Anyone has experience in building a house with plan from website?

[Amy Xu]

I am building a house on the lot. I wanted to use the architect but learned that it costs a lot of money. I'm thinking of building a house with the house plan from website. Did anyone have experience with this? Is there a legit website I can go to to buy a plan? Will this be modified by architect afterwards? Is there any pros/cons you could share? 

Thanks. 

[Wesley Davis]

Speaking as an Architect, there are many pros and cons but it always goes back to the old adage. You get what you pay for. 

The first step is to visit your county's building department website to see what the requirements are for receiving your building permits. If they require you to jump through a lot of hoops or you are unaware of how to proceed, you may look into hiring a professional who has navigated those waters several times.

If your house is very plain Jane, then you should be able to go to a local builder and they will pump out one of their models. But if you would like to customize the layout and finishes to meet your personal needs and have it make sense, then look into hiring a professional. 

I have never used a website but I have had plenty of customers come to me saying "I designed my own house, just need your stamp." Those plans end up never meeting local codes and I always end up charging more to revise all the issues than if the customer came to me from day one. 

Disclaimer, I am licensed and live in Florida. Building codes change per state, county, and city.