Category Archives: Home Design

Popular Floor Plan Software

Draw floor plans with professional results every time with CAD Pro’s popular floor plan software. Quickly design floor plans like a pro, Cad Pro is the leading source for designing and printing any type of floor plans. Creating and designing floor plans does not have to be difficult, Cad Pro provides quick placement of doors, windows, electrical outlets, switches, sinks and much more.

Share your floor plans with contractors, clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export them to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, PDF, or PowerPoint® with a single click.

“Our design team feels that CAD Pro is the popular floor plan software for the price. We use it for communicating with contractors, submitting floor plans for building permits and customer presentations.” – Becky Stevens, Home Designer, Phoenix, AZ   ★★★★★

Popular Floor Plan Software

Popular Floor Plan Software

Cad Pro receives awards for its popular floor plan software.

No experience necessary when using Cad Pro to design your floor plans. Quickly add cabinets, appliances, furniture, and other interior designs when using this award-winning popular floor plan software.

Professional Floor Plans Included
Quickly view and print professionally designed floor plans. CAD Pro includes some of the most popular floor plans built. Simply open any of the CAD Pro floor plans and quickly modify any aspect to meet your specific requirements.

Popular Floor Plan Software includes Interactive Features
Communicate your floor plan ideas more effectively. CAD Pro is the only software that allows you to add these interactive web features.

  • Record your ideas and incorporate voice instructions into your floor plans.
  • Add pop-up text memos to your floor plans to support areas in detail.
  • Add pop-up photos and transform floor plans into designs you can visualize.

Cad Pro is also great for creating net-zero floor planscommercial floor plansbuilding floor plansfacility plansconstruction detailsrestaurant drawings and much more.

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Home Improvement Projects & Plans
Add immediate value and comfort to your home with CAD Pro’s home improvement projects and plans. Valued at over $10,000, each project plan is a CAD Pro drawing, enabling you to print them as they are or quickly modify them to meet your specific needs. All plans include several views and a complete materials list. Project Plans include Garages, Outdoor Kitchens, Shade Arbors, Decks, Tree Houses and Lake House Plans.

Cad Pro is the most popular floor plan software solution on the market.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders, and contractors plan and design all types of floor plans. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors as well as the NALP National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Floor Plan Designer

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Home Interior Design Trends

With each new year comes a fresh set of home interior design trends. And those topping the list this year are sure to inspire homeowners making updates big and small. Here’s a recap of the shows at Design and Construction Week along with what’s up and coming in home improvement. Here are some of the themes shaping today’s interior spaces, according to distinguished designers.

Cad Pro’s home design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other home design and remodeling software programs. CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, contractors, and interior designers. Cad Pro is great for creating custom remodeling home plans, floor planshouse plans, outdoor kitchen plans, deck plans and patio designs, and much more.

Home Interior Design Trends

Home Interior Design Trends

Popular Home Interior Design Trends

#1 Nature-inspired spaces: The hustle and bustle of daily life has homeowners craving the harmony of nature. And what better way to fulfill that desire than by bringing the outside in? In a move toward nature-inspired spaces, homeowners are incorporating stone, white oak and wood-grain elements to create a visual connection to the outdoors. And they’re also embracing natural color palettes with warm whites and serene greens and blues. Scandinavian decor and furnishings are also popular home interior design trends.

#2 Simplicity: Less is more this year, designers are embracing an uncluttered aesthetic that favors clean lines and craftsmanship and honors interest over things. Over-decorating is discouraged. Every detail from the kitchen countertop to the flower vase is meant to serve an authentic and functional purpose. Simplicity centers on creating a visually organized space. Thoughtful storage solutions will help you achieve the look.

#3 Style blending and personalization: Interior design is trending away from a one-style aesthetic, encouraging a mix of fashions new and old. Traditional meets contemporary, industrial meets organic, and rustic meets modern as designers tailor spaces to satisfy homeowners’ unique needs and tastes. This trend celebrates the purposeful mixing of styles, materials, patterns and textures to create a truly personalized home. Combining different metals and finishes is encouraged. Displaying items with sentimental value is admired. And the modern farmhouse look is a favorite of homeowners and designers alike making this one of the popular home interior design trends.

#4 Bold colors: After years of embracing neutrals, homeowners are now looking to incorporate bolder colors to reflect their personalities and liven up their spaces. Paint manufacturers are on point: PPG Paints’ color of the year is a moody indigo called Black Flame; Benjamin Moore’s color of the year is a radiant red called Caliente; and the Pantone color of the year is a bold purple titled Ultra Violet.

#5 Livability: Smart home technology, clever storage and universal design elements are coming together to create a home that is as livable as it is beautiful. Motion-sensing faucets and lights facilitate safety and convenience. Lower kitchen cabinet drawers offer easy access to pots and pans. Designated storage cupboards keep microwaves and other small appliances at arm’s reach but out of plain view. And smart appliances and thermostats make everyday life a little easier all around. What’s more, floating vanities, open shelving and no-threshold showers are not only popular and attractive design elements, but they also make it easier for homeowners to continue living in their homes as they grow older.

Appliances for Home Interior Design Trends
Appliance manufacturers are also following suit, offering boldly colored ovens, refrigerators and more in addition to the timeless stainless steel. Look for bold colors to complement muted hues and warm grays and whites, which are still very much in style. And consider colorful patterns in tile and wallpaper to add an extra bit of oomph.

Share These Home Interior Design Trends
CAD Pro lets you quickly share your home interior design trends and floor plans with clients, contractors or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click. CAD Pro is used by homeowners, contractors and designers for all types of floor plans and home interior design ideas.

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Popular Bathroom Design Tips

Implementing these popular bathroom design tips will improve functionality and style of your bathrooms. Bathrooms are probably the most used rooms in your home, and with rising interest rates, inflation and an unpredictable housing market, homeowners are choosing to stay in their current homes for longer periods of times, resulting in an increase of remodeling projects.

A well-designed bathroom is functional while offering a visual preference that fits with the rest of the home’s interior décor. One of the most important popular bathroom design tips is to make sure you select the right bathroom wall tiles for your bathroom design. Use a change of color to zone a particular space.

As homeowners become more interested and involved in the design process, they too know there is more to designing a bathroom than just picking a new bathtub and a few accessories.

It’s important that you first pick the view upon entrance. This is an important part of the popular bathroom design tips. What makes a good starting point for your bathroom layout is that you want to see the bath or basin first, not the toilet. Choose one key piece: Be it a freestanding bath, heart-stopping vanity unit or a beautifully tiled shower area and build the layout around it.

Popular Bathroom Design Tips

Popular Bathroom Design Tips

Popular Bathroom Design Tips

Creative Flooring Designs
Bathroom floors need to be hardworking, impervious to water, and slip resistant. They also need to be attractive. A large format floor tile is all about making the floor a focal point by introducing excellent patterns and color into your bathroom. You might want to mix tiles for an even more enhanced effect. A few suggested talking points:

Patterns: Consider pairing tiles with different geometric patterns or motifs to add visual interest.

Colors: Add a pop to your bathroom by pairing tiles in different shades or complementary colors.

Textures: Add depth by mixing smooth and rough tiles or tiles with different finishes, such as matte and gloss.

Popular Bathroom Fixture Colors
When it comes to faucet finishes, look to Arctic® Stainless or Polished Nickel. Arctic Stainless finish is the tried and true in presentation and tone décor finish. If your customer is a little more eccentric in style, go ahead and recommend a few different metal finishes to mix throughout the bathroom. A gold finish has become very popular but is not as popular as stainless, polished nickel, chrome, or matte black.

Creative Lighting
Your bathroom lighting should not be an afterthought. Lighting is vastly important in these popular bathroom design tips and is one of the important factors you should always pay attention to. These are Lights, Tiles and Mirrors. Get one of these wrong and you will not get the most from the bathroom.

You don’t have to settle for just one type of lighting in your bathroom. Other than the functional ‘spotlights’, you also need to consider more subtle mood lighting to enhance your bathroom as a place to relax in. To really impress your friends and colleagues, we recommend installing light dimmers to help control light output to create the ideal ambiance.

Frameless Glass Enclosures
It’s time to say goodbye to shower curtains. Your customers might think they’re saving money by using a shower curtain, but with mold and mildew build up, these don’t have an endless shelf life. Encourage your customer to ditch the shower curtain for a frameless glass enclosure instead. A simple replacement that will last years and give your customer’s space a modern upgrade.

Important: Remember, your customers are the lifeblood of your business. It is critical to stay on top of these popular bathroom design tips, and ahead of, design trends to deliver an exceptional customer-service experience, that in turn establishes and builds relationships to drive your business forward.

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive bathroom design software. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, rooftop solar panel designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, deck plans  green construction design plans and much more.

When you implement these popular bathroom designs tips and plans, CAD Pro allows anyone to share their ideas with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders, and contractors plan and design all types of bathroom designs. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Bathroom Remodel Costs

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Professional Floor Plan Designer

Design floor plans with expert results every time with the most popular and professional floor plan designer on the market. Quickly create floor plans like a pro, Cad Pro is the leading source for designing for all types of floor plans. Creating and designing floor plans does not have to be difficult, Cad Pro provides quick placement of doors, windows, electrical outlets, switches, sinks and much more.

Share your floor plan designs with contractors, clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export them to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, PDF, or PowerPoint® with a single click.

“We use CAD Pro’s professional floor plan designer software, for communicating with contractors, submitting building permits and customer presentations.” – G. Simmons, Builder, Atlanta, GA   ★★★★★

Professional Floor Plan Designer

Professional Floor Plan Designer

CAD Pro’s award-winning professional floor plan designer.

No experience necessary when using CAD Pro for creating floor plans. Quickly add cabinets, appliances, furniture, and other interior designs when using this award-winning and professional floor plan designer software.

Professional Floor Plan Designer includes Pre-designed Floor Plans
Quickly view and print professionally designed floor plans. CAD Pro includes some of the most popular floor plans built. Simply open any of the many CAD Pro floor plans and quickly modify any aspect to meet your specific floor plan requirements.

Cad Pro is also great for creating commercial floor plansbuilding floor planshome floor plans, facility plansconstruction detailsrestaurant drawings and much more.

Home Improvement Projects & Plans
Add immediate value and comfort to your home with CAD Pro’s home improvement projects and plans. Valued at over $10,000, each project plan is a CAD Pro drawing, enabling you to print them as they are or quickly modify them to meet your specific needs. All plans include several views and a complete materials list. Project Plans include; Garages, Outdoor Kitchens, Shade Arbors, Decks, Tree Houses and Lake House Plans.

Professional Floor Plan Designer with Interactive Features
Communicate your floor plans ideas more effectively. CAD Pro is the only software that allows you to add these interactive web features.

  • Record your ideas and incorporate voice instructions into your floor plans.
  • Add pop-up text memos to your floor plans to support areas in detail.
  • Add pop-up photos and transform floor plans into designs you can visualize.

CAD Pro’s professional floor plan designer is also used for net zero construction plans. A zero net energy building (ZNEB) is one that is optimally efficient, and over the course of a year, generates energy onsite, using clean renewable resources, in a quantity equal to or greater than the total amount of energy consumed onsite.

The agency known as U.S. Green Building Council will help you define the process and assist you in refining your net zero green construction process. Their mission is to assist you in the ways buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated while enabling environmentally responsible methods for improving the overall quality of life on our planet.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders, and contractors design all types of floor plans. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

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How to Build a House

When you understand how to build a house the building of your new house is thrilling, especially when you understand how the building process should function. It’s understandable that buyers are excited to see their new house being built from start to finish. It’s important that you the homebuyer makes various appointments with their builder throughout the building process so you can discuss any questions you may have.

Homeowners enjoy watching their new house being built from start to finish. The new owners can watch land preparation, pouring of the foundation, framing of the new structure, hanging of drywall and much more. That’s when to owners start to visualize themselves living in their new house.

To help you better understand how to build a house you will need to understand the home building construction process, this article outlines the steps your builder will take during the new construction of your house.

Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive home design software. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

How to Build a House

How to Build a House

Steps for How to Build a House:

  1. Builder applies and acquires the building permit.
  2. Construction crews will level the building site and prepare a pad on your lot for the foundation.
  3. A concrete construction crew will pour a footing and build the necessary forms for the foundation.
  4. The next step for how to build a house is the installation of all underground and foundation plumbing. This includes installing drains, sewer system, and water supply taps. When the rough-in of the plumbing is completed, the builder will call in for an inspection.
  5. Now the concrete crew will return to pour the foundation. We highly recommend that you speak with your builder about installing post-tension cables before the foundation is poured. Post-tension foundations are great for preventing foundation cracks and sinking.
  6. The next step will be the rough framing of your new house. This will include all walls, windows and door headers and frames. The framers will complete the roof framing and decking therefore preparing it for shingles. The framers will also install the sheathing on exterior walls and cover it with a protective barrier known as house wrap. When learning how to build a house, it’s important to understand that house wrap prevents water from infiltrating the homes’ exterior structure.
  7. The builder will install shingles on the rough.
  8. Once the framing process is completed the builder will complete rough plumbing, electrical, and HVAC ductwork and vent pipes.
  9. The drywall is the next step. Drywall is hung on interior walls which will include mud and tape over the drywall screws, and any seams. You will also choose the drywall texture if required.
  10. Now contractors will begin installing exterior finishes such as brick, stone, siding, or stucco.
  11. The next steps for how to build a house will be interior trim, exterior walkways, and driveway.
  12. Now the builder will install hard surface flooring and countertops. While these steps are being installed a final grade of the yard will be completed.
  13. Once the hard surface flooring is installed the builder will install cabinets.
  14. Install mechanical trims, bathroom fixtures, HVAC units, sinks, toilets, and faucets.
  15. Complete the painting process, this will include all interior and exterior surfaces that require paint.
  16. Install mirrors, shower doors, and carpet/finish flooring.
  17. Now you will need to perform a final walk-through with your builder so you may discuss any issues that will require additional work before the house is sold to you.

It’s important when you learn how to build a house that timely inspections by the local building inspector are very important. These inspections will assure you of a quality-built house.

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CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders, and contractors design all types of new homes. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Net-Zero House Plans

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Virtual Bathroom Designs

As the Digital Age persists, technology is coming out almost daily that aims to make life easier and more efficient for people all over the world. An impressive and important form of technology that is increasing in popularity is virtual bathroom designs and software that will assist you. This kind of software allows homeowners and home remodeling companies to redesign a space virtually before construction begins. Virtual design software, can be used for any room in the home; however, for the purpose of this post, it can be especially beneficial for bathroom redesigns.

Virtual Bathroom Designs

Virtual Bathroom Designs and Ideas

Benefits of Virtual Bathroom Designs

An expert that sells glass showers in Philly pointed out that virtual bathroom designs and the software is becoming a widely accepted part of the bathroom remodeling industry. This type of software allows people to see what the bathroom will look like before it is completed and allows people to avoid any potential issues with the redesign. With that being said, designing a bathroom virtually is easy and can make the entire remodeling process much more straightforward.

What Are the Benefits?
Key features of virtual bathroom designs include:

  • The ability to categorize your expenses and easily track payments and invoices.
  • The ability to easily store contractor and other service provider’s information.
  • You can make mistakes and easily fix them with no real-life consequences.
  • You have access to thousands of resources; more than ever before.
  • You can save money by finding the most cost-efficient materials.
  • You have the potential to be saving time.
  • It is easy and enjoyable to learn and use whether you are a homeowner or a contractor.

Tips for Virtual Bathroom Designs
When you start your virtual bathroom designs, there are some design tips to consider that will make your bathroom efficient and gorgeous. Some tips to consider include:

  • Consider storage; where are you going to keep towels and toilet paper?
  • Think about how many people are going to use this space. This will help you determine how many sinks to install, whether you need a tub or shower installed, the amount of storage you will need, etc.
  • Make sure you have fans. Fans will not only cool the bathroom, but it will also make the bathroom less humid, thus preventing mold.
  • Be sure to note the kind of materials you are going to use. Noting these things will help you account for costs and will help you remember exactly what you are looking for.
  • Plan to install water and energy-efficient appliances such as a water-efficient toilet or showerhead, or energy-efficient lights. You will save money and the environment with these efficient appliances.

Consider a Virtual Redesign Today
You can use home design software like CAD Pro for any room redesign in your home. This easy to use modern technology can make your life easier and can give you the room or home of your dreams. Consider taking advantage of virtual bathroom designs as you plan your next bathroom.

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, deck plans and much more.

When you create virtual bathroom designs, CAD Pro allows anyone to share their ideas and plans with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of bathroom designs. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

About the Author
Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey

Net-Zero Home Construction

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Popular Outdoor Design Trends

Whether you have several acres and a pool or just a city balcony, here are the most popular outdoor design trends.

As we transition into summer, spending time outdoors becomes more important. After a grueling winter and spring, people are looking forward to being outside. So, there is more pressure than ever to create a resort-like space in our own backyards.

Popular Outdoor Design Trends

Popular Outdoor Design Trends and Plans

Four Popular Outdoor Design Trends

Glass Pool Fencing
Pool fencing and aesthetically pleasing rarely belong in the same sentence, but Aquaview pool fences are different. Founded by friends and entrepreneurs Jordan Goodman and Kelly Maynard, the brand was even featured on TLC’s Make This Place Your Home.

Aquaview fences are made from stainless steel and half-inch thick tempered safety glass. This has many advantages over traditional pool fencing. Unlike other materials, glass provides an unobstructed view and will not detract from landscaping or other architectural features. This is one of the popular outdoor design trends that can even increase property value, making it a smart investment.

Glass is also a better choice for safety than standard pool fencing. It is far easier for homeowners to keep an eye on children and pets through glass. It also discourages intruders and animals from getting into the pool area because glass cannot be climbed.

Outdoor Bars
At the end of April, Wayfair Professional released a report sharing data and search trends which revealed what their customers were looking to buy for the upcoming season. One of the most notable findings was that searches for outdoor bars increased by 155 percent. It’s easy to understand why. Much like a fun pool float, just the sight of an outdoor bar can put someone in a more festive mood.

Building an outdoor kitchen is a major undertaking that’s simply not an option for everyone. So, one of our popular outdoor design trends is an outdoor bar. There many options to choose from that will fit anyone’s budget making it a far less expensive alternative.

Lighting
Having sufficient outdoor lighting is essential to getting the most out of your backyard. One of the best ways to install lighting outdoors, according to John Barnes, who is a design expert with Lamps Plus, is using a DIY Landscape Lighting Kit. Easy to install plug-in kits come complete with everything you need: LED lights, plug-in transformer, and wire. Simply position the lights where you want in your yard, make the simple connections, and plug into an outdoor wall outlet. The transformers have built-in dusk-to-dawn sensors, so the lights will automatically come on at night and go off at sunrise.

It is recommend using these kits to highlight trees or garden details as well as brighten walkways for safety. There are so many different options for this type of lighting in a range of aesthetics and budgets.

Rope Furniture
One of the biggest and most popular outdoor design trends in outdoor furnishings is rope. It originally started as more of a coastal decor look but it’s now used in so many different ways that it can fit in almost style and budget.

There are many outdoor kitchen appliances and manufacturing companies to choose from. Here are a few we recommend; Masterbuilt, Vicking, AJ Madison, BBQGuys and Kalamazoo.

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive outdoor design software. Cad Pro is great for designing outdoor living projects, DIY home projects, smart home designs, technical drawings, electrical drawings, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of outdoor living areas. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Planning Outdoor Living Space

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Energy Star Home Builders

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) honored nearly 200 Energy Star Home Builders and partners for their contributions to public health and the environment.

One of the key Energy Star Home Builders that won an ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence was KB Home, recognized for constructing more EPA Energy Star Homes than any other builder, with a total of more than 137,000 homes. KB Home also educated customers and real estate professionals through its Energy Performance Guide (EPG), a tool that projects estimated energy savings and utility bills for prospective home buyers.

Energy Star Home Builders

Energy Star Home Builders and Plans

Benefits of Energy Star Home Builders

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.

And with home-buyers increasingly interested in green building, energy efficiency is the place to start. That’s because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global warming. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. Learn more about Energy Star Home Builders and how Green Begins with ENERGY STAR Blue.

ADDED CONFIDENCE
Home buying is complex enough without having to know all the details of energy-efficient construction. Instead, look for the government-backed ENERGY STAR label to easily identify homes that are truly energy efficient. Find the house of your dreams and enjoy peace of mind knowing that it also meets strict energy efficiency guidelines.

LOWER OWNERSHIP COST
Compared with standard homes, Energy Star Home Builders offer certified homes that use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating-delivering $200 to $400 in annual savings. Over the average 7 to 8 years you may live in your home, this adds up to thousands of dollars saved on utility bills. Additional savings on maintenance can also be substantial. Financing your home purchase using an ENERGY STAR Mortgage or an energy efficient mortgage can also lead to savings.

BETTER PERFORMANCE
Properly installed energy-efficient improvements deliver better protection against cold, heat, drafts, moisture, pollution, and noise. An energy-efficient home helps ensure consistent temperatures between and across rooms, improved indoor air quality, and greater durability.

SMART INVESTMENT
More than 8500 Energy Star Home Builders have partnered with EPA to construct more than 1 million ENERGY STAR certified homes. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the ENERGY STAR label, you can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Did you know that your home can be a greater source of pollution than your car? In fact, 16 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the energy used in houses nationwide.

Energy used in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and global warming. Simply put, the less energy we use in our homes, the less air pollution we generate.

For more information about EPA Energy Star homes green building programs, visit nahb.org. And to stay current on the high-performance residential building sector, follow NAHB’s Sustainability and Green Building team on Twitter.

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, deck plans and much more.

CAD Pro allows ENERGY STAR Home Builders to share their ideas and plans with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of Energy Star homes. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Advanced Smart Home Systems

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Net-Zero Home Construction

Building and designing affordable zero energy homes – the ultimate in energy efficiency – involves 12 integrated net-zero home construction steps that utilize commonly available building materials and equipment along with easy-to-learn building strategies. By following these steps, you can build a new home that is affordable and cost less to own.

Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive home design software. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro allows anyone to share their net-zero home construction ideas and plans with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Net-Zero Home Construction

Net-Zero Home Construction and Design

Net-Zero Home Construction Guidelines

  1. Start with Smart Design
    Cost-effective zero net energy homes begin with smart designs. Designers and architects, as well as builders, should be familiar with all the steps involved in net-zero home construction. They should design the home so that builders and subcontractors can implement these steps as cost-effectively as possible. There are several design parameters to which builders should ask designers to pay special attention. Detailed communication between the builder and designer will ensure that these critical details don’t fall through the cracks.
  1. Use Energy Modeling
    During the design phase, the home’s energy use should be estimated using energy modeling software to ensure that the goal of net zero energy can be achieved while keeping costs down. Based on the results, design choices can be made or modified to balance building performance and construction cost.
  1. Super-Seal the Building Envelope
    Super-sealing the building envelope is the single most cost-effective measure builders can take to improve the energy efficiency of net-zero home construction. Several proven, air-sealing approaches are available. Choose an approach that matches your climate, skills and budget.
  1. Super-Insulate the Building Envelope
    After making the house airtight, super insulating the house may be the second most cost-effective strategy for creating a zero-energy home. Energy modeling, as mentioned in step 2, above, can help you optimize the insulation levels for the ceiling, walls and floors. Select framing strategies that make it easier to insulate the building envelope and minimize thermal bridging.
  1. Heat Water Wisely
    Water heating is often the largest energy expense in a zero-energy home after heating and cooling. So, it is important for designers and builders to select and locate efficient hot water heating technology, along with other measures, to minimize hot water use.
  1. Use Highly Insulated Windows and Doors
    Windows and doors are like big energy holes in a well-insulated, airtight building envelope and are the third most cost-effective strategy for making a home energy efficient. Control window and door heat loss and gain by selecting appropriate window and door products, carefully locating them, and optimizing their size and orientation.
  1. Use the Sun for Solar Tempering
    Using the sun for heating through south facing windows during the winter lowers heating costs. Shading those same windows in summer lowers cooling costs. Solar tempering aims to optimize this passive use of the sun’s heat, without incurring the added cost of thermal mass needed to achieve maximum passive solar heating and quality net-zero home construction.
  1. Energy Efficient, Fresh Air Supply
    Since zero energy homes are so airtight, a continuous source of fresh filtered air and moisture control are critical to its success. This need for ventilation has a silver lining: zero energy homes are healthier and more comfortable than standard homes. Highly energy efficient ventilation systems, known as heat recovery ventilation (HRV) systems or energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems expel stale air while recovering its heat and returning that same heat to the home with the fresh air.
  1. Energy Efficient Heating and Cooling System
    Highly efficient, cost-effective, heating and cooling systems are essential to meeting the net zero energy goal. One good choice is an air source ductless heat pump, also called a mini-split heat pump. These systems are highly energy efficient and don’t have the shortcomings of central, forced-air systems or the high costs of thermal heat pumps.
  1. Install Energy Efficient Lighting
    Minimizing energy use for lighting, while optimizing light for residents, is an important feature of net-zero home construction. LED lights are the perfect match for these tasks. They are more energy efficient than CFLs, last many years longer, and contain no mercury. In addition, they can meet a variety of lighting needs from very bright white light to soft, warm light. Selecting the right LED lights for the task, locating lights strategically, and utilizing natural light as effectively as possible can drastically reduce a home’s energy use.
  1. Energy Efficient Appliances and Electronics
    In a typical zero energy home just over 40% of the home’s energy use is accounted for by heating, cooling and hot water, while appliances and plug loads may account for up to 60% of the load. Thus, selecting energy efficient appliances and managing “phantom” plug loads for electronics is essential. “Phantom” loads are hard to find and continue to draw energy unseen, day and night whether or not the devices are being used. Several homes that were modeled and built to zero energy standards have ended up not meeting zero energy requirements in practice because of the unanticipated energy waste caused by “phantom” plug loads on electronics.
  1. Sun for Renewable Energy
    Grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) panels currently provide the most cost-effective form of renewable energy for a net-zero home construction. They can power all the energy needs of a home including lighting, heating and cooling systems, appliances and hot water. However, they are the most expensive component of a zero-energy home and strategies for reducing or mitigating those costs are important to consider.

Guidelines for Warmer Climates
While thick layers of insulation get most of the attention in cold climates, insulation needs less emphasis in warm climates. There are several other issues that would be treated differently in warm climates.

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CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of net-zero home designs. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Advanced Smart Home Systems

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General Contractor Services

A general contractor is a manager and possibly also a tradesman that is employed by a client, usually upon the advice of the project’s architect. General contractor services are responsible for the overall coordination of a building project.

A general contractor must first assess the project-specific documents (referred to as a bid, proposal, or blueprint documents). In the case of renovations, a site visit is required to get a better understanding of the project. Depending on the project delivery method, the contractor will submit a fixed price proposal or bid, cost-plus price or an estimate. The general contractor considers the cost of home office overhead, general conditions, materials, and equipment, as well as the cost of labor, to provide the owner with a price for the project.

General contractor services will include contract documents such as blueprints/drawings, project manuals (including general, supplementary, or special conditions and specifications), and addendum or modifications issued prior to proposal/ bidding ad prepared by a design professional, such as an architect. The general contractor may be considered as the construction manager.

General Contractor Services

General Contractor Services and Cost

General Contractor Services and Responsibilities

A general contractor is responsible for providing all materials, labor, equipment and services necessary for the construction project. A general contractor often hires specialized subcontractors to perform all or portions of the construction work. When using subcontractors, the general contractor is responsible for the quality of all work performed.

The number one priority of general contractor services is safety on the job site. Other responsibilities may include applying for building permits, advising the person they are hired by, securing the property, providing temporary utilities on site, managing personnel on site, providing site surveying and engineering, disposing or recycling of construction waste, monitoring schedules and cash flows, and maintaining accurate records.

General Contractor Prices
Hiring a general contractor is a necessary expense for medium to large construction projects. When a project involves the necessity to hire multiple sub-contractors to work on a related project then a general contractor is the person you want to hire.

So much confusion can go on during a construction project. Establishing specific times for various workers to come in and do their part, handling any unexpected issues, and holding contractors accountable are all something that a general contractor does. It may seem like something simple to coordinate a project yourself but even something as simple as a basement refinishing project or a kitchen remodel needs organization.

Hiring general contractor services will allow you to have one contact that is responsible to make sure the project comes out the way you want it to. It eliminates the excuses and blame games that can happen when separate contractors work on the same job. It focuses the accountability onto one person.

It will cost $300 to $400 per day to hire a general contractor. Many times, a general contractor will also be a carpenter and do a lot of the work that needs to be done. That is a great help and cost savings to the project. Whether a general contractor will do work on a project depends on their skills and the outlook of the job. If your general contractor does not do any labor, he may charge 10% to 20% of the cost of the project. If he does the carpentry, he will want 45% to 65% of the money paid to contractors on the project.

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Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive construction design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

CAD Pro allows general contractor services to be shared with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders and contractors plan and design all types of floor plan designs. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

House Building Cost Guidelines

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