All structural information needed for starting the permitting and construction bid process included
The Big Enchilada includes: The Little House Plans (left), The Builder's Cottage Plans (center), and the Sunroom, Greenhouse & Skylight Plans (right). The drawing above is just one of many possible configurations.
Purchase Plans
PDF plans generally arrive within hours
Paper plans include 5 sets of plans and arrive in a few days via USPS
Choose PDF plans for an eco-friendly option and to reduce paper usage and save money
PDFs are delivered to your email address on file with PayPal unless you provide another address
Overview
The Big Enchilada Plans can be used as a flexible small home design kit. The house at the very top of the page is only one possible combination. You can customize the plan layouts to fit your site and space needs.
This kit starts with the Little House Plans Kit and all the included bonuses. Then we have added an upgraded core house plan for the 14' x 24' house called the 14' x 24' Builder's Cottage. This building has a concrete perimeter foundation, 2x6 walls for R-21 insulation and R-30 in the roof. These construction details can also be used in the smaller building modules added for wings and extensions with the plans kit.
We’ve also added the Sunroom, Greenhouse & Skylight Plans, which lets you build inexpensive sunroom windows and skylights into the main house or additions. The plans include a booklet of details you may wish to include in your customized cottage or expanded home. Here are a few of the included details:
Details for raising the sidewall to make the loft area into a full width working bedroom or office
Details for a 7' deep porch or shed-roofed addition that can be extended along either side of the house
Stair details for a cottage stair up to the loft
An easy-to-build pressure-treated wood skid foundation option for making a small building moveable. (Remember the kit includes the Little House plans, perfect for building playhouses or storage buildings)
A foundation plan for a deep pier foundation. This shows you how to do the post and pier foundation in deep-freeze climates where the soil is less than ideal
Detail sheets for how to add additions (now or later) to the core house. These include perpendicular gable roofs and shed to gable roof connections. Add these to your customized plans
There are enough options here for just about any combination of small homestead buildings or a build-as-you-go expandable cottage (up to 14' in width). Make your own customized building plans as your project evolves. Many people use the included Builder's Cottage plan for the building permit and core house and then modify the project from there.
Plans also include:
Superinsulation techniques for cold climates
Hot water and heating system design notes
A checklist and tips for going to the building department
Trim, Siding and Money Saving Ideas
A guide for taking your plans to the building dept. (strategies for the bureaucratic hurdles)
The guide Evaluating your Soil - use this to determine which foundation type is appropriate for your specific site
A guide to framing terms and the symbols and abbreviations used in building plans
The Builder’s Cottage floor plan: 14' x 24' with a 7'-6" x 13' sleeping loft, 3'-6" storage loft & a 5' porch
Exterior Sketch with front porch, note the window hoods
Details on the Builder’s Cottage (included in the Big Enchilada)
The Builder’s Cottage is a classic little house. There are two sleeping areas, a small kitchen and and a full bath. Lots of windows, a dutch door, an open cathedral ceiling, skylights and a sitting porch add a feeling of spaciousness to a small cottage. The cottage is highly energy efficient and designed for year-round living.
The 14' x 24' Builder's Cottage
Included in the plans is information for building a 12' sidewall detail that can give a larger loft
