Need help getting house plans

All,
I am working on planning an addition to my house. In order to get the permits I need a copy of my plans or I need to get an engineer to come out and draft a letter after a few hours of work to state I am ok with my plan. The company that built my house went under shortly after building it. The house was built by Windsor Construction that was ran by Frank Johnson, Jr. The agent that sold for Frank is looking hard for the plans. Nobody has a phone number for Frank to see if he might still have the plans. The county informed me they shred the file after 5 years. The sellers I bought the house from did not receive a copy of the plans. The neighbors down the street with the same floorplan also do not have a copy of the plans.

Does anyone know what else I should try? Does anyone know how to reach Frank?

Thanks,
W

 

The plans should be available in the Johnston County Planning and Zoning Department.

 

I would have thought so too but they are telling me they shred their files after 5 years.

 

Well, I tried. Sorry.

Good luck, though. You may have to hire a draughtsman to redraw your plans. How "professional" do the plans need to be? Perhaps you can get something like "TurboFloorPlan" and create your own plans?

 

I'll probably have to get an engineer. I need to be able to prove that the first floor can support a finished space that is currently attic above it. This area is currently floored attic that is on my second floor, of which half of the second floor is already finished. The only concern is that there needs to be enough floor support for living space up there. Instead of having to pull up plywood I was hoping to just verify where the beam is in the floor on the plans.

 

Then I guess your only option is a draughtsman.

Once again, good luck.

 

http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/corporations/Filings.aspx?PItemId=4607052

^^ Look through the filings, sometimes you can find contact information. You might also call the Sec of State's office, they may be able to find him for you too.

I didn't see him listed as a principal on any other companies.

 

Frank Johnson has checked out and there is little chance of ever getting hold of him. In almost all cases, at least in this area, the builder never ever gives the homeowner a set of the house plans, or blueprints, that the house was built from. Mainly because he has to pay on average $300 per copy of the plans. When he orders a set of plans he orders 4-6 sets and they get distributed to the people that need them. Legally they have to be stamped with a red stamp (certification stamp) and each page in each set has that stamp. If he uses a set of plans without that red stamp on each sheet, then he is using it illegally. So, the homeowner never gets a set in almost all cases.

There are several home builders in this area that can help you in what you are trying to do, if you dont have one already. I would suggest Inland Builders and you can reach them at 919-550-3800. In a lot of cases, homebuilders and or remodelers can take care of all of that for you.

There is also EMK Construction, who the guy that owns EMK his wife posts on here occasionally but for the life of me i can not remember her screen name at the moment.

 

DJMMom
or
DMJMom


i can't remember. It's one of those

 

Grinder,
Yeah that is what I'm thinking too. I am planning on subbing out most of the work myself. I don't really need a GC to do that for me. How would a GC get around this problem I'm having?

 

Now that i cant tell you. Im not a CG. I am a draftsman though I just know that some builders who do build from scratch, spec and custom homes that also do remodels do it themselves. Wether or not they have PE or someone they work with, its out of my scope. We work with builders all the time who are doing remodels. We will draw up the plot plan the owner needs to turn into the county/city/hoa - for permissions, and then the builder does the rest, whatever that may be.

 

I am finishing out about 700 sq ft on the second floor. I'm wondering what it would entail for PE or draftsman to draft the plans for the "affected" areas.

 

Dunno. Could come over tomorrow evening and look at it and give you an idea, if that would help. No obligation of course and i could give you an exact estimate without a signed contract and we would just notarize the handshake. Something along those lines.

 

I was just thinking. I have seen my style house in several different developments. And would think that would be the same with your floor plan. Maybe one of the other developers would have copies of your style floor plan.

 

I doubt it but how would I even start that conversation?

 

A house may look the same from the outside, but lots of times they make modifications as it's being built.

You would be on a wild goose chase. Just call an engineer. Getting a copy run will cost you a pretty penny anyway even if you do manage to find it.