Blueprints for My House—How to Find and Understand Them

When I bought a 1958 mid-century modern home in Sarasota, Florida from its second owner, it came with a bonus—the original blueprints for my house. That’s how I discovered the home’s historical significance; it was designed by Tim Seibert, one of the founders of the Sarasota School of Architecture.

It was fascinating to see the blueprints in Seibert’s own hand, and see the modifications—for better and worse—the previous owners made over the years. When I sold the house, I handed over the blueprints to the new owner, albeit a little ruefully.

My situation was unusual, especially for an older home. I was lucky the previous owners preserved the blueprints and handed them off with each sale. If you’re looking for the original building plans of your home, perhaps for a renovation project or just out of sheer curiosity, there are ways to find them. Imagine uncovering a detailed map of your home’s foundation, piping, and electrical system—it can make your renovation dreams much more achievable.

What Are House Blueprints?

The original blueprints show the house as it was first constructed. In the past, architectural plans were detailed technical drawings, created by the architect or their assistants by hand at a drafting desk. The originals were copied via a process called cyanotype, which produced a blue-colored duplicate—hence the term “blueprint.”

These plans typically include floor plans, elevations (exterior views), sections (cut-through views), and details about structural elements, electrical layouts, plumbing systems, and room dimensions.

Now, with the advent of computer-aided design (CAD), architectural plans are created on a computer, then printed on oversized plotter paper. Those copies are still known as blueprints. However, they’re seldom blue anymore.

Why Do You Need Blueprints for Your Home?

“The most common reason to obtain drawings of your home would be for use in renovations, additions or repairs,” says Aren Saltiel, an architect based in Truckee, California. “The structure of a building is often hidden inside the walls so it can be extremely helpful to know what is there before you open anything up.”

Most renovation projects require a permit, Saltiel says, so you’ll need to submit new drawings of the proposed work. Having the original house plans to start from can save your architect or designer, or even yourself, considerable time and effort in creating the new plans needed for the permit application.

Uncovering illegal renovations

Saltiel says it can be beneficial to access records and existing drawings to see what work on your home was done legally and what wasn’t. You might not get a permit to convert a garage to living space if the garage was illegally constructed. That was the case with my home in Sarasota.

Blueprints as proof for sale

If you’re planning to sell your home, you’ll likely need an exact measurement of the “legal” square footage. This is another instance when those original blueprints come in handy. If you’re in a recently built home and find defects or shortcomings related to construction, the blueprints are your “receipts”—evidence of what a builder was supposed to do, versus what they actually did.

Where to Get Blueprints of Your House

So now you’re saying to yourself, “Fine, but how do I get blueprints of my house?” The answer may be as simple as a digital search, or as complicated as some Sherlock Holmes-level detective work, especially for getting old house blueprints. Here are some places to start your search for where to get building plans:

Search your local building department or archives

“Most local jurisdictions keep the records of past permits so you should start by contacting your local building department,” says Saltiel. This is often the best source for finding house blueprint archives.

Online search: Many cities and counties now maintain digital databases where property records, including permits and associated plans, can be searched by address. Check your local government’s website sections devoted to property information, permit applications, or planning divisions.

Records request: If records aren’t online, you can usually submit a formal records request (often via an online form or email). Be specific about the address and the type of documents you’re seeking (i.e., original blueprints, subsequent renovation plans). Be prepared for potential retrieval fees.

In-person visit: For smaller communities or very old records (pre-CAD), you might need to visit the city or county records office in person to request the records be pulled from physical archives. Again, expect copying fees.

Pro tip: When approaching local authorities, be polite and specific. Have your property address and parcel number (this identifying code helps government offices pinpoint exactly which piece of property is yours among thousands in their system. Think of it as your land’s social security number—no two properties have the same one, even if they’re right next door to each other) ready. Clearly state you’re looking for architectural plans or blueprints associated with past building permits. Understand that retrieving older records might take time.

Contact the original architect or builder

“If you know who the who the original architect or builder was, contact them,” says Saltiel. “If you’re lucky and the building is modern enough you might even be able to obtain digital Autocad (or similar) files.”

With builders, a lot will depend on your local market. The housing boom of the early 2000s in Florida saw a lot of new construction companies build a record number of housing developments. With the housing crash in 2008, many of these companies folded, taking their records with them. But if an established builder who’s still in business did the work, it’s worth checking with them.

Find the original owner

If you don’t know the original owner of the home, search county or local records to find them. You can try contacting them to see if they have original blueprints, or can at least point you in the right direction.

You can also reach out to the real estate agent who helped you purchase the home. If they can’t get their hands on the original plans, they might be willing to serve as a go-between and contact the past owner on your behalf.

Ask your neighbors

In planned communities, new homeowners often choose a floor plan from a selection of available models. If you’ve bought an existing home in such a community and can’t locate blueprints, find a neighbor with a home similar to yours and ask them. Or ask around until you find a homeowner who’s been there since the community was built.

Even if they don’t have blueprints, they may provide some clues, such as the name of the original architect, builder or developer.

What to do if your blueprints are missing

“If you hit a dead end,” says Saltiel, “new drawings can be created by measuring the current conditions of your home.”

This is a costly undertaking. An architect or engineer will need to come to the house, take exact measurements and then create a new blueprint. Expect to pay up to thousands of dollars for this service, depending on the square footage and complexity of your home. Advanced technologies like 3D laser scanning can make the measuring work faster while creating detailed digital blueprints. And the new blueprints can only reflect the way your house is now, not as originally constructed.

How to interpret your house blueprints

Once you’ve tracked down the blueprints for your house, the next challenge is deciphering them. These technical drawings use a specific visual language of symbols, lines, and abbreviations.

Making sense of symbols and measurements

• Find the legend: Start by locating the legend or key that explains the specific symbols used in your set of plans.
• Recognizing common symbols: You’ll encounter various markings representing walls (typically shown as double lines), doors (usually depicted as a line with an arc showing the swing path), windows, staircases, electrical outlets, plumbing fixtures and additional elements. Different materials might be identified by patterns (such as dots or triangles for concrete, parallel lines for wood).
• Understanding scale: Architectural plans are drawn to scale, with a small measurement on paper representing a larger actual distance (for example, 1/4 inch equals 1 foot). Look for the scale notation on each drawing – check this carefully since it may differ between sheets. An architect’s specialized ruler can help you convert these measurements.
• Reading dimension lines: These indicators (often marked with ticks or arrows at the endpoints) show specific measurements between two locations.
• Finding annotations: Pay attention to notes and callouts (frequently appearing as circles or hexagons containing numbers or letters) that direct you to additional detailed drawings or schedules (such as window or door specifications) elsewhere in the document set.

Working with partial plans

What if your search for where to get building plans only uncovers incomplete or damaged drawings?

• Focus on clear sections: While old architectural drawings can be valuable resources, they sometimes arrive incomplete or difficult to interpret. Focus on the sections that remain clear—typically the main floor arrangement and exterior wall placement. For aspects like electrical or plumbing that may be missing or outdated due to subsequent renovations, don’t rely exclusively on these historical documents.
• Verify on site: Always treat older plans as a starting reference point. It’s essential to confirm critical structural information (such as wall positions, especially potentially load-bearing walls) in person before beginning any demolition or construction work. Many homeowners make this critical mistake.
• Professional assessment: If getting old house blueprints yields documents with significant gaps or you’re uncertain about interpreting them for your project, consult with a licensed architect or structural engineer. These professionals can help complete missing information, evaluate the existing structure, and develop accurate, updated drawings needed for your home renovation project.

Preserving your architectural plans

After finding or commissioning blueprints, protect this valuable resource!

• Store physical copies flat in a temperature-controlled, moisture-free environment to prevent deterioration and brittleness. Avoid creating new folds. Large storage drawers or protective tubes provide good housing options.
• Consider having digital scans created as a backup copy. Store these electronic files securely (using both cloud storage and external backup drives). This way, you’ll always have access to your own personal house blueprint archives.

FAQ

How can I get blueprints for my house for free?

Your most promising option when researching how to find house plans is exploring your local building department’s website – some offer complimentary access or affordable downloads of digital records. Reaching out to the original homeowner (when possible) or discovering a neighbor with the same house model might provide free alternatives.
When these approaches don’t yield results, acquiring plans typically involves either paying for record retrieval services or commissioning new measured drawings.

What if my house blueprints are missing or incomplete?

There’s no need for concern! When getting old house blueprints yields incomplete results, use whatever portions you’ve found as your foundation. Concentrate on confirming essential structural components through direct examination. When you need missing information critical for a renovation project (such as plumbing layouts or structural wall locations), you’ll probably need a professional assessment from an architect, engineer, or qualified contractor who can create accurate new drawings of current conditions for the relevant areas.

Can I access house blueprints through public records?

In many cases, yes. When researching where to get building plans, remember that construction permits and their accompanying plans filed with your city or county building department are generally considered public information. However, the specific access policies, associated costs, and availability of older or digitized records in these house blueprint archives vary considerably between different local governments. Begin by visiting your municipality’s website or directly contacting the building department or records office.

Do I need blueprints for home renovation projects?

It depends on the project’s complexity. For simple aesthetic updates (like painting), probably not. However, for work involving structural modifications (removing walls, building additions), major electrical or plumbing changes, or anything that requires permit approval, you will almost certainly need precise blueprints for your house for both permit submission and construction guidance.

Even for smaller projects around the house, having those plans on hand can save you from costly surprises—like accidentally knocking into a water pipe or electrical wire hidden in a wall. Plus, when you’re sitting down with contractors to discuss the work, these drawings help make sure everyone’s on the same page about exactly what needs to be done and where.

Sources

• Architecture Sarasota: “Home Page”
• Saltiel Architecture: “About Page”
• The American Institute of Architects: “Resources for building owners”
• Premier Construction Software: “How to Read Construction Drawings Like a Pro: A Beginner’s Guide to Blueprint Success”
• M.T. Copeland Technologies: “Complete Guide to Blueprint Symbols: Floor Plan Symbols, MEP Symbols, RCP Symbols, and More”