builtright3

Tommy is going to help me with this on line. Thank guys, I don't what to waste your time so I thought I better let you know. I'm also pressed for time to get this done.

It does not give me the option to put it in the library when I select it. Not sure what I did.

I think I need to start from scratch with building this knee brace. I opened a new plan to draw it in but I'm not having much luck. Can someone point me in the right direction? As you can see in the attachment I built the knee braces but am having a hard time putting them in the library for re use.

These are some nice clean plans! I prefer to have my own style plans but it helps to get other peoples ideas and build off of them a little bit. I like to take an idea and put my own twist on it. We all have to start from some where.

In the attached picture I made the knee braces out of a poly line solid. All the post and beams are railing walls. My question is how can I put the knee braces in the library for future use. The patio cover is free standing and I will also need to put the knee braces at every post. I'm sure there as to be a better way to duplicate them but as a Psolid they are not very editable. I will take any ideas that anyone might have on my approach to build this free standing cover.

I use railing walls.

That make sense. I didn't read your post correctly. As Perry said that prices are a lot different out here. I'm not fishing for what I should be charging just interested in the comparison in your area to California. But your system of charging is the same as mine but the only difference is it would be about double your cost out here in California. Some could even be more. I think im to cheap sometimes. Thank you Alan

Allan, Now I'm a little curios. So if you did a 600 sq. ft. room addition you would charge $600.00 for the architectural drawings and 250 or 400 for structural engineering. How much time would you put into measuring the job and preparing the plans and the running around time? After your answer I will follow up with what I would get out here in California for the same thing.

Sorry if I ranted guy's. I tend to go off half cocked sometimes.

Nice!

Ok, next year. I will begin to make arrangements to prepare. Hopefully we will get more rain and a lot of snow this next winter. The lake is about 11 1/2 feet low right now.

I will talk to my better half and see what she thinks. Do you think this summer would be good or next summer because the Idaho meeting is in September? If this year I was thinking August. But this year could be too busy and too short notice. Not sure at this point.

Thant's actually a good Idea! I could host a user group meeting there. 3 and 1/2 bathrooms with lots of beds. My wife could do the cookin. Everyone would have to pitch in a little with $$$ for the food and utilities. We could do it in the summer and have a nighttime lake cruse in the tri-tune boat and go have a nice dinner in town.

Not anymore on the slopes. I like to just cruse around the lake on my boat and relax and sometimes so a little fishing. In the winter I like to drive out to the Holcomb Valley (where they shot parts of "Bananza") and do a little four wheelin in my old 1988 beat-up, rust bucket 4x4 Chevy Suburban (have you ever heard that model?).

I need to remember that some of us in the forum are pretty spread out across the world. I's pretty cool when I think about that. Nice to meet you Yusef!!

In California anyone can draw a residential plan and submit it as long as it qualifies under the conventional framing requirements. I built my own new 2500 sq. ft. cabin in Big Bear California and pulled an owner builder permit, drew the plan myself and didn't need a licensed architect or engineer. The only thing that may have made a difference is that it was 400 sq. ft. and I left only one wall and half of the existing foundation. Not sure if you can use conventional framing for a 100% new home. I don't know why if would matter?

I have had some engineers tell me that you can over engineer. If the structure is to stiff and has no movement that is not good either. I think that was why the steel framed housing wasn't working especially in California because they were to stiff and could not absorb the shock to deaden the force that hit the structure. I'm might be talking out my a$$ right now so don't quote me on this. I have no bases of proof here and I don't even know if im using the correct language. I'm just a dumb biker you know from California with a huge Love for the Lord. Respectfully Speaking

Some engineers I do blame to be perfectly honest. I had the same engineer for over 15 years and unfortunately he died a couple of years ago and his work was fair and he had over 40 years experience and he used to be a plan checker for a while. But since then I have done around 20 jobs or so that I needed structural engineering and most of my jobs are simple single story and a few 2 story. Some of these engineers follow the standard conventional framing and calc out only what they need to that doesn't fit under the conventional framing category (this is the way I prefer it done). The engineers that calc out the whole job are going crazy with hardware and foundations that are unnecessary according to conventional framing. I actually had two young engineers tell me that they are responsible that the structure doesn't fail so they over build to protect themselves and avoid law suits. I think the newer younger guys just don't feel comfortable with their own work. I cant say I blame them with the way so many people are sue happy these days. After going thru several engineers I finally found one that is more reasonable but again he is the oldest and most experienced engineer out of all that I tried. And his prices are lower on top of it. Go figure!

Do they make you do any hardware to attach any of those boards or are they just nailed? You wouldn't need to do that if you just used larger rafters for the span. A lot less work that way. Typical A-frame above 3:12 pitch

I'm with you Perry lets just do it the old way! It seems to me that we are talking about 2 different types of purlins: 1) A beam for a mid-span support for rafter that have a post at both ends of the beam. -OR- 2) A 2x no smaller than the rafter sized to span across the bottom side of the rafters with a 45 degree min. angle brace off an interior wall at 4 feet on center. A35's and bird mouth cuts are a pain in the a$$! If I was forced to use a beam vertically I would rather run my worm-drive down the top side of the beam and cut an angle so the rafters would sit solid and then toe nail the rafters to the beam. I know hardware is necessary in certain situations but it in my worthless opinion (because im not an engineer) we are so over building single story room additions. Engineer are having me undermine existing foundations just for an HD2, making me drill thru 3' of stem wall and foundation and running all thread with a stinking nut and washer on the bottom side that gets poured in concrete. Give me a break! I guess my house which has no structural damage from the early 50's should have fallen down be now. Especially with all the earthquakes we have had. Yea lets just add another 4x beam to the roof with some A35's and while were at it lets throw in some more post and foundations. I'm sorry! I guess I had to get that off my chest.

Perry, Where can I get this ECHO pen? Are there any stores that have it in stock or do I have to order it on line?

Perry, As a Framer I have to ask this question: How do you put a diagonal brace under a vertical beam?

Yep, I think it is all about how your contract is written up. But also I don't think code enforcement would allow anyone to use the same plan for each house unless it is changed to the property specific. Which means you must have the signature and wet stamp for each property and/or each structure on the same property. A builder can't legally keep resubmitting the same plan for different structures unless somebody supplies a wet stamp. Again the guy that stamps the drawing needs to get paid for every structure that is built for he or she is responsible if something fails because of miscalculations.

I could be wrong but I believe the plans have to be approved by the city for each property individually. That means that you would have to sign and stamp the plans for each individual address that it goes to. If it is basically the same layout and they are using several then you should get paid for each plan you sign off on. You and/or the engineer. If they are repeats just figure a reduced amount if you want but remember that you are still liable for the structure so that is worth a good amount. If that structure fails they will be knocking down your door. I don't think I would give them too good of a deal. I have never been in this situation before. Interested to here other comments.

Your fine don't get discouraged because of a negative comment. Sometime it gets a little frustrating for the people that are trying to help. Their are a lot of good people here that put a lot of time into helping others. Blessings