DEN Plans — How It Works

DEN Plans

40+ proven designs, ready to build.

Buy a complete, construction-ready plan set for any of our designs, hand it to your own contractor and engineer, and run the build yourself. The most hands-on path to putting a DEN on your land — and the lowest cost to get started.

See the three steps → Browse 40+ designs

Start at $299 · instant access · every fee credits forward

Three steps, one path

Start small. Only pay more when you're ready.

Move up only when you're ready. Explore a design for $299, confirm your land for $999, then unlock the right to build with a Building Package — and whatever you've paid so far credits toward it.

Cheapest on-ramp

Planning Package

$299

Best for planning, estimating, and pressure-testing whether a design fits — entirely self-serve, at your own pace.

Access to DEN's online platform
Informational drawings with basic dimensions
Construction budgeting worksheet
Short-term-rental ROI calculator
Brands & products buying guide

Doesn't include a license to build, CAD files, or stamped structural plans. That's what Building is for.

Start with Planning →

Confirm before you commit

Feasibility Package

$999

Best when you've got a parcel and want a real review of your land, layout, and budget before buying full plans.

Highly accurate cost analysis
Illustrative site plan (with boundary survey)
Planning Package for your preferred design
60-minute working session
Up to three DEN designs reviewed

The full $999 credits toward a Building Package, or toward a Prefab manufacturing contract.

Learn about Feasibility →

Everything to build

Building Package

$1,999+

Best for customizing, pricing, and actually constructing — the full document set your contractor and engineer need.

Full construction documents (20+ sheets)
License to build the design
CAD files for your engineer
Materials quantities worksheet
Build Advisor support · Customizations available (add-on)

Still needed: a local engineer to stamp the structural plans (DEN designs aren't pre-stamped) — learn more. Most builds finish in 4–9 months.

Browse designs →

How credit-forward pricing works: You only ever pay the difference to move up — never twice for the same step. Buy a Planning Package for $299, then pay just the $700 balance to add Feasibility. The full $999 you've now paid credits toward your Building Package (or a Prefab manufacturing contract). It's cumulative — not stacked on top. Promotions and credit-forward pricing don't stack — the better deal always applies.

Inside the Building set

20+ sheets, built to code.

The Building Package ships as a complete, construction-ready document set designed by experienced professionals to meet or exceed International Residential Building Code. Here's what's in the drawer.

01Floor & foundation plans

Precise dimensions for every wall, window, and door position, from the footings up.

02Exterior elevations

Every finish and material that creates the home's appearance, on all sides.

03Sections & assembly

Building sections and assembly illustrations so your builder sees exactly how it goes together.

04Interior elevations

Kitchens, baths, and key spaces — cabinet layouts, built-ins, and fixture placement.

05Lighting plans

Fixture locations, schedules, and specs to get the ambiance right in every room.

06Schedules & 3D diagrams

Window, door, plumbing, and room schedules — plus annotated 3D diagrams for the tricky details.

A solid foundation for permitting and construction. Permitting happens locally — codes vary by jurisdiction, so you'll confirm requirements and pull the permit with your local authority.

A modern DEN Outpost cabin with a large deck and wood siding, set in the woods near Red River Gorge

Customizations

You're not stuck with the default plan.

Every DEN design is a starting point. Add or remove walls and windows, adjust the foundation, move a closet, make room for a washer/dryer — or run with it and rework the whole layout. Building Package customers request changes right inside our platform, at a flat fee by complexity.

Here's how it works ↓

See 4 real customization stories → Browse 40+ designs

What changes cost

Customizations are flat-fee by complexity — from $499 for minor tweaks like mirroring a plan or moving a window, up to $3,995 for major structural or full-layout redesigns. You'll always see the price before you commit.

Prefab customers get unlimited customization included at 5% of total project cost — no à la carte pricing required.

What you're taking on

With Plans, you run the build.

This is the real difference between Plans and Prefab. DEN gives you a proven, code-built design. Everything after that — the engineer, the builder, the coordination — is yours to drive. More than you want to take on? Prefab might be a better fit.

DEN gives you

The design

✓ A proven design built 300+ times
✓ 20+ construction-ready sheets, built to code
✓ CAD files to hand your engineer
✓ License to build the design
✓ Materials worksheet & buying guide
✓ Build Advisor support when you're stuck

You handle

The project

→ Hiring a local engineer to stamp the structural plans
→ Finding, briefing, and guiding your own builder
→ Permitting with your local jurisdiction
→ Sourcing materials & finishes
→ Coordinating the whole project, end to end
→ Foundation, site work, and every system & finish

Not sure you want to be the project manager?

On the Prefab side, DEN handles the engineering, manages the process, and guides your builder — and ships your house as an engineered kit. Plans give you the most control and the lowest cost to get started; Prefab gives you a guided path with less on your plate. Explore Prefab →

Customer stories