From the Frank Betz website, on this page, there is a link to see a slideshow of the details and specifications on their floor plans. (This is a nice feature.) http://www.frankbetz.com/products/plans.html# This is from slide 3 of 9: Floor Plans Each plan consists of 1/4" or 3/16" scale floor layouts showing the location of 2x4 walls, doors, windows, plumbing fixtures, cabinetry, stairs and decorative ceilings. These plans are complete with dimensions, notes, door/window sizes and a schematic electrical layout. If you look closely at this slide you can see the schematic electrical layout. Did your plan not have this? Or did your local government office require a separate page with only electrical? If your plan did not come with the schematic electrical layout, I think you have a reasonable gripe about Betz and they should provide that at no additional charge. They have disclaimers about some features of their plans, but not the schematic electrical. I have to agree with other posters, though. If $215 makes your blood pressure skyrocket, you'll need to go ahead and find a cardiologist to hold your hand through the building process! Good luck!

Hi judithsara! I'm the original poster. I just wanted to share what I've found out in the meantime since my original posting. All the posters who replied "it's up to the AHJ (= Authority Having Jurisdiction)" are spot on. I went into my city's building department to talk with the building inspector. We haven't gotten to the point of submitting for a building permit yet. I had the architect's drawings and had places in red and yellow (following the color coding that brickeyee mentioned), and asked the inspector if he needs anything more than this. He said "no". I pointed out the place where there is an LVL beam written in the architect's drawing and asked if he needed anything more than this, and he said "no". Now, I don't know if this is because we're in a rural area, and in another place, one might need more. It might be worth a visit to whatever office it is that you have to get your permits from to see what they'd require from an engineer who would be reviewing your project. Now, I also called a structural engineer because we do have a beam on our drawings, and he said that getting an independent review is "commonly done". (Well, that was in response to my asking whether what I was asking for was out of the ordinary). And he said that if he had some recommendations that are different than the original, that what he would do is write a letter outlining the recommended changes and stamp the letter, and that would go to the building office. After talking with the building inspector though, you might find out what level of change on the drawing their office actually requires, and whether you'd need the other engineer. Hope this helps!

Electrically, and assuming everything in the system is switched together (i.e. no unswitched loads), your hots (black) will all be joined. Your neutrals (white) will all be joined, and your grounds will all be connected to each other and any boxes in the system that are metal. Assuming you want it to meet code, you cannot have junction boxes that are inaccessible (i.e beneath an attic floor or buried in insulation). Dan

Oh boy, I know what you mean. We had to decide this really early, because the power comes through the slab, so the floor receptacle outlet was "final" very early in the game. We did what others have recommended and now that we have furniture in the room, it seems like we got it right. But then when we get a rug, the cord will have to go across it a short distance and then down. I think it will be under the couch or end table at that point, and I'm sure I'll get used to it, but it's one of those stressful things, so I sympathize.