worthy - agree and will be asking builder to change that.

I would definitely try to arrange those rooms so you can do four windows.

A taller window and a door could work, along with some appropriate landscaping.

gpeach1, thanks for posting the wall sections. Unfortunately, there are no vertical dimensions or even ceiling heights shown. Thus, it's not possible to respond to CPA's good question about the height of the second floor window heads and the underside of the boxed in soffit. This is something to check carefully with your person who did the drawings, and verify with your builder.

There are two issues of concern: 1) will there actually be room below the boxed in soffit for the exterior window trim; and 2) visually it makes the house look like it has its "hat" pulled down almost over its "eyes". Often some breathing room, in the form siding, large trim board or some other design device appropriate to the style of architecture is characteristic over the windows and/or along the top of the wall as it abuts the horizontal soffit. It appears to have been overlooked or forgotten...

artemis_ma - plumbing is done. The door is a good idea and have a long wall to work with in laundry.

Virgil - Is this what you meant? See what you are saying. The trim is so small right now and most like this do have a nice size trim around windows. Some similar houses seemed to have maybe shorter windows or thinking had 9' ceilings? For ours 9' is down and 8' up.

Do you have a window trim detail showing the size of the trim around the window? The elevations are very questionable about the type and size of window trim. As I look at the elevation drawings they could almost be trim-less, which is never a good idea.

If your first floor windows are 6' tall, with a top of rough opening at 6'-10", then obviously your top of sill framing for the windows is nominally at 10" above the finish floor. Is this your goal?

When it comes to the second floor, the wall height is approx. 8' clear and your second floor windows are 5' tall. So there's nominally 3' of space available for above the window head, plus below the window sill. With the 7/12 pitch roof, with an overhang of 1'-5", the horizontal boxed soffit drops approximately 10"-11", leaving 2'-1" +/- for the wall, both below and above a 5' high window. Is this your goal?

I don't know who's doing your drawings, but you need a talk with them on matters like this.

In residential design there can be good reasons why a floor plan might take priority over the elevations and vice versa. Two suggestions for the problem part of the front elevation: 1.) change up the siding to one with a different exposure from the main home and garage (wide shiplap might be a good choice), and 2.) use landscaping to mitigate the large areas of siding.

Best wishes.

Do you garden? I can't see tall shrubs, but seems to me that a fenced in vegetable or herb garden or even a formal rose garden or parterre would seem just right in front of that "addition" where the kitchen & mudroom are. Picket fence or a fancier fence resembling the lovely antique iron fences. Classic benches of whichever degree of formality you choose for garden, ditto perhaps a water feature. I like the "story" idea...dude up a little & imagine this garden was a Valentine indulgence for an affluent old farmer still devoted to his long-suffering wife who helped build their affluence by decades of frugality. :)

Samarnn, the only challenge is that there's no access from the house to the wonderful Valentine garden on that side of the house. Maybe time to redesign the kitchen and elements in that area?

Virgil - no detail page. It looks like minimal or none to me too. Mentioned it to him and that is one thing we are going to go over in a few days.

First floor windows - My options were to move them up or leave them. But was thinking maybe a 5' window would be better. Below is a picture of close to how it will look from the inside with a 6' window. Many builders around here are doing them like this for some reason.

Second floor windows - Originally it was supposed to have open eaves and rafter tails. Maybe make them 4' windows with trim.

Samarnn & Virgil - That sounds unique. If I made the window on the right a door it would give access

Why did you give up on the rafter tails?

This re-designing on the fly is taking my breath away!

c-partist - The rafter tails were nixed due to budget many months ago.

worthy - is that bad? The too low pitch roof was a big catch and so glad I asked for advice. Heavy rains plus long leaf pines would have me climbing a ladder often.

This is the kind of sloppy drafting that may be causing you trouble. A 2 in 12 slope?

As Virgil recommended there should be a 1x6 or larger trim board under the boxed cornice (roof overhang with soffit). There should be a rabbeted groove on the lower edge of the trim to overlap the top of the siding. Siding should not touch the soffit. Don't underestimate the importance of this detail.

Since the cornices are boxed, the best cornice return would be a classical one even if it is a modern adaptation.

Will there be no gutters?

The exterior sheathing must reach the wall top plates in order to transfer the vertical uplift resistance from the foundation to the rafters.

Why are the heads of the ground floor windows so low? I would at least raise them to the height of the door transom. The windows are drawn as casements; won't they obstruct the porch when open?

The hurricane ties are shown too tall and not in the right location. They are not strap ties.

A 2x6 facia is a bit heavy handed for finished facia trim.

What is a 1x2 drip edge?

If the attic is insulated with spray foam at the underside of the sheathing it should be a sealed, unvented and conditioned attic that would have no need for soffit vents. There should be something to prevent the foam from filling the cornice space.

It would be easy to draw a 3D model of this project and it is in great need of one.

I'm guessing the computer draftsperson is just using the drafting program's standard non-details. Nothing in these drawings seems to be based on sound experience, much less creative knowledge. The OP needs a good sit-down discussion with whomever is the responsible party.

JDS - Oh my....read it earlier but was a bit overwhelmed. All the issues you pointed out will discuss with him. The 2/12 pitch roof is my biggest worry.

Many homes don't have gutters. However we will likely add them.

Around here lots of new houses have the windows that low. Had asked him awhile back about raising them to transom level. He said he could. But would have to raise them all up. Does that mean front and back? Where are they showing casements? All are single hung. With 2 sets of patio doors in the back with transoms over them.

Not sure what a drip edge is. Yes we are doing spray foam in the attic.

Would the draftsman have a 3D option already built into the program he used to do this? Or a seperate program?

Virgil - We never even talked to them. Builder would relay.

This is what the section through the eave of your 2 in 12 pitch roof would look like.

I would check the elevations to see if they are also drawn inaccurately.

I don't recognize the CAD program but it might have a 3D option. I would just draw the house in SketchUp so I could control the appearance.

If you know a local architect this would be the time to contact him/her. The builder may be assuming he doesn't need accurate drawings because he will use his standard details but you will not know what you are getting until it is done. What is certain is that this project is way over the head of the builder's draftsman.

I don't know much about your house but I think this is what I would do to relieve the vertical tightness of the elevation caused by the deep porch roofs.

I've seen windows look OK without trim but it is a fairly modern look and depends on the details of the particular window model. What do you plan to use?

Speaking of details, extend the plywood floor sheathing to the outer edge of the rim joist and set the sill plate on top of the plywood.

I am collecting JDS's sketches in hopes to strike a deal with him on a book on proper residential construction.

BIG red flag > > > > "We never even talked to them. Builder would relay."

Over the years I have found it VERY important the personal communication between me as the designer and my clients. There is a lot of information that is gathered that is not and can not be documented that goes into the design of a home. Relaying information to a CAD operator through the builder is recipe for a disaster. The CAD drawings posted above are scary in themselves.

JDS - The drawings help alot. It say 2/12 but the pitch shown is not. The side elevations look like same pitch as your drawing.

My home is in the lower range of what he usually builds. And he has built many. So thinking maybe if something is wrong rather than have perfect drawings he just does it right on sight. Once we meet will know.

Will do that sketchup tonight. That will help. Know whatever it looks like the pitch has to be higher than 2/12 to avoid potential issues.

On that second drawing... wow! What a difference. Its pretty too.

Mark - You all should do a book. JDS sketchups are so pretty too.

Think of the drawings as a legal document . . . because they are. If any conflicts arise, the drawings will be the chief witness.

Good catch on the floor sheathing.

I just realized the floor structure note is another error. A "TJI" is an I-Joist made by Weyerhaeuser; its not a floor truss. And its engineered not "pre-engineered".

I think the author is a draftsman with no construction knowledge following incomplete instructions from the builder. IMO that's a bad combination.

Lots of good information here. But, unless I've lost my numerical recognition, the pitch of the roof over the second floor, where the windows appear to be awkward and in conflict with the dropped horizontal soffit, is 7/12, which I assume to be the pitch shown in the eve detail.

@Mark, before you spend a lot of time writing a book on best practices for residential construction, check out a copy of The JLC Field Guide to Residential Construction A Manual of Best Practice (Journal of Light Construction, Clayton DeKeorne, ed.) and the Graphic Guide to Frame Construction Details for Builders and Designers by Rob Thallon (Taunton Press.) Both are excellent resources for design professionals, construction professionals and DIY'ers.

A very simply way to tie it all together would be to extend your front porch, columns, and railing to cover the "breezeway" or whatever that section is called.

So thinking maybe if something is wrong rather than have perfect drawings he just does it right on sight. Once we meet will know.

Unless your contractor is there constantly, the subs will follow the drawings and if it's not on the drawing, they are not in a position to correct what is wrong. The drawings are technically your legal document. It's what you signed off on.

If there are changes, there needs to be a change order signed off by both the GC and yourself.

Even mistakes need to be signed off on. For example, they added back a window I had removed. Now it turns out, I am glad they did add it back, but to confirm the mistake and that I wanted it, I had to email them and they will now generate a change order for adding it back.

Charles - I was joking. It was more of a compliment to JDS for his graphic communication skills. I am well aware of those books and the many others that are on the market.

The eave section I corrected is taken from the wall section of the one story portion of the house which has a 2 in 12 pitch not a 7 in 12 pitch. I assume the drafter changed the 7 to a 2 and figured it wasn't necessary to correct the detail or perhaps he/she forgot to correct it.

What is troubling is that no one is checking the drawings.

JDS raises a good point. The drawing above is clearly not a 2/12 pitch as shown. The area of the house with the proposed 2/12 roof does not have an issue with the roof overhang and the window placement. See the front elevation.

The roof over the main house, however, is noted on the roof plan as 7/12 and does have a major issue with the placement of the windows and trim (if any). The problem is clearly visible in the front elevation.

Thus, it appears the wall section above, which is only one story (and the only one story segment of the house) must be over the kitchen where the roof pitch is shown as 2/12. However...scroll up a bit and there's a two-story section identical to this one for the two story segment of the house where the roof/window problem is located. See the elevation.

So JDS is exactly right: who made these erroneous drawings and who checked them? The OP deserves a substantial refund on the cost of the drawings, plus a professional to assist in straightening them all out. Heaven forbid if construction follows these drawings.

At this point I would have no confidence in whomever prepared these incomplete and inaccurate drawings, and very little confidence in whomever it is that the drafter works for and commissioned the drawings.

The OP deserves better. I am not confident about the construction phase.

Sorry to be so forthright...

How in the world do you even begin to halt this kind of project without the bank hating you? I thought that once you got started (foundation done), you couldn't really stop?

This is all terrifying, and I'm not even the OP. :-(

Its time to read the contract very carefully or hire someone to do it and possibly also correct the drawings and solve the outstanding design issues ASAP.

Maybe a discussion with the bank would help. Clearly the return on the money invested cannot be understood.

Mark - You are right. I do trust the builder but it would be in both our best interests.

JDS - Am making a list of things to go over and will add that. I went over the plans and made sure all the windows were right and such. Feel the pitch problem should have been caught.

cpartist - You are right. He is there a lot. But it is important to have it right just in case he is not. When I mentioned my concerns he said he wanted to meet to go over everything.

Onedevoteddame - Won't be halting it. Framing is still a week or two out. When I brought up that there were some issues he said we will meet this week to go over things. And make changes before framing starts. Which is nice.

Virgil - Appreciate your honesty. Will try to find a professional locally to look them over. Doing google sketchup tonight to take with me. But once I have my meeting with him will know more.

Well off to sketchup.....

*crossing fingers you can get everything addressed in two weeks*

It just seems like *so much* to accomplish in such a short time. But I am fairly uneducated in this, so I'm probably just being paranoid. ;-)

When I brought up that there were some issues he said we will meet this week to go over things. And make changes before framing starts. Which is nice.

Get it all in writing.

One Devoted - yeah not sure. Feeling overwhelmed.

cpartist - yes am going to

JDS - They are basic but give an idea. Neat program

2:12 middle and back

4:12 in middle. Still 2:12 in back - The roof goes into the garage a tiny bit.

Shingle and metal roof manufacturers I am aware of do not recommend their product on a roof pitch of less than a 3/12 pitch. What material do you plan to go on the 2/12 pitch roof?

The SketchUp model shows how important it is to align the slope of the low roofs.

The detail below shows how you can raise the roof 9 1/2". If you also raise the second floor window sills, the porch roof might be able to have a 3 in 12 pitch. It would also help if the eave of the porch roof is lowered a bit.

This detail will also provide a more usable attic floor and an easier and more air tight insulation installation. I rarely frame a roof any other way.

Mark - architectural shingles is what we planned early on due to keep on budget. Am glad to have this issue now while things can still be fixed.

JDS - that will help for sure. They have 5ft windows upstairs. That extra space plus using 4' vs 5' would help. But would that make the ceilings inside taller too?

No change to the exterior wall, ceiling or attic joists its just a different way to support the rafters. The additional cost is for a perimeter band joist, a 2x4 plate, additional siding and attic floor sheathing (which should have been in the original design IMO).

It will raise the ridge of the roof 9 1/2" and provide that much more headroom in the attic.

Why are there so many windows on the eave side (even stuck in the corners of rooms) and none on the gable side? You should think twice before passing up an opportunity for cross ventilation.

Why no second floor plan?

If you want the drawings to be larger online increase their resolution in a photo editing program.

I don't remember any architectural shingle manufacturer for a less than 4/12 pitch. There are some metal roofs that were ok at 1/12 for a standing seam roof.

JDS - appreciate you explaining that. It is just how they worked out. Tried different way to save. Hopefully it is bigger. Doing everything in mspaint...

That drawing looks great. Never thought about attic window. Like it without the pattern on the bottom.

lyfia - did not know there were any metal that low. good info.

If you don't change the pitch of the roof, you will need to install a metal roof with ice/water dam membrane. I'm in Georgia, too. The membrane will be needed to prevent water damage. We did a porch addition with a 2/12 roof. We were told by the roofing supplier that we could use architectural shingle roofing with underlying membrane. It leaked. The roofing supplier denied ever giving us the go ahead. We ended up installing standing seam metal with membrane for a lot more money. It works. We didn't like it, but we could carry the cost. It will piss you off to have to install two roofs. It certainly pissed us off and we checked it out beforehand. Move heaven an earth to change that pitch. A small outlay up front will save you a bunch of outlay later on.

I strongly recommend installing a self-adhering waterproofing membrane as an underlayment under low-sloped metal roofing. The best product is Grace Ice & Water Shield HT because it has an adhesive with increased thermal stability for use under metal roofing.

It is not difficult to increase the low sloped roofs to 3 in 12 or even 4 in 12. The worst case is the second floor window sills will need to be as high as 3 ft and the windows a bit wider for emergency escape or the second floor ceiling will have to be 9 ft. tall and the windows raised. Both of these options are well worth the cost and effort in order to salvage the design of the house now that construction has begun.

Just change the minimum pitch over occupied spaces to 4/12 and all will be well. I can't imagine why the 2/12 pitch was shown in the design.

Thanks so much everyone for helping me. Wanted to update that things went well. Met with the builder.

The wider trim was included. He does 3" frieze board even though it did not show one. Asking to upgrade to 6". Changed it to traditional returns instead of porkchops and we went over a couple other small things. The roof he was aware of long time ago. He said he does not do 2/12 roofs. Asked specifically for 4/12 and he said he is working that with the framer who will be starting soon.

Am hoping that he uses the technique that JDS so kindly drew above. Like the idea of better insulation. Between that and using 4' window in the back could be enough. If not as a last resort was thinking we could upgrade to 9' ceilings upstairs. If we do all that then front porch can be 4/12 too.

This is a small town and he is on site a lot. The framer has an office next to his. They are friends and work closely together. Feeling confident that it will work out in the end.

Do have one question. He asked me about how I wanted the trim to sit around the windows. He said sides and back can be done like the picture on left to save money. Not sure how much though. It looks like the window sits on top of the trim vs inset a little bit. The one thing I don't like about it is the trim and window are not the same color of white exactly. With it inset a little bit it looks much nicer to me.

I don't understand the trim choice. What is the "picture on the left"? Why would the window look like it was inset? What is the window model and manufacturer?

I don't recommend waiting to see what the contractor builds.

Sorry the higher quality did not upload.

The windows on the left appear to be "picture framed" with trim on all 4 sides. This can compromise the drip at the sill nose and lead to water damage below the window.

The windows on the right appear to be trimmed in the traditional manner so the jamb trim rests on the extended "horns" of the sill. To do that with a modern nail-fin window it is necessary to install a "sub-sill".