Guide
From blueprints to a SketchUp model
A 3D model of your house makes it much easier to plan an addition, a deck or a new floor plan. You usually already have what's needed: the blueprints or permit drawings. Here's how they become a finished SketchUp model.
Which drawings are needed?
For a complete model of the shell of the house, we need:
- Floor plans for every story, including basement and attic if there is one. They show walls, windows and doors from above.
- Elevations of all four sides. They show heights, roof pitch and where the windows sit vertically.
- Sections, if you have them. They show floor thicknesses, ceiling heights and how the roof is built.
The drawings should have a scale, such as 1/4" = 1'-0" or 1:100, or a few dimensions written on them. Then everything else can be measured accurately.
Where do I find the blueprints?
For most houses built with a permit, the city or county building department keeps the plans with the permit records. The builder, the previous owner or your real estate agent may also have copies. Our guide on how to find the blueprints of your house goes through every option.
If the house has been extended or remodeled, there may be several sets of drawings. Send all of them and we'll model the house as it is today.
From lines to a model
When the drawings are digital PDFs, we read the lines straight out of the file at the right scale. Scanned drawings and photos are calibrated against the dimensions on the drawing. Then we build:
- the walls from the floor plan, with the heights from the elevations and sections
- the floors and stairs between stories
- the roof with the right pitch, eaves and ridge
- windows and doors as real openings, placed from the elevations
Finally we check the model against every drawing and organize it in tags (Roof, Walls, Windows & doors and so on), so you can easily show and hide parts of the house in SketchUp.
What can I use the model for?
- Planning an addition, a deck, a garage or a new floor plan
- Sun and shadow studies over the day and the year
- Trying out siding colors, new windows or a different roof
- Showing your architect, contractor or neighbors what you have in mind
- Rendering pictures with V-Ray, Enscape, Twinmotion or similar
The model is a planning tool. It doesn't replace construction documents or drawings for a permit application.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert a PDF floor plan to SketchUp myself?
You can import the PDF or an image of it into SketchUp, scale it to a known dimension and trace the walls. It works, but the roof, the windows and getting the stories to line up usually take several evenings if you're new to SketchUp.
Is a floor plan alone enough for a 3D model?
A floor plan gives walls, windows and doors in plan. For the roof and the heights we also need elevations, and a section if you have one. Permit drawings usually include all of them.
Can I keep working on the model?
Yes. You get a normal SketchUp file (.skp) that you can change just as if you had drawn it yourself, for example to try out an addition or a new layout.