Im looking to build an inexpensive guest house, yet comlpletely livable minus the kitchen.?

where can i go online to get an estimate on a floor plan or even get some ideas on a floor plann for an extra room out back behind my house? I also would like to build this myself, with no contractors.Im looking to build an inexpensive guest house, yet comlpletely livable minus the kitchen.?
If you just wanted a room you could use a shed which would be easy . In my county you can build a out building without a permit if it is less than 80 sq ft. But you will likely need a bathroom. So you will need a building permit. You should start a your local government to see what requirements they have for your proposal. You will need licensed electricians to do/inspect all electric work you may be able to do the rest but some counties require a licensed plumber for water and sewer connections. The county may or may not require a licensed architect for a site plan, some will allow you to prepare the plan. An extension on your house would be a lot cheaper since you would not need to add a bath. You could have a separate entrance for that portion of the house.Im looking to build an inexpensive guest house, yet comlpletely livable minus the kitchen.?
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The best way to learn what you need in your specific jurisdiction is to talk to someone at your local government's planning and development branch. If you live in a city or a municipal district you'll need planning approval for any new building or for an extension that changes the footprint of your house anyway (and for some that don't, like certain decks), so it's a good idea to get them involved early.





By the way, to get approval you'll almost certainly need plans that have been approved by a structural engineer or architect who practises in your state or province. This isn't just a way of gouging you, either. It's meant to ensure buildings meet local requirements for structural strength, earthquake tolerance, snow load capacity, wind tolerance, etc. You may find that it's cheaper to get a pre-approved plan for the guest house from a house plans magazine published in your home country. Most of these will be acceptable in any area of your country, or they'll be marked otherwise. You'll still have to get them stamped by a local architect or structural engineer in most cases.





Municipalities also have rules about zoning that go beyond the building code. Where I live you can't build right up to the property line, for instance. Getting a permit and approval helps to prevent a nasty mistake that could cost you a lot of money in the long run and even invalidate your homeowner's insurance or, in Canada, your mortgage.





When we put our room in a long time ago we learned from our neighbours, who put in an extension to their master bedroom without a development permit or approved plans. Their idea was that they owned the property, they could do what they wanted with it. They were forced to tear it down once the City found out, and well they were: the 'load-bearing wall' was built with plywood and 1x4s. It would have fallen down in a good wind and probably would have taken out our master bedroom with it. They also didn't put down a proper foundation, which meant they had to dig it up and start again. I think in the end they ended up shelling out four times what we did - and they did it to ';save money';. Sometimes cheap isn't thrifty.





Edit to add: By the way, you don't need approval for sheds because they're considered temporary and movable. A guest house will never be considered temporary and movable, so you will need a permit unless your county is exceptionally poorly run.