Custom designs are very expensive. Good stock designs from a local designer are sure to be built by others in your area. And many of them seem to be engineered, but not designed with flair and aesthetic appeal..

But a design from an architect offering them on the internet can be sold a couple of dozen times and the closest one to you may be built hundreds of miles away.

When the designer can sell a plan multiple times, the design cost is spread over the several copies sold. You're only paying a portion of what it cost to create that plan.

  Most designers will modify a plan at a very reasonable cost. You can add a room, move a closet, move a wall, or even flip-flop a complete plan.

When you shop for designs online, you can often get the best deal around:

• Hundred to choose from
• Proven, builder tested designs
• Volume pricing

Here's my favorite house plans site. Be sure to check out their Northwest category of house plans. Out here South of Flagstaff we call many of these styles "mountain homes."

House plans must conform with Coconino County code requirements. Here are links to the county's Planning, Zoning, and Building Permits and Procedures page, and the Coconino County Online Permit Center page.