Guide
How to find the blueprints of your house
Planning a remodel, an addition, or just want to understand your house better? The drawings often still exist, and you can frequently get them for free or a small fee. Here's where to look.
1. The building department
When a house is built or remodeled with a permit, the plans are submitted to the city or county building department (also called permits, planning or development services). Search the department's website for "permit records" or "public records request", or call and ask. Many have an online portal where you search by address.
2. Ask for the right drawings
Whether you use a portal, a form or an email, include:
- the address and, if you know it, the parcel number
- which drawings you want: floor plans, elevations and sections
- that you'd like them digitally, as PDF
If the house has been extended, there may be several sets of drawings from different years. Ask for all of them.
3. Other places to look
- The builder or developer, especially for newer homes and subdivisions where the same plans were built many times
- The previous owner, who may have a set from a remodel
- Your real estate agent or the listing agent, who sometimes has floor plans from the sale
- The HOA, which may keep plans for approval of changes
- The original architect, if their name is on any document
4. Check what you got
To understand the house, or build a 3D model of it, you ideally want:
- Floor plans for each story, showing walls, windows and doors from above
- Elevations of every side, showing heights and roof pitch
- Sections, showing floor and roof construction
Check that a scale is written on the drawings, often 1/4" = 1'-0". Old hand-drawn blueprints are usually perfectly usable.
From blueprints to 3D
Once you have the drawings, they can become a 3D model, both for planning and for showing contractors what you mean. Read how blueprints become a SketchUp model, or upload them and we'll build the model for you.
Frequently asked questions
Are house blueprints public record?
Building permits are usually public record, and in many places the plans submitted with them are too. Some departments only release plans to the owner, or keep them for a limited number of years, so ask what they have for your address.
How much does it cost to get the plans?
It varies. Many building departments email digital copies for free or a small fee. Paper copies, archive retrieval or scanning old drawings can cost more.
What if nobody has the blueprints?
Try the original builder, the previous owner and your real estate agent. If the house was a catalog or kit home, the company may still sell the plans. As a last resort the house can be measured, usually by an architect, a drafter or a measuring service.
I'm in the UK, Canada or Australia. Where do I look?
The same idea applies: the local council or municipality that handled the building or planning approval. In the UK, the council's planning portal often has the drawings from planning applications online.