Newbie here, looking to build a 16'x20 cabin in Quebec

[robmorin]

Hello all, my first post , so please be gentle.

Some background:
I bought 4 acres of land a couple years ago in Notre Dame du Laus in Quebec(I'm from Montreal). Since then we have cleared some trees to make a road(driveway) from the main private road, and cleared some more land to make for the space for a couple cabins. We also built a board & batten 12'x20' shed to hold our tools and equipment for when we start our cabins. We also had to get a land surveyor and our septic certificate, in order to even apply for a permit to build a cabin. So $2000 later we are ready to build the cabins.

Now:
So now we are looking at a 16'x20' interior cabin with a 4 foot covered front porch area(so total length 24'). I have been searching google over and over again but find it difficult to find inexpensive plans for said cabin. The building regulations in our town are kind of strict, so its hard to find plans to go along with these specs.

Specs:
Min 400 square feet(ground floor counts only) for a cabin/house/cottage... We figure we would build 2 cabins and join them together with a small hallway, then it will be considered one building to by pass the 400 sq foot min requirement... As we want are cabins separate and not one giant one for the 2 of us
Must be built with 2"x6" walls
Must have at least R6 exterior insulation in between sheathing and siding.
Must be 24" off the ground or be on concrete slab.

Now we(my buddy and I) are not professionals, but we did build a nice insulated 12'x20 'shed that is looking good, so we figure we can do these 16x20 cabins.
So i need decent plans to show the city before i can pay for my permit to build the cabins. Lots of these places that do sell the plans do not give me any details on the construction techniques used, such as what the wall frames are made of, etc...

So now the questions are...
Can anyone recommend a place to purchase 16'x20' cabin plans with a loft? I mean I can always alter the plans to my liking but i need something decent to hand into the city, which has to pretty much be what i build exactly.

I am not too handy at drawing my own plans...

The foundation for this cabin will be sitting on 8" concrete piers( i figure 12 of them, so no plans needed for that stuff, its pretty straight forward.

So there it is in a nut shell...

Suggestions??

Thanks to all and have a great day!

Rob Morin
Montreal, Canada

[Redoverfarm]

Have you looked into the plans available on this site?  R6 between sheeting and siding so it looks as if you will be going to rigid foam on the outside.  Not sure what thickness renders an R6 but I would imagine 3/4-1".

A 4 foot porch is mighty small.  The least I would consider is 6' and most likely 8' would be more comfortable  to move around once furniture is placed. 

Oh BTW 

[OlJarhead]

What he said   John's plans will do what you need I think but you'll need to increase the 14x24 builders cottage plans to 16x20 -- that's easy enough though.

[Adam Roby]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to the site, it is nice to see someone else from Montreal here.  Make sure to check all the rules because Quebec is one of the hardest places to build a cabin that I have ever found.  Most municipalities give you a maximum of 2 years to complete the entire build from the day the first tree is cut.  Also a lot of them will not let you put a shed on the site before the main building has been completed, so if you did not already get a permit for the shed then you might want to cross your fingers that the inspector does not pass by before your cabin is done.

I must have looked into at least 12 difference areas, speaking to inspectors and such and finally gave up on Quebec, even Ontario.  I just bought some land (7.5 acres) in NY state for peanuts and the rules are much more forgiving. 

Looking forward to seeing your plans, once you find them. 

Good luck,
Adam

[Don_P]

The foundation for this cabin will be sitting on 8" concrete piers( i figure 12 of them, so no plans needed for that stuff, its pretty straight forward.

I would check first before assuming this will pass plan review. The answer to that question determines the next design steps.

[John Raabe]

  Robmorin

You might want to look at some of the Gallery houses that have been customized locally from my plans
http://countryplans.com/gallery.html. You will note that most have gone to an 8' deep porch - it looks nice and provides an outdoor room.

I agree with what Don_P suggests. Go to the planning and building department and find out what they will want to see in terms of drawings, engineering, and permits.

[robmorin]

Hey all, thanks for the welcome wishes...

I did speak to building guy in Notre Dame du laus, he said he needs plans , but they do not have to be signed by an architect or have to be too fancy, as long as its clear on what we are doing. I think even hand drawn ones he said are good. With respect to the foundation, there is no real restriction, only that it has to be 24" off the ground, using either blocks, piers, skids whatever..

With respect to the shed, ya i know , i need a permit first, but around that area,  some of my neighbors, have done the same without permits for years... lol i think the city is too lazy to actually go check, and thats one reason why i want to get my cabin permit, so that i will be legal right away with my shed...

Ya i guess a 6' or 8' is good, its just the land surveyor marked our spot for the old chalet and i need to stay within the same foot print of 24'x40' for the 2 cabins, which will actually be one joined by a hallway...

I will check out John's plans...

Thanks to all so far, once i get my permit and are all legal, i will post some pics...

Have a great day!

Rob Morin
Montreal, Canada