Can I Draw My Own Building Plans for a Permit?

Yes, in many places you can draw your own plans for simple residential work, such as a deck, a shed, a basement finish or an interior remodel. Building departments care that the drawings are clear, accurate and code compliant, not who drew them. The exception is any part of the design that needs engineering, which must be prepared and sealed by a licensed engineer.

When homeowner-drawn plans are usually accepted

• Decks that follow the department’s prescriptive deck guide
• Detached sheds and small accessory buildings
• Interior remodels that do not move bearing walls
• Basement finishes, window and door replacements

When you will need an engineer for part of it

• Removing or altering a load-bearing wall
• Additions, second stories and new foundations
• Retaining walls over about four feet or holding back a slope or driveway
• Designs outside the code’s prescriptive tables, or projects in high wind, snow or seismic areas

Some states also require an architect or engineer for buildings above a certain size or for certain uses, regardless of complexity.

What your drawings must show

• A stated scale and dimensions that add up
• A site plan with property lines and distances to the new work
• Plans, elevations and a section showing sizes, heights and materials
• Structural information: joist, beam and post sizes, footing sizes and connections
• Code items such as guard heights, stair dimensions, egress windows and alarms
• Clean, legible sheets at the size the department requires, usually as one PDF for online portals

Tools that work

Graph paper and a ruler are acceptable for simple projects in many jurisdictions. Free and low-cost drawing programs make revisions easier and produce cleaner PDFs, which helps with online submittals. Whatever you use, include the scale and keep text readable at print size.

The faster middle path

Draw what you can, then have a licensed engineer check it and design the structural parts. You keep control and cost low, and the parts that need a seal get one. That is exactly what our review and stamp service does: we review your drawings, mark up what needs to change, add the engineered elements and seal the set for your state.

Mistakes that cause rejections

• No scale, or dimensions that do not match the scale
• Beams and headers shown without sizes
• Missing footing sizes and depths
• No site plan, or a site plan without setback distances
• Photos or rough sketches submitted instead of measured drawings

Common questions