Architect-symbols on BlueprintsThe architect-symbols can be found in greater detail in most software for architects. You don't need to buy expensive software to
plan a house
though. You can just use a big piece of paper and a yardstick for the first few drafts. That will give you a good idea of the layout of your home and how each component fits into your plan. There are a lot of symbols that make up a blueprint, but with a little time and patience, you can learn the important ones that are used by architects, electricians, carpenters, plumbers and inspectors. Architect symbols actually include electrical, plumbing, and wall framing, but for simplicity sake, we'll say that the architectural designs here are for the things like doors, kitchen cabinets, walls, stairs, and appliance measurements. This page also has some symbols that architect software has.
I like to use grid paper to keep all the dimensions and measurements to scale. Architects draw up plans that make all the components of a house fit together. Still, most plans require a small amount of alteration because things seldom turn out the way they're supposed to. Contractors understand this all too well. I've often heard it said that house plans work great on paper, but general contractors make it work in reality.
Important things like stairs, load-bearing walls, fireplaces, bathrooms and kitchens need to be planned out really well because they are difficult to alter. Some of the more expensive architect programs can detect errors in house plans before they become a problem. CAD software is useful but also, kind of hard to learn. Engineers use software that has most of the blueprint symbols already loaded so they can simply drag and drop each symbol into place. This helps to speed up the amount of time necessary to create home plans.
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