Plan review · 2026
Truoba House Plans Are Real Drawings, Not a Permit: Worth Buying If You Budget for the Two Costs That Come After
If a local professional has just told you the plans you found online are a waste of money, there are two separate claims inside that sentence. One of them is true. This is about the other one.
By the research desk·Published 10 September 2026
Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It funds the research and does not steer it.
How this review was built
- 1.Read Truoba's own catalogue, FAQ, About page and terms, and recorded what the plan set is stated to contain and what it states it does not
- 2.Opened every plan page in the catalogue, 62 of them, and recorded the listed price of both package tiers on each rather than quoting one headline figure
- 3.Read the modification pricing published in the FAQ and again on the plan pages, and compared the two
- 4.Read the independent review profile in full, including the star filters, and checked how the reviews are collected
What we could not verify
- We have not purchased a plan. Nothing on this page is a hands-on account, and we say so rather than implying otherwise
- Modification prices are bands, not quotes. Truoba calculates the real figure per request, so your number may sit outside the published band
- Truoba publishes no catalogue count. The 62 listings figure is our own tally on the date shown, not a figure Truoba states
- We found no independent review below five stars anywhere. That is not the same as there being no unhappy buyers
What you actually get
- What you buy
- A construction drawing set for one design. The FAQ names fourteen drawings, from foundation and floor plans through sections, elevations, electrical, HVAC and a door and window schedule[1]
- Formats and tiers
- Two tiers only. A PDF set you can copy and print but not edit, and a PDF + CAD (.dwg) set that your architect or builder can change. The CAD tier is what makes local adaptation possible[5]
- Catalogue range
- 285 sq ft at the smallest to 2,981 sq ft at the largest, across 62 listings on our count, one of which is a detached garage rather than a dwelling[2]
- Style
- Modern and contemporary throughout. Truoba describes itself as an online home designer creating contemporary house designs with functionality as the main design focus, and designs its own catalogue rather than aggregating other people's[3]
- Energy approach
- A design-principles claim, not a certification. Truoba states its homes are designed with Passive House principles in mind, and lists four elements behind that. No rating, score or performance figure is published[3]
- Explicitly schematic
- Truoba's terms state the electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning drawings are schematic only, and that you should have a local engineer or builder produce the detailed versions. That is a real cost the plan price does not cover[4]
- What is never included
- The local structural engineering review and stamp. Truoba states the set must be reviewed and stamped by a licensed structural engineer in your jurisdiction, and that most building departments require it[5]
Want to see the range for yourself before reading on?
Browse Truoba house plansWho they are
Truoba is a studio producing its own catalogue of contemporary house plans. The designs lean towards clean lines, open plans and large glazing, and the studio's own description of them emphasises function over form and an indoor-outdoor connection. It is not a marketplace aggregating other people's plans, which is why the catalogue is narrower than the big plan sites and also why it is consistent.
The catalogue ran to 62 listings across three pages on the day we counted it, from a 285 sq ft one-bedroom up to a 2,981 sq ft four-bedroom. One quirk worth knowing before you browse: the site's own size menu only advertises 600 to 2,500 sq ft, so the smallest and largest plans sit outside the navigation meant to find them.
What is actually in the set, and what the tiers really mean
The FAQ names fourteen drawings in a plan set: construction notes, foundation, plumbing, floor plans, roof construction, roof, sections, elevations, construction details, electrical, HVAC, furniture, a door and window schedule, and general specifications. That is a genuinely complete-looking list, and buyers' builders in the review text describe it as comprehensive.
Two caveats sit inside it that the headline price does not tell you. The first is the tier. Every plan sells in exactly two versions: a PDF set, and a PDF + CAD set costing $500 more on 60 of the 62 plans. Only the CAD set lets your architect or builder change the drawings, in Truoba's own words. So the entire adaptation argument, the reason a stock plan beats a custom design on price, sits behind the more expensive tier. On the $2,500 top plan that upgrade adds a fifth to the bill. On the $400 starter plan it doubles it.
The second is scope. Truoba's terms state the electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning drawings are schematic only, and that you should have a local engineer or builder produce the detailed versions needed for permits and construction. A permit-grade plot plan is not included either: it is a $100 add-on, and Truoba notes some counties require one to get a permit. Truoba does offer a free site plan, but the two are different documents. The free one places your chosen floor plan on your lot from a topography photo, as a fit check before you buy.
What buyers report, and what the review record cannot tell you
Truoba's Trustpilot profile reads 4.9 out of 5 from 131 reviews, which for a plan seller is unusually strong. The recurring themes are consistent and specific: changes come back quickly and match what was asked for, builders find the delivered set comprehensive, and reviewers describe dealing with a named person at the studio rather than a support queue. One reviewer needing two accessible master bedrooms describes the studio accommodating the requirement down to small details.
Now the part most pages would leave out. Filter that profile to one, two or three stars and it returns nothing. Filter it to four stars and it also returns nothing. The distribution reads 100 percent five-star, and Trustpilot labels Truoba as a company that invites its customers to review, though it does not publish what share of the 131 arrived that way. A spotless public record is not evidence of no unhappy buyers, only that the public record holds none. Treat it as a strong signal, not a survey of everyone who bought.
The one qualified criticism we could find in the text concerns exactly the thing the pricing already told us. A reviewer writes that the plans are a little pricey when making modifications, and then concludes they were worth it. That is the honest shape of this product: the design is well liked, and the changes are where the money goes.
What it actually costs, including the parts that are not the plan
| What you are paying for | What it covers | Published cost |
|---|---|---|
| Plan set, PDF | The fourteen drawings, copy and print, no editing | $400 to $2,500 |
| CAD upgrade | The editable .dwg files. Required for your own professional to adapt the design | $500 more on 60 of 62 plans |
| Plot plan | Places the house on your lot. Some counties require one for a permit | +$100 |
| Reversed plan | The design mirrored | +$150 |
| Minor changes | Room layout tweaks, exterior materials, doors and windows, roof pitch | $100 to $700 |
| Medium changes | Rearranging rooms, changing roof type, expanding the house | $700 to $1,500, or $700 to $2,000 |
| Major changes | Redesigning over a third of the plan, adding square footage or a floor | From $1,500, or from $2,000 |
| Detailed MEP drawings | Truoba's set is schematic only for electrical, plumbing and HVAC. A local engineer produces the rest | Not sold by Truoba |
| Structural engineer review and stamp | Required almost everywhere. Truoba states most building departments require it | Not sold by Truoba |
The two bands on the medium and major rows are not our uncertainty. They are Truoba's: its FAQ publishes $700 to $1,500 and $1,500 plus, while the pricing guide on the individual plan pages publishes $700 to $2,000 and from $2,000, and sets the major threshold at 30 percent of the floor plan where the FAQ says 40 percent. Ask which applies before you commit. The last two rows are the ones your architect was talking about. They are real, they are not optional, and they are not what the rest of the table is about. Figures checked 10 September 2026.
Prices move. Check today's against the table above.
Browse Truoba house plansWhere it earns the money, and where it does not
Works in its favour
- A consistent modern style across the whole catalogue, designed in-house rather than aggregated
- A genuinely complete drawing list, fourteen sheets, that buyers' builders describe as comprehensive
- Editable CAD files are available at all, which many cheaper plan sellers do not offer, and which is what makes local adaptation cheaper than a custom design
- Modification pricing is published in bands before you buy, so the main cost risk is at least visible in advance
- A first draft of changes is stated at 48 hours, the full cycle at one to four weeks
Counts against it
- The advertised price is the PDF tier. The editable set that makes the whole adaptation argument work costs $500 more on almost every plan, which doubles the price of the cheapest one
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC drawings are schematic only, so detailed versions are another professional's fee
- A permit-grade plot plan is a $100 add-on. The free site plan is a fit check, not a permit document
- Modification bands differ by $500 between Truoba's own FAQ and its plan pages
- The review record is invitation-collected with no reviews below five stars anywhere, so it cannot tell you how the studio handles an unhappy buyer
- You still need, and still pay, a local structural engineer to stamp it
If you want a distinctive modern home, you accept that the stamp is a separate cost, and you budget for the CAD upgrade plus a modification band rather than the headline price, this is a credible place to start and the drawings behind it are real. If you were told the plans are worthless, the accurate version is that they are not a permit. They were never sold as one, and Truoba says so on the page where it takes your money.
Read the drawbacks and still interested?
Browse Truoba house plansWhat happens after you click
- 1You land on Truoba's catalogue and can filter by size and bedrooms
- 2Each plan page shows the layout, elevations, the drawing list and both tier prices before any payment
- 3The tier dropdown is where the $500 CAD decision is made, and the plot plan and reversed plan add-ons sit on the same page
- 4Modification requests are quoted individually after you submit a change list, with a first draft stated at 48 hours
- 5After purchase the set arrives as files. Nothing ships physically
- 6Your local structural engineer then reviews and stamps it, a separate engagement and a separate fee
Questions people actually ask
Is a purchased plan enough to get a building permit?
No, and that is true of every plan sold online. Truoba states it directly on its plan pages: the drawing set must be reviewed and stamped by a licensed structural engineer in your local jurisdiction, who specifies beams, headers, rafters, columns and footings for your soil, snow, wind and seismic conditions, and most building departments require that stamp. The plan is the design. The stamp is local.
Do I need the more expensive CAD version?
If anyone local is going to modify the drawings, yes. Truoba's own wording is that the CAD set is what allows you to make changes with your local architect, designer or builder. The PDF set lets you copy and print it. It cost $500 on 60 of the 62 plans, and less on the two cheapest.
Can the plans be modified, and what does that cost?
Yes, either through Truoba's own customisation service or by your local professional working from the CAD files. Truoba publishes bands starting at $100 for minor changes and $1,500 for major ones. Its individual plan pages publish higher figures for the same tiers, so confirm which guide applies to your quote before you commit.
Is the site plan included?
Not the one a county may ask for. A permit-grade plot plan is a $100 add-on and Truoba notes some counties require it. Separately, Truoba offers a free site plan that places your chosen floor plan on your lot from a topography photo. That one is a fit check to run before you buy, not a permit document.
Sources (8), each captured and dated
These open in a new tab.
- Truoba, FAQ: which drawings are included, file formats, modification pricing bands, free site plancaptured 2026-09-10
- Truoba, House Plans catalogue, pages 1 to 3: listings, sizes and pricescaptured 2026-09-10
- Truoba, About: studio description and the Passive House principles wordingcaptured 2026-09-10
- Truoba, Terms and Conditions: electrical, plumbing and HVAC drawings are schematic onlycaptured 2026-09-10
- Truoba, plan page (Truoba 122): tier pricing, add-ons, modifications pricing guide, structural engineer review requiredcaptured 2026-09-10
- Truoba, plan page (Truoba Mini 217): lowest observed tier pricescaptured 2026-09-10
- Truoba, plan page (Truoba Class 1422): highest observed tier pricescaptured 2026-09-10
- Trustpilot, Truoba LLC: score, review count, star distribution and collection methodcaptured 2026-09-10