Customizing Your House

Often you will find the perfect design but after a detailed review, you may want to make some changes so the house better suits your needs. JHA can modify the drawings to meet your specifications. This is a cost-effective way to get the house that is right for you.


While we are capable of accommodating most modification requests, the most common are listed below:

  • Change a foundation type (i.e. crawl space to basement)
  • Change exterior building materials or details (i.e. siding to brick or stucco)
  • Add a garage to a house without one
  • Change the location of a garage door (i.e. front to side)
  • Add square footage
  • Move the stair location
  • Add or removing a fireplace
  • Change 2×4 exterior walls to 2×6
  • New kitchen layout
  • Changes to accommodate handicap accessibility
  • Adding a room in the attic or over the garage

Changes that we cannot provide:

  • Adapting or engineering the drawings to meet local codes
  • Creating a new house design from two different designs

The follow is the process to customize your drawings:

  1. Choose the changes that you want to make.
  2. Complete and submit the Modification Request Form being as specific as possible when describing the changes (we do not quote verbal requests). Provide detailed descriptions of the changes, giving dimensions and a sketch where possible. Use “width” when referring to dimensions running right to left on the plan and “depth” for dimensions running front to back.
  3. The architect will contact you by email with a quote to prepare the modifications. (Note: The quote you receive is for the specific changes that you want to make to the plan set drawings. This quote is in addition to the cost of the original plan set).
  4. Contact us to accept the modification quote and purchase the reproducible masters or CAD files for the plan set for which the modification quote was made. If the plan set costs $700 and the modifications cost $800, the total order will be $1,500 (reproducible master/CAD File and cost of labor) plus shipping charges.
  5. You will receive a maximum of three drafts, from the architect, if required, which represent your requested changes submitted on the Modification Request Form. If you require more than three drafts, additional charges will apply. Any additional modifications requested after your original changes have been made will incur additional charges.
  6. Approve the final draft of the changes.
  7. We will make the changes to the reproducible master or CAD file by adding additional sheets to the plan sets or additional drawings to the CAD file. The original plan set design will not be changed. The plan set package with the additional modification drawings will be shipped directly to you.

Additional Information

  • The modifications cannot be drawn in reverse (only those plan sets in CAD format can do this). If you wish to build the house in reverse, you can make mirror reverse copies of the drawings at a local blueprint or copy shop. The copyright release will need to be presented to the copy shop to make the copies.
  • We will provide the first draft of your requested modifications for your review within three weeks of receiving your order, which will reflect the modifications submitted on your original request.
  • Up to three drafts will be submitted to you prior to changing the original plan set drawings. The modifications to the drawings will be made after you have verified all of the changes and approved the draft. Additional modifications not included in the original request will be charged separately at an hourly rate of $65 or a fixed quoted rate.
  • Modifications will be drawn on separate sheets with the changes shown and noted directing you to the main/original drawings for details. For example, a foundation sheet in the original drawings might be labeled A1 where the new foundation sheet will be labeled A1.1 and will follow A1 in the set of plans.
  • Modifications are drawn to conform to national building codes, not to meet any specific building codes and as such we do not do not guarantee that the modifications will meet your local building codes. A local architect should review the drawings to ensure they comply with your city, county or state building codes.
  • We honor time and cost estimates for 60 days.

For fast service, follow these steps:

  1. Download the Modification Request Form.
  2. Email the completed form to jhricko@verizon.net or fax it to 540.341.8851.

Architecture and design for commercial, residential, adaptive reuse, and historical spaces