This level of home design software is probably best used to design a kitchen or bath remodeling project, develop deck plans or layout a finished basement, but it should also be adequate for drawing fairly basic house plans with simple gable, hipped, or shed roof designs - just don’t expect to be able to produce detailed cabinet drawings or a complex roof system or complete set of blueprints for a complicated custom home.

Spending about the same amount of money on a good 3D drawing program that will allow you to “walk-thru” the finished project and make as many changes as you like before you ever put a shovel in the ground is considered by many to be a better investment.įor the average home owner or do-it-yourself hobbyist, there are relatively inexpensive programs (less than $100) that will allow one to quickly draw and visualize different design options. If you think about it, a decent drawing board or drafting table, a t-square, a few triangles, an architect’s scale, a compass, some plumbing and electrical design templates, a few mechanical pencils, a lead pointer, and an electric eraser will set you back at least a few hundred dollars and take up quite a bit of space.

And, $500 software will not have all the options and capabilities of $5,000 software. Software that costs $50 simply cannot be expected to do everything that $500 software will do. Which software should you consider? Well, that will depend upon your goals, your budget, your computer system, your knowledge of building design, the size, complexity and number of projects, and the amount of time you are able to devote to learning a new program.

The following links will allow you to find, download, and test various types and levels of home design software. Since professional level CAD software and 3D design programs can be very expensive, developers often provide free trial versions, full featured working demos, sample software applications and limited use freeware programs in order to introduce their products to potential customers. One of the better aspects of the Internet is the ability to download & test software before you buy it.

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