It was very helpful to do it that way, but no structural stuff.

Tweaked wall lengths and room size, got a 3-d rendering that we could 'walk' through. We used a cheapo software (might have been the H&G one you mentioned) to get the design down. Has anyone ever used Home Designer Pro 7.0 released by Chief Architect in conjunction with Better Homes & Gardens? Or Architectural Series 4000 by Punch! Software? Both boast advanced roofing, framing, and foundation tools but do they determine beam, header, and footing sizes that consider the load and span tolerances? A draftsperson may be able to do the job but I prefer as much hands-on as possible.Ĭhief Architect 10 is one we have investigated but it just isn’t cost effective for only a single design. We do not require architectural services as the plan is one of our own design and has been tweeked and re-tweeked for roughly ten years (began as a dream home project for a drafting course I took in my senior year of high school). My wife and I are considering building a custom home in the very near future and we are at the point where accurate estimates cannot be obtained from trade contractors without blueprints. Looking for some unbiased feedback and/or opinions on a few of the home design software titles available and whether or not they output working drawings for actual building & construction purposes.

Punch home design 4000 tutorial