A family building a bungalow with a full basement in rural Ontario gets two quotes for the same plan, $150,000 apart. Here is how they read them line by line and which one was really cheaper. Read more → Energy & Climate · 7 min read Wood Stoves in a New Airtight Canadian Home: Make-Up Air, Clearances and Rules A tight, well-insulated new house changes how a wood stove behaves. Here are straight answers on certification, outdoor air, clearances, insurance, costs and where the stove belongs in the plan. Read more → Energy & Climate · 7 min read Triple-Pane vs Double-Pane Windows: 8 Myths About Glazing a New Canadian Home Triple-pane windows cost more, and the energy savings alone rarely pay them back quickly. Here is where they make sense in a Canadian new build, and where a good double-pane unit is enough. Read more → Construction & Materials · 9 min read Roof Trusses vs Stick Framing in Canada: Cost, Vaulted Ceilings and Attic Space Trusses frame most new Canadian roofs, but rafters still have a place. Here is how the two systems compare on cost, snow, permits, vaulted ceilings and living space under the roof. Read more → Permits & Regulations · 8 min read Building a House in Quebec: Permits, RBQ Contractors, Novoclimat and What It Costs Quebec has its own way of approving and building a new house. Here is what the permits, the RBQ licence, the energy rules and the paperwork cost, and where you can save. Read more → Permits & Regulations · 7 min read BC Building Permit Myths: What Vancouver, Surrey, Kelowna and Rural BC Really Require Many BC families lose months because they believed a permit myth. Here is what municipalities and regional districts really ask for, from Step Code reports to septic filings and home warranty. Read more → Around the World · 7 min read How Long Does It Take to Build a House in Canada? Seven Myths Checked Against Europe A wood frame goes up in weeks, so why does a Canadian custom home still take most of a year? We test seven common myths against builds in the US, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. Read more → Around the World · 9 min read Open Concept or Closed Kitchen? How Canada and Europe Lay Out the Main Floor Canadians love the great room with an island, while many European families still close the kitchen door. Here is what each layout means for daily life, furniture and heating, and how to judge a bungalow plan before you buy it. Read more →