2-Family House Plans
Multigenerational households are becoming more common. There are many contributing factors, from elderly parents moving in with their children to young adults finding it too expensive to move out. And of course, some cultures have traditionally lived in homes with many generations together. Some of the house plans in this collection are duplex house plans suitable for housing two separate families, while others include in-law apartments with kitchenettes and living space.
3-Family House Plans
Also known as triplex house plans, these designs can accommodate three families or a multigenerational family. Whether you’re a professional builder looking to build a multifamily home, a large family with several generations wanting several units for everyone, or a regular homebuyer who wants to make a smart investment by building units for rental purposes, explore this collection to discover how surprisingly upscale and comfortable a three family home design can feel.
A-Frame House Plans
If you’re looking to build a home that will be used as a mountainous vacation retreat or a year-round wilderness dwelling, you’ve definitely arrived at the right collection. A-frame house plans were originally (and often still are) meant for rustic, snowy settings. The name, A-frame, is given to this architectural style because of its steep gable roof which forms an A-like shape. This signature steep gable roof is both stunning and practical, as the steep angle allows heavy snow to slide to the ground.
Acadian House Plans
Dormers, porches, stucco, and brick – what’s not to love? Named for the early settlers from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick who spread throughout what became the southern United States (especially Louisiana), Acadian style is also known as Cajun style, though today’s homes may bear little resemblance to those simple early structures. Acadian style house plans fit well in the South, though they’d look great in many other regions as well.
Adam-Federal House Plans
Adam-Federal house plans have their origins in the classical formality of the post-colonial period. Noted for its simplicity, symmetry, and grace, the style evolved from the work of English architect Robert Adam. Adam-Federal floor plans are generally rectangular or square, with two or three stories under a side-gable or hipped roof. Commonly built of brick, they may also feature clapboard siding. Their most distinctive feature is their symmetry: Adam-Federal home designs feature either one or two columns of windows on either side of a central door, which is accented by a fanlight and pediment or a more elaborate one-story portico. There may be a three-part or Palladian window above the door on the second floor.
Affordable House Plans
Here’s the problem with featuring an "affordable house plans" category... Everyone has their own definition of what an affordable house plan is. Furthermore, the total cost to build a home plan depends on a whole lot of different factors, such as building location and building materials. Building a home in Wichita, Kansas with modestly priced materials, for example, will likely have a very different final price tag than building the same home in, say, San Francisco, California with premium materials. So, please take that into consideration as you browse the below collection.
Award Winning House Plans
The house plans in this collection were recognized by the American Residential Design Awards (ARDA), an annual awards program put on by the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD).
Baby Boomer House Plans
Baby Boomer house plans accommodate a variety of factors typically associated with the Baby Boomer Generation. If you’re a Baby Boomer, that means you’re in your mid-50s, 60s, or 70s. At this point in your life you may have grown children and young grandchildren who need to stay with you—be it for a summer vacation, or as a more permanent arrangement. You may also need to house elderly parents or inlaws who can no longer take care of themselves. For this reason, you'll discover multi-generational house plans in the collection below.
Barn House Plans
Barn house plans relate closely to Dutch Colonial house plans in that their defining feature is a gambrel roof. As a result, barn house plans (as well as Dutch Colonial home plans) can sometimes be referred to as gambrel house plans or gambrel roof house plans. It’s this signature gambrel roof which gives the home the look and feel of a barn, hence the term "barn house plan" or "barn home."
Best Selling House Plans
Bestselling house plans tend to be small to medium sized designs. You’ll find some large home plans in the collection as well, but not too many ginormous ones. Why? Because, generally speaking, the larger a house plan is, the more money it costs to build. Furthermore, you have to consider the size of your lot—if you have a 35 foot wide lot in the middle of a city, selecting a sprawling one story 7 bedroom house plan probably isn’t going to work. And finally, there’s the question of... do you really need all that space? For some people, the answer is most definitely—YES! And if that’s the case, have no fear--we’ve got you covered. You can browse the below collection and filter by square footage, or you can jump over to our Mansion House Plans collection. But, if you’re like most people who have a limited budget, a small or medium sized lot, don’t need a huge amount of space, and would prefer to browse a curated collection of popular plans that meet these requirements, Dream Home Source’s bestselling home plan collection is a great place to find your perfect house plan.
Builder Preferred House Plans
If you're a professional house builder or you're working with one, check out this collection of easy-to-build house plans. Builder preferred house plans feature simple footprints, affordable square footage, and dimensions that make the homes easier to fit in narrow or infill lots.
Chalet House Plans
If your ideal vacation involves playing in the snow, skiing, or just curling up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, then a chalet home plan may be the right one for you. After all, what do you picture when you think about a mountain getaway home? Probably a rustic cabin or A-frame with deck, a steeply pitched roof, and a big wall of windows. If you dream of building in the mountains or by a lake, a mountain lodge or log cabin feels just right. Chalet style house plans add a dash of Swiss flair with fun elements.
Contemporary Modern Ranch House Plans
Clean-lined and easy-living, contemporary ranch house plans stand out for their simplicity and chic style.
Contemporary-Modern House Plans
Sophisticated contemporary house plan designs offer soaring ceilings, flexible, open floor space, minimalist decorative elements, and extensive use of modern or "industrial" mixed materials throughout the home, like concrete, vinyl, and glass. Big windows and/or large indoor-outdoor living spaces are also common.
Cottage House Plans
Architectural pattern books first appeared in America near the mid-19th century promoting cottage home plans and remained popular through the early 20th century (though they still survive today in the form of online house plan websites like Dream Home Source). They are often credited with the rapid spread of architectural trends throughout the country, and, as their target audiences were average American homeowners, they were particularly effective at popularizing modest vernacular styles like small cottage house plans and designs for bungalows. Cottage style house plans are characterized by their individuality, though there are a few common denominators such as compact and sometimes irregular footprints, one- or one-and-a-half-story profiles, and asymmetrical massing. Modern Cottage floor plans are adapted for today’s lifestyles, with cozy family gathering spaces, inviting hearths, and up-to-date amenities. If you are looking for a unique home with character and a sense of history, our Cottage house plans collection is where you'll find it!
Dutch House Plans
Dutch Colonial house plans share many features common to other Colonial styles: a simple rectangular footprint, a side-gabled roof, and a symmetrical exterior with windows aligned in rows and a central door, often leading to a central hallway with flanking rooms. The primary difference is the shape of the roof: the eaves may flare out, or the roof may have dual pitches. This is called a gambrel roof; it is commonly seen on barns (where it creates extra space in the hay loft). The roof shape is so distinctive that nearly any home displaying a gambrel roof, even more complex Colonial Revival house plans, may be classified as Dutch. In many Dutch Colonial designs, the eaves extend over a full-width front porch. Historically constructed of brick or stone, modern Dutch home plans may have brick, stone, clapboard, or shingle siding. Dutch floor plans typically open to a central hall, though both traditional and open layouts available. Their solid shape and substantial construction give Dutch house plans the essence of home.
Editors' Picks House Plans
Every year our editors review thousands of architectural designs--simple home plans, smart home plans, spectacular home plans, you name it, we see it. And quite frankly, many home plans (sometimes written as "homeplans") get rejected because they don't live up to our editors’ high standards. Because they look at so many house plans, our editors are experts in immediately recognizing the standouts the moment they're submitted.
Empty Nest House Plans
If you’re looking for an empty nest house plan (also called a retirement house plan), that probably means the kids have moved out and it’s just you or you and your partner left to live life as you please… THANK GOODNESS! What’s more, congratulations--you’ve just survived 18 years of tantrums, homework, spilled drinks, and never-ending flu seasons. Peace, relaxation, and sanity have returned, at last!
Exclusive House Plans
Dream Home Source brings you this unmatched collection of plans thanks to Zonda's exclusive relationships with four of the country's top designers - Frank Betz Associates, Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc., Dan Sater and Visbeen Architects. These homes represent the latest in design concepts, incorporating classic style with modern conveniences.
Family Home Plans
Family Home Plans
French Country House Plans
Also known as French Provincial, French Country style is inspired by the rustic manors that dot the fields of northern and southern France. Especially impressive on large properties, French Country home plans also fit in well in upscale suburban enclaves where their fine pedigree and handsome lines make them an outstanding choice for those who desire a residence with an unmatched sense of style and elegance. Stately and formal, many French Country home designs exhibit a square, symmetrical shape with windows balanced on either side of the entrance and a steep hipped roof. Some are asymmetrical, with multiple roof elements creating a series of visual focal points. Round towers and entryways hidden beneath rustic arches are common decorative features. Stone, stucco, and brick are the prevailing choices for the exterior.
Georgian House Plans
Colonial Georgian house plans made their first appearance in America's Atlantic coast colonies around 1700 and flourished in a variety of regional interpretations until about 1780. Named for Great Britain's King George and based on English designs of the period, Georgian architecture is highly symmetrical, featuring multi-paned windows evenly balanced on either side of a central front door and chimneys at either end of the home. A rectangular footprint is most common.
Gothic Revival House Plans
Imitating the great cathedrals and castles of Europe, the Gothic Revival overtook the United States during the Victorian era. Picturesque Gothic Revival style ranges from grand and glorious stone castles to adorable gingerbread cottages. The common thread is the pointed arch window, which lends a church-like appearance to Gothic house plans (picture the farmhouse in Grant Wood’s American Gothic). These distinctive homes typically feature a steeply pitched roof with one or more cross gables and a one-story porch. Wood frame examples, also called Carpenter Gothic, may have vertical board-and-batten siding and gingerbread or stickwork in the gable ends and along the rooflines. In contrast, high-style urban residences are typically built of brick or stone and sport romantic crenellated towers and parapets.
Greek Revival House Plans
Greek Revival house plans became extremely popular among prosperous Americans between 1830 and 1860, partly as a backlash against British styles, but also because they celebrated the democratic culture of ancient Greece. The Greek Revival quickly spread throughout the Atlantic states and deep south. Greek Revival house designs are characterized by their bold symmetrical shape, low-pitched pedimented gables, and temple-like porticos supported by grandiose columns. Classical details garnish the central entry door, the tall windows, and the cornices.
Green House Plans
Green home plan (sometimes written "homeplan") popularity grows each day as homeowners seek to build smaller, more efficient, "green" homes. "Going green" is a smart choice from a monetary perspective. For one, many green homes save money on construction costs up-front due to their smaller size and compact footprint (a trait which can also come in handy if you happen to be building on a narrow urban lot). Green homes also cut down on energy costs by way of extra insulation, more-efficient water heaters, lighting and appliances, and the use of natural daylighting techniques. The green house plans in this collection, for instance, pay special care to window placement and overhangs, so that the amount of sunlight entering the home is controlled properly. Our green home plan designs also anticipate insulation and wall systems ideal for extreme hot and cold temperatures, where the HVAC loads will be high.
Home Plan Design Hot Deals
Explore these outstanding affordable house plans. Find your perfect home plan at the best price today.
House of the Week
The home plans in this collection have been published in newspapers across the country as part of a special House of the Week feature. Consider these the best of the best – they’ve all been hand-picked. You’ll find a wide range of styles and sizes here, from modest Craftsman bungalows to sleek modern farmhouses and more. Looking for a tiny home that will be affordable to build? How about a spacious one-story home that can transition nicely into an elegant empty nest later? It’s all here.
House Plans with Photos
Dream House Plans with Photos
Italianate House Plans
The first Italian style house plans appeared in America in the 1830s and remained popular through the end of the century. These picturesque two-to-four story homes are designed to resemble Italian villas. Classic proportions are dressed up with a Mediterranean twist, with some Italianate house plans displaying a stately symmetry while others are more rambling and rustic. Almost all houses in the Italian style feature a low-pitched hipped or flat roof with wide, overhanging eaves supported by decorative brackets. Some sport square cupolas atop the roof. Windows are typically arranged in orderly ranks and enhanced with elaborate crowns or frames.
Mission Home Plans
Mission style house plans are inspired by the architecture of 18th century Spanish Catholic missions in the American southwest. Revived in the sunbelt states around the turn of the century, Mission style quickly caught on across California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida. The distinctive parapet characteristic of Mission designs also appeared in some Craftsman homes of the same era.
Narrow Lot House Plans
Land is expensive, particularly in a densely developed city or suburb. Find a house plan that fits your narrow lot here. While the exact definition of a narrow lot varies from place to place, many of the house plan designs in this collection measure 50 feet or less in width. These slim designs range in style from simple Craftsman bungalows to charming cottages and even ultra-sleek contemporary house designs.
New House Plans
New home plans (sometimes written "new homeplan" or "new plans for houses") offer the latest in architectural design innovation and style. In short, new house plans sport beauty and practicality. Curb appeal, for example, is highly popular—a valuable amenity whether you plan to stay in the house forever or sell it down the road. Open floor plans are also very trendy right now, and for good reason. If you’re a parent trying to make dinner, for instance, it might be nice to have a view into the living or great room so you can keep an eye on young kids. Likewise, if you’re a single professional or married without kids, an open sight line from the kitchen to the living areas will be convenient if you regularly entertain guests.
Second Empire House Plans
Second Empire house plans were modeled after the opulent architecture of Paris during the reign of Napoleon III from 1855 to 1895, when tall mansard roofs were the answer to taxes imposed on the height of a house. Height was only measured to the base of the roof, so any living space contained within the roof was exempt. The steep slope of the mansard roof allowed the attic to be almost as roomy as the floor below it, while dormer window penetrated the roof at regular intervals to provide light.
Shed House Plans
Do you ever drive down a street and get annoyed when every house looks exactly the same? If so, note two things—1) you’re not alone and 2) you’ve come to the right site! At Dream Home Source, we embrace the fact that every homeowner is different. For example, some people adore Craftsman bungalow designs, while others demand ultra modern house plans. Likewise, some people crave open floor plans in which the kitchen and living spaces flow together, while others prefer a more traditional interior layout in which each room is assigned a specific amount of space. Ultimately, there is no "wrong" type of house plan. It’s all about what you personally need and want. And that's precisely why we offer thousands of unique home plans that can be customized to meet your exact requirements, including our atypical-looking, curb appeal-rich collection of Shed house plans (sometimes called "Shed roof home plans" or "Shed roof plans for houses") below.
Sloped Lot House Plans
Most people would probably prefer owning a perfectly flat lot. Why? Because this this type of surface tends to be easier to build upon. But sometimes life isn’t perfect. In fact, most of the time, life is far from perfect. Some people may only be able to afford a sloping lot, while others may be forced onto a hillside due to their love of the outdoors. Just think--if your dream is to have a house in the mountains or wilderness, for instance, this kind of area may have nothing but hills to build on. Does this mean you just forget about building your dream home? Heck no. At Dream Home Source, we understand that most people face some kind of lot challenge. That’s why we feature collections of house plans specifically designed for unique lot challenges, like a narrow width (seen most often in cities) or a slope.
Starter House Plans
Can your starter house also be your dream home? Absolutely. In fact, if the design is flexible enough, you may never need to move. Starter homes aren’t just for newlyweds or young families. Because home ownership has become expensive, it’s likely that your first house has been years in the making while up money by living in an apartment or with parents. Or maybe you’ve already owned a home (perhaps a fixer-upper) but now you’re ready to start from the ground up to make your vision come true. Empty nesters looking to downsize can also appreciate the elegant simplicity of these homes.
Vacation House Plans
Vacation house plans are as diverse as vacations themselves. Some people might consider a beautiful beach in Malibu, California to be the ideal vacation spot. Others may enjoy a week or two in the snowy mountains of Colorado. Others still may simply seek a cozy cottage out in the middle of nowhere—far from work, traffic, and the daily grind.
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