Phase 4: Plan Selection

Plan Selection Guide

Decide whether a standard or custom SIP plan is right for your project. Think through what matters most for your design, budget, and timeline before you start the $9,750 design package, including a Walk Your Plans visit to walk your full-size floor plan and make final changes. The plans are yours to keep, even if you build elsewhere.

Basics to Consider First

Do you already have a plan you love?

Existing plans can often be adapted for SIP construction with some modifications. DreamStart will review any plan you bring.

Does your plan meet local zoning requirements?

Verify setbacks, height restrictions, and architectural guidelines before finalizing design.

Are your room sizes and layout preferences clear?

Clear space requirements help determine whether standard plans meet your needs or custom is required.

Is home orientation planned for your lot?

Site orientation affects passive solar efficiency and may influence plan selection or modifications.

Do you need an attached shop, garage, or covered porch?

Adding these in the original design is far more cost-effective than building them separately later.

When Standard Plans Make Sense

Budget-focused with predictable pricing

Standard plans eliminate design costs and provide predictable pricing from the start.

Faster timeline to permitting

Pre-engineered plans can significantly reduce the time needed for drawing preparation and permit submission.

Your lifestyle fits common layouts

Open-concept great rooms, 3 to 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, standard plans cover the most popular configurations.

Lot is rectangular with no unusual constraints

Standard plans work best on flat, regular lots without complex setback or orientation requirements.

When Custom Plans Make Sense

You have specific non-standard layout requirements

Unusual room configurations, accessibility needs, or unique lifestyle requirements work best with custom design.

Lot has unusual shape, slope, or orientation

Odd lots, steep grades, or specific view orientations often require custom design to optimize placement.

You want to maximize passive solar or energy efficiency

Custom designs can orient windows, overhangs, and rooms precisely to reduce heating and cooling costs.

You're combining residential and shop/commercial space

Shouse designs (shop + house) and mixed-use builds benefit from custom design to properly integrate both functions.

Timeline is flexible and design quality is the priority

Custom design takes longer but ensures the finished home is exactly what you envisioned.

SIP-Specific Design Tips

Design around 4-foot panel modules

SIP panels come in 4-foot widths. Building dimensions that are multiples of 4 feet minimize cuts, waste, and cost.

Plan for large open spans

SIP construction excels at open spans, no load-bearing interior walls means you can have massive open great rooms without columns or posts.

Keep roof lines simple

Simple gable, shed, or hip roofs minimize SIP cuts and labor costs. Complex roof lines with many valleys cost significantly more.

Window placement affects energy bills for decades

South-facing windows provide free solar heat in winter. North walls with minimal windows keep heat loss low. This is especially impactful in Missouri winters.

Slab-on-grade is the norm

Most SIP homestead shells use a monolithic slab foundation, cost-effective and works well with SIP wall panels sitting on the slab edge.

Plan Selection Questions

Ready to Choose Your Plan?

$9,750 design package, including a Walk Your Plans visit to walk your full-size floor plan and make final changes, kicks off your custom drawing process, whether standard or custom.

Start Your Design: $9,750 Fee →Book a Free Call First