Essential House

We are a team of construction experts, designers, and engineers creating Scandinavian-inspired cabin and house plans with a mission to make high design and thoughtful spaces more accessible and affordable in the United States. DEN is the most cost-effective way to start your design-forward construction project. Through our unique online platform, we offer plan customizations, vetted builder referrals, and the industry's only national showroom network featuring our most popular designs. We also provide advisory services for customers seeking design, sourcing, and planning support.

The Planning Package, priced at $299, is designed to help you assess the feasibility of your project before making a larger investment. The package includes a 30-minute discovery call, construction budgeting worksheet, Short Term Rental ROI worksheet, and access to DEN's online platform. You'll receive informational drawings with basic dimensions, plus a $299 credit that can be applied toward any Building Package. While the Planning Package doesn't include a build license, design customization, CAD files, materials quantities, or structural plans, it provides the essential tools needed to evaluate costs and determine if your project is viable.

The Building Package, starting at $1,999, includes everything you need to customize and construct your project. You'll receive comprehensive construction documentation with complete dimensions and details, a 60-minute discovery call, and the full license to build your design. The package includes essential planning tools like construction budgeting worksheets, materials quantities lists, and a brands and products buying guide. You'll also get CAD files, optional design customization options, and full access to the DEN online platform. While building materials, prefab components, and structural stamping are not included, this package provides all the documentation and support needed to bring your project to life.

Yes, the price you paid for the Planning Package can be applied toward upgrading to the Building Package. If you purchased your Planning Package during a promotion, the full retail price will be applied to the Building Package. If you have any questions or are having trouble applying your discount, please reach out to our team at support@denoutdoors.com

While we do not build homes ourselves, we work with a trusted network of contractors who can help you turn our plans into reality.

Our plans are tailored more towards those collaborating with professionals, like general contractors (GCs) or specialized builders. This approach ensures that the unique features and design intricacies of our buildings are executed to the highest standard.

DEN offers pre-designed house plans, affordable customizations, and advisory services for planning, materials sourcing, and construction. We also now offer prefab shell kits — a streamlined path that delivers your DEN design as a pre-engineered, panelized kit ready for on-site assembly.

Have questions? Chat with a DEN build advisor in real time through our online platform or drop us a line at (845)-347-4987 or support@denoutdoors.com. We'd love to hop into a meeting to discuss your project, though we can usually get back to you fastest via email or chat. We're here to help however works best for you!

Absolutely! Over one hundred DEN homes have been built around the country. Many of these structures are privately-owned; however, some are available for short term rental through Airbnb. See if there's a DEN available for rent near you here.

DEN started in the Hudson Valley region of New York. Today, the DEN teams live throughout the US.

Once you purchase a DEN Building Package, you'll have access to our integrated online platform. There, you can invite collaborators, annotate your house plans, and request customizations from our network of designers with simple, transparent pricing. You can learn more about customizations and other services by setting up a call with a member of our team. Click here to check out an interactive demo.

DEN is broadly available in the lower 48 states. We have had successful builds in almost every single state in the US. We are currently awaiting confirmation of the first projects in Alaska and Hawaii. Many customers in Canada have localized DEN designs to Canadian building code.

Every jurisdiction has unique requirements, so final plan stamping must be completed by a local architect or engineer with expertise in your area. DEN plans are created to provide a strong foundation for that process, making it easier for your local professional to secure a stamp. If you’re a Plans and Platform customer, engineering is completed by a local engineer with expertise in your region. However, if you’re a Prefab customer, DEN provides engineering for the entire structure and the standard of the plans, ensuring that your package is ready for permitting and construction.

DEN's plans and customization services are designed for individuals who have purchased land and secured capital to begin developing that property. Some of our customers have purchased plans before buying land to envision the scope of their project or to imagine what it is that they want to build, but generally speaking, it is helpful to have a specific site in mind, and financing in place prior to engaging DEN to provide preconstruction services.