Explore Our Endless Floorplan Options

One of the benefits of using a stock floorplan is that you’ll significantly speed up the time it takes your project to go from start to finish. Because the blueprint is already complete, the builder will be able to plan the project much easier than if it were a start-from-scratch project. Also, it may be the case that your builder has already built your plan before, perhaps many times, thus making them familiar with the process and more efficient along the way.

On the other hand, fully custom projects generally take quite some time to complete. The major difference is the time it takes to create and finalize a design, which is a skipped step with a stock plan. This process can take up to a year or more in many cases, so be prepared to plan for that as you transition from your current living arrangement. But it isn’t just the design phase that leads to longer projects with custom builds, there’s also more room for unforeseen problems. If a design has never been built before, it’s never had a chance to be modified based on real-world challenges builders experience, so your custom plan will be somewhat of a trial and error process during the build. That said, well-thought-out designs will have less of these unforeseen problems, they just take longer to create.

It goes without saying that stock floorplans are less expensive than creating a fully custom floorplan, but unfortunately it isn’t as cut-and-dry as looking at the initial cost of the the floorplan. While it is certainly true that you can approach the cost analysis between custom and stock plans by simply comparing the upfront cost of each, there are situations that can throw those numbers out of whack quickly.

Most notably, the cost of modifying a stock plan is the biggest challenge that could allow a stock plan’s cost to rival that of a custom plan. Sometimes you can avoid major modifications by carefully selecting a stock plan that closely meets your local building codes and HOA regulations, but sometimes that’s not an option. You may need to make major alterations to your dream stock plan to make it fit within those specs, and if that is the case, you could easily end up paying more for a stock plan than one that was designed from the start with those specs in mind.

In addition to code and regulation conformity, many people need to adjust stock plans based on their family members’ individual needs. Things like disabilities, age, and future family member additions should be considered when picking a stock plan.

Custom plans help you avoid the challenges of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole when you attempt to modify a stock plan. You can design with all of your needs in mind from scratch, making revisions unnecessary and building your home exactly as you need it for your family and for regulations. In the end, it’s best to approach the cost factor in a reverse approach - meaning, identify the design you need first and then determine whether a stock plan can get you there. If it can, you’ll save money. If it can’t without major alterations then you’re probably better off going custom and paying a little more upfront while saving in the long run.

If having complete control over the final look of your project is the #1 factor in your decision-making process, then custom is the way to go. Rarely will you ever find a stock plan that has everything you want down to the finest detail, and as you learned above, altering stock plans can create a hassle you would be better off avoiding. With a custom plan, you have control over everything right from the start. From the visual aesthetics to the materials used and everything in between, you will get to make the decision. Of course, this is the main reason why custom plans take much longer to complete, but if time is not a concern and you want control, you’ll love the results of building a custom home.

Stock plans, on the other hand, restrict your control over the look of your new home. It goes without saying that when you build from a stock plan, you will largely get what is pre-determined for the layout of the home. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have a chance to add your personal touch. You’ll still have options for material choices, colors, and minor add-ons and upgrades that ft within the bounds of the layout plan. For example, many stock plans offer variations that allow you to choose between different features. You may be given the option to choose whether or not to have a skylight, or a covered vs uncovered back patio. Those are just a few examples of variations you may get with certain stock plans. And of course, you should always be able to choose things like paint color, flooring options, exterior color, and many other material-related variations.