(1) Stock Plans - Buy a 'House Plan' book at any grocery store, or directly search stock plans online.There is an unlimited amount of stock 'any site' online plans of every type, shape, size, price, and quality. Just decide and place your order*.  

(2) Budget Custom Plans - If you were on a budget but you want to create your own unique plan, you can buy a home design software package and use it to create custom plans. The problem is that these packages can not product permit quality plans. 

(3) Professional Custom Plans - If you can afford professional help to create your unique and custom plans, you can hire either a skilled home designer or an Architect. They will develop plans based on your budget, architectural style preferences, likes, and dislikes. They will design for your site's location and orientation.  Depending on the scope and size, this process will take from 1 to 12 months or more to create blueprints ready for the next step - engineering. With an architectural plan set, you would then hire an engineer like us, and if this is the path you choose - we hope you ask us for an engineering bid.  ECO or your chosen engineer can design your plans foundation and  framing. If needed your engineer can add flood water drainage plans.

For the right project, a 4th option is available from ECO.

(4) BIM Based 3D Design - With design approvals, we can covert your own architectural paper or electronic plans using Autodesk's Revit 'Building Information Modeling' or BIM design software. BIM designs are 3D 'smart' designs because they include all the structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, energy and construction information in a 3D electronic model.

The BIM 3D model contains an electronic version of every piece of the structure. It can be used for blueprints and for material lists. BIM also can be used to improve energy performance. Design planning items like alternate window and doors type and sizes, and all finishes can be viewed. Even major structural systems, like changing from wood frame to SIP, or from SIP to Concrete, can be seamlessly changed and customized as needed.

ECO works in AutoCAD software and in Autodesk's Revit BIM software platform.
For small to medium projects this combination allows us to offer a complete range of design services - Site/Civil/Storm Water planning, Building Envelope design, Structural/Windstorm design, and limited MEP/Energy design.

Why provide does an engineering firm like ECO help provide small envelope energy efficient home plans?  Simple,...because most home designers don't.

Families are smaller and energy is more expensive. But designers keep designing, and builders keep building ...BIG HOUSES.  By the time we get involved it is too late to halp. This just does not make sense to us, especially if you are on a budget in a down economy. Or like me, planning ahead for living on a fixed income. So we created a place one could find a few simple smaller, strong, energy efficient, pre-engineered plans for Texas. Maybe some designers and builders will start to change their errant ways!

This means that for small to medium sized green leaning projects (typically <2500 sf and of one to two stories), ECO can offer comprehensive support of and owner's building plans to create engineer stamped and signed construction blueprints for any Texas site, including an engineer's structural windstorm inspection services during construction.

By working in Autodesk's Revit BIM software platform, this combination allows us to offer a complete range of design services - Site/Civil/Storm Water planning,  design, Structural & Windstorm  design, and limited MEP/Energy design.

Our Free Sage* Advice - (A) If you have a big project (>$500K) consider hiring a degreed Architect or an experienced CAD home designer. (B) If you buy plans, in addition to paper blueprint plans, make sure you can also buy the electronic 'AutoCAD.DWG' file, even if it is expensive. If you are make your own electronic plans, work in AutoCAD or use a program that can export '.DWG' or 'DXF' files - which your engineer needs for his work. (C) Hire your engineer(s) as early as possible in the design process.

Click on any of the above three tab pages to go to construction-ready standard plans. You can use these as is and start the building process, or you can have ECO customize or modify for their preferences or site requirements. Some of these plans are variations ECO developed from similar plans that have already been built. The rest are new green envelope homes and advance dwelling ideas we want to share with everyone.

* If you can appreciate free 'Sage' advice, call me to talk on the phone. If the word 'sage' does not turn you on, 'no worries mate', just email, text or tweet us. We work all ways! Stop by as we add more designs. And thank you for your interest!