Home blueprints?

[packerfan06]

Can my friend take blueprints a builder gave him, to another builder to get another quote?

 

[Zigner]

Can my friend take blueprints a builder gave him, to another builder to get another quote?

Sorry, this forum is for US law matters only.

You'll likely find that the architect owns the rights to the design.

 

[LdiJ]

Can my friend take blueprints a builder gave him, to another builder to get another quote?

Most assuredly not. There may be some rare situations out there where it might be possible, but those blueprints either belong to the architect who drew them up or to the builder who bought them from the architect. They are not in the public domain to be freely used by anyone who wants to use them.

If the builder happens to have an architect on staff, or an architectural tech on staff you could draw the builder a rough drawing of a floor plan you would like to have, the builder could turn that into a blueprint and quote you on it. OR, you can buy a set of blueprints from an architect yourself and shop them around to everybody in town.

However, if you do that, do NOT accept the lowest bid unless you are prepared to deal with major problems. A mid range bid is safer.

 

[quincy]

Can my friend take blueprints a builder gave him, to another builder to get another quote?

A lot depends on the blueprints and the builder. Perhaps your friend should ask the builder?

Most builders hold rights in their building designs and, in order to build the home from the prints, you must go through that builder.

That said, there are blueprints available for anyone to use with any builder they choose. Facts matter.

What is the name of your state?

 

[quincy]

Most assuredly not. There may be some rare situations out there where it might be possible, but those blueprints either belong to the architect who drew them up or to the builder who bought them from the architect. They are not in the public domain to be freely used by anyone who wants to use them.

If the builder happens to have an architect on staff, or an architectural tech on staff you could draw the builder a rough drawing of a floor plan you would like to have, the builder could turn that into a blueprint and quote you on it. OR, you can buy a set of blueprints from an architect yourself and shop them around to everybody in town.

However, if you do that, do NOT accept the lowest bid unless you are prepared to deal with major problems. A mid range bid is safer.

Seriously? Do you have information not provided the rest of us - or are you guessing?

 

[LdiJ]

Seriously? Do you have information not provided the rest of us - or are you guessing?

My brother is a home builder, and I asked him.

 

[FlyingRon]

To answer the original question, if you show the plans to someone else, that is not illegal (barring some contract you have with builder #1 about not doing that).

The unasked question (which people are getting wrapped around the axle about) is: Can I make a copy of the plans to include having someone other than builder #1 build the house.

That would indeed depend on information not present. If Builder #1 has exclusvie rights under copyright law to the plan, then yes having someone else build a house is likely an illegal copy.
What's not indicated is where those plans came from. Frankly, it's very uncommon for builders around here to have plans that they own. They obtain them from others, either a commercial company that sells them or a dedicated architect. Either way, it's likely that the prospective homeowner can get rights to build from them independent of builder #1's involvement.

 

[LdiJ]

To answer the original question, if you show the plans to someone else, that is not illegal (barring some contract you have with builder #1 about not doing that).

The unasked question (which people are getting wrapped around the axle about) is: Can I make a copy of the plans to include having someone other than builder #1 build the house.

That would indeed depend on information not present. If Builder #1 has exclusvie rights under copyright law to the plan, then yes having someone else build a house is likely an illegal copy.
What's not indicated is where those plans came from. Frankly, it's very uncommon for builders around here to have plans that they own. They obtain them from others, either a commercial company that sells them or a dedicated architect. Either way, it's likely that the prospective homeowner can get rights to build from them independent of builder #1's involvement.

I said the same. The prospective homeowner can certainly buy their own plans and shop them around.

 

[quincy]

I said the same. The prospective homeowner can certainly buy their own plans and shop them around.

Well, no, LdiJ. That is not at all what you said.

Far more information is needed before the question asked (and the questions not asked) can be answered with accuracy.

 

[LdiJ]

Well, no, LdiJ. That is not at all what you said.

Far more information is needed before the question asked (and the questions not asked) can be answered with accuracy.

I said:

OR, you can buy a set of blueprints from an architect yourself and shop them around to everybody in town.

What I said was accurate. You can nit pick my wording if you like. However, its accurate that the plans belong to either the builder or the person who drew them up (generally the architect), or the person who paid for them. They do not belong to the OP unless the OP paid for them separately from a contract to build a house. Therefore the OP cannot give them to someone else to use to build a house...therefore its pointless to give them to someone else to quote a price.

 

[quincy]

I said:



What I said was accurate. You can nit pick my wording if you like. However, its accurate that the plans belong to either the builder or the person who drew them up (generally the architect), or the person who paid for them. They do not belong to the OP unless the OP paid for them separately from a contract to build a house. Therefore the OP cannot give them to someone else to use to build a house...therefore its pointless to give them to someone else to quote a price.

I am not "nitpicking." What you wrote in your post was based on your guesses and not on the information that was provided by packerfan06.

And again what you write now is incorrect because you are failing to recognize all possibilities.

Your definitive statements have no place on a legal forum where specifics will always matter.

A link to the Copyright Office on architectural drawings: https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ41.pdf