https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/Real numbers for rooms and renovations.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/ceiling-heights-7-ft-rooms-6-8-baths-5-ft-on-slopes/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/ceiling-heights-7-ft-rooms-6-8-baths-5-ft-on-slopes/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe IRC ceiling numbers to check before you draw that attic bedroom: habitable rooms and hallways need 7 ft (2134 mm). Bathrooms, toilet rooms and laundry rooms can drop to 6′8″ (2032 mm). Under a slope, at least half of the required floor area needs 7 ft, and floor with less than 5 ft of height doesn't count toward the required area. Basement areas without habitable space need 6′8″, with beams and ducts allowed down to 6′4″. These are model code minimums, so always check the edition your city has adopted.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/seating-group-keep-seats-within-8-ft-and-float-them-off-the-wall/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/seating-group-keep-seats-within-8-ft-and-float-them-off-the-wall/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTPushing every piece against the walls is the most common living room mistake. A common design guideline: keep the main seats within about 8 ft (2.4 m) of each other, so people can talk without raising their voices. Float the sofa if the room allows it, and leave 36″ (91 cm) behind it if that's a walkway. Long room? Don't stretch one group across it: make a talk zone, then use the leftover end for a table, desk or reading corner. Keep the coffee table 14–18″ from the sofa.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/kitchen-remodel-timeline-plan-first-then-about-12-weeks-on-site/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/kitchen-remodel-timeline-plan-first-then-about-12-weeks-on-site/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA sample mid-size kitchen remodel runs about 12 weeks on site; yours will vary with size and scope. Weeks 1–5: demo, plumbing and electrical rough-ins, inspections, then walls and paint. Weeks 6–10: flooring, cabinets, and the part that surprises people: stone counters are measured only after the cabinets are set, often 1–2 weeks before install. No counter usually means no working sink, so plan meals around it. Planning, permits and ordering come before all this, and often take longer than the build.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/ifc-in-revit-link-to-coordinate-open-to-take-over/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/ifc-in-revit-link-to-coordinate-open-to-take-over/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTRevit gives you two doors for the same file. Insert › Link IFC keeps the model as a read-only reference you can reload when the source changes: right for a consultant's model, or for furniture you only place and show. File › Open › IFC converts it once into a new Revit project: you can work with it, but updates no longer reach you, and you should expect fixed geometry instead of flexible families. Before loading, check the class-to-category mapping under File › Open › IFC Options, then test a view and a schedule.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/two-twin-beds-100-of-wall-in-the-corners-148-with-walkways/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/two-twin-beds-100-of-wall-in-the-corners-148-with-walkways/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTTwin mattresses are 38 × 75″ (97 × 191 cm), so two side by side are 76″. Add the 24″ (61 cm) you need to get between them and you're at 100″, or 8′4″, with each bed against a side wall. Want a walkway on both sides of each bed? Three 24″ paths make it 148″, or 12′4″. Short on wall? An L-shape needs 113″ on one wall and 75″ on the other, which fits a 10 × 10 ft room and leaves open floor. A nightstand in the 24″ gap works for both sleepers.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/keep-renovation-receipts-improvements-can-lower-the-tax-when-you-sell/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/keep-renovation-receipts-improvements-can-lower-the-tax-when-you-sell/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTIn the US, your gain on a home sale is roughly the price minus your adjusted basis, and improvements add to that basis. Example: buy at $400,000, sell at $800,000. Without records, that's a $400,000 gain. With $80,000 of documented improvements, it's $320,000. After the $250,000 single exclusion ($500,000 joint if you qualify), taxable gain drops from $150,000 to $70,000. Repairs usually don't count unless they're part of a larger remodel. Keep records through the sale plus at least 3 years. See IRS Pub 523. General info, not tax advice.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/block-naming-group-type-size-units-every-time/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/block-naming-group-type-size-units-every-time/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA simple pattern fixes most of it: group, type, width x depth, units, like SEAT-SOFA-84x38-IN. Group first keeps related blocks together, the size lets you pick the right sofa without inserting it, and the units flag warns you before a 25.4× scale surprise. It also prevents a classic trap: a drawing holds one definition per name, so if you paste in another “SOFA”, the existing definition wins and you get the old sofa. To clean up an old file, use RENAME to fix names, PURGE to remove unused blocks and WBLOCK to export the keepers.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/side-tables-within-2-of-the-sofa-arm-and-11-ft-of-wall-for-the-set/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/side-tables-within-2-of-the-sofa-arm-and-11-ft-of-wall-for-the-set/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThat's the common design rule, and it's why an 18″ table next to a 25″ arm always looks off. Measure your arm first, then shop: for a 25″ arm, look for 24–26″ (61–66 cm). Leave about 2–6″ from the sofa so you can reach it and still clean. On top, aim for the bottom of the lamp shade near seated eye level, about 40″ from the floor. And check the wall: an 84″ sofa with two 20″ tables and a little breathing room takes about 132″, or 11 ft. Short wall? One table and one floor lamp works too.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/bath-fan-size-1-cfm-per-sq-ft-50-cfm-minimum-vented-outside/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/bath-fan-size-1-cfm-per-sq-ft-50-cfm-minimum-vented-outside/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTBathroom fans are the cheap line item that protects your expensive tile. For baths up to 100 sq ft, the common sizing rule is about 1 CFM per sq ft, with 50 CFM as the floor: an 8 × 10 ft bath wants about 80. Over 100 sq ft, add 50 CFM each for toilet, shower and tub, and 100 for a jetted tub. The duct matters as much as the fan: vent outdoors, never into the attic, and keep it short and straight. Choose 1 sone or less so people actually use it, and run it about 20 minutes after a shower.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/imperial-vs-metric-kitchens-24-is-not-600-mm/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/imperial-vs-metric-kitchens-24-is-not-600-mm/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTOne inch is exactly 25.4 mm, so a US 24″ base cabinet is 609.6 mm, while the common metric module is 600 mm. On one cabinet that's 9.6 mm. On six, it's 57.6 mm, enough to need a filler or a redraw. Know the difference between a soft conversion (same size, new number) and a hard one (the size a metric supplier really makes). Counters differ too: 36″ in the US, about 850–900 mm in metric markets. Specify what will be bought locally, then draw that.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/a-desk-in-the-bedroom-36-behind-the-chair-24-beside-the-bed/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/a-desk-in-the-bedroom-36-behind-the-chair-24-beside-the-bed/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA 48 × 24″ desk (29–30″ high) handles a laptop or one monitor; two monitors want about 60″. The space that matters is behind it: leave 36″ (91 cm) from the desk edge to the bed or wall so you can sit, roll back and stand up. Keep 24″ on the bed sides you use. And put the window at your side: behind you it causes glare, in front of you it makes you a silhouette on video calls.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/kitchen-budget-split-cabinets-29-install-17-appliances-14/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/kitchen-budget-split-cabinets-29-install-17-appliances-14/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe National Kitchen & Bath Association's widely used split: cabinets and hardware 29%, installation 17%, appliances and ventilation 14%, countertops 10%, flooring 7%, lighting 5%, walls and ceilings 5%, doors and windows 4%, faucets and plumbing 4%, design fee 4%, other 1%. Those top three lines are 60% of the money, so that's where real savings live. On $40,000 that's $11,600 for cabinets alone. It's a planning guideline, not a price list, and your contingency of 10–20% comes on top.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/accessible-bathroom-60-to-turn-toilet-16-18-from-the-wall/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/accessible-bathroom-60-to-turn-toilet-16-18-from-the-wall/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe 2010 ADA Standards to draw for an accessible toilet room: a 60″ (1525 mm) turning circle or T-shape; toilet centerline 16–18″ from the side wall, seat 17–19″ high, with 60″ × 56″ clear floor; grab bars 33–36″ high, side at least 42″ long and rear at least 36″; sink rim at most 34″ with 27″ knee clearance and 30 × 48″ clear floor; doors 32″ clear. ADA applies to public places and most private homes aren't required to follow it, but aging-in-place clients ask for it. Always check your local code too.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/queen-sofa-bed-3-ft-deep-by-day-about-7-ft-at-night/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/queen-sofa-bed-3-ft-deep-by-day-about-7-ft-at-night/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSleepers look small in the showroom because they're closed. Open, a queen reaches about 90″ (229 cm) from the wall, though models vary, so look for the open depth in the listing. Add 24″ at the foot so a guest can walk around it: 114″, or 9½ ft, from the wall. Sleeper mattresses are 72″ long, shorter than a regular 80″ queen. And plan the coffee table: it sits exactly where the bed lands, so it has to move.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/home-built-before-1978-hire-a-lead-safe-certified-contractor/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/home-built-before-1978-hire-a-lead-safe-certified-contractor/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTUnder the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, paid contractors disturbing paint in pre-1978 homes must be Lead-Safe Certified. It kicks in above 6 sq ft per room inside or 20 sq ft outside, and window replacement or demolition of painted parts always counts. Ask for the firm's certificate, the Renovate Right pamphlet, and dust containment plus cleanup in the contract. Open flames, heat guns above 1100°F and power sanding without HEPA are banned. Lead dust is especially dangerous for children under 6 and during pregnancy. Some states run their own program, so check yours.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/insertion-points-back-center-for-wall-pieces-center-for-tables/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/insertion-points-back-center-for-wall-pieces-center-for-tables/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhere the base point sits decides how fast you draft. Wall pieces like sofas, beds, dressers and cabinets: back center, so you snap to the wall and rotate. Tables and rugs: dead center, so they turn in place. To fix a bad one, open BEDIT and move the geometry so the point sits on 0,0, or set it with Pick point when you create the block. And check INSUNITS (1 inches, 4 mm), because an inch block read as millimetres arrives 25.4× too small.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/entryway-console-10-14-deep-and-36-left-to-walk/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/entryway-console-10-14-deep-and-36-left-to-walk/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTEntries come down to one sum: width minus a 36″ (91 cm) walking path is your maximum furniture depth. A 50″ entry takes a 14″ console; a 46″ one takes 10″; a 42″ one takes hooks and a ledge. Consoles run 10–14″ deep and 30–34″ high. Keep the door's swing clear: a 36″ door sweeps a 36″ quarter circle. Hang a mirror with its center about 57–60″ from the floor, a bench seat near 18″ and coat hooks around 60–66″.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/renovation-contract-8-clauses-to-read-before-you-sign/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/renovation-contract-8-clauses-to-read-before-you-sign/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBefore you sign or pay a deposit, check for: 1) scope and materials, with brands and model numbers; 2) the contractor's legal name, license and insurance; 3) a total price with allowances listed; 4) a payment schedule tied to finished work; 5) start and finish dates; 6) change orders signed in writing before the work; 7) who pulls permits and books inspections; 8) warranty length and lien waivers. California requires a written contract on home improvement jobs over $500; rules vary, so check your state. Not legal advice.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/kitchen-landing-areas-15-by-the-fridge-24-18-at-the-sink/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/kitchen-landing-areas-15-by-the-fridge-24-18-at-the-sink/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe NKBA kitchen guidelines give each appliance a landing area. Fridge: at least 15″ (380 mm) on the handle side, or on an island up to 48″ across. Sink: 24″ on one side and 18″ on the other, with the dishwasher within 36″ of the sink. Cooktop: 12″ on one side and 15″ on the other, so never at the end of a run. Wall oven: 15″ beside or above; microwave: 15″ above, below or beside. And a 36 × 24″ prep area right next to the sink.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/counter-vs-bar-stools-leave-10-12-under-the-counter/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/counter-vs-bar-stools-leave-10-12-under-the-counter/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe rule is a 10–12″ (25–30 cm) gap between the seat and the counter top. A standard 36″ kitchen counter takes counter stools with a 24–26″ seat; a 42″ bar takes bar stools with a 28–30″ seat; a 30″ table takes chairs around 18″. Check the listing's seat height, not the overall height. For how many fit, give each person 24″ of counter (26–30″ for wide or swivel stools): a 96″ counter seats 4.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/allowances-the-bid-numbers-that-aren-t-real-yet/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/allowances-the-bid-numbers-that-aren-t-real-yet/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn allowance is a placeholder in a contractor's bid for things you haven't picked yet: tile, light fixtures, faucets, countertops. If your choice costs more, you pay the difference, and many contracts add the contractor's markup on top. A bidder who writes $3/sq ft for tile looks cheaper than one who writes $8, until you choose the tile. Give every bidder the same allowances, price your real picks in a showroom before you sign, and track each allowance against what you actually spend.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/door-widths-a-36-leaf-gives-about-33-clear/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/door-widths-a-36-leaf-gives-about-33-clear/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTClear width is measured with the door open 90°, from the face of the door to the stop, and the door thickness plus the stop take about 2–2½″. So a 36″ leaf gives roughly 33½″ clear and a 32″ leaf only about 29½″. The IRC (R311.2) asks for at least one egress door with 32″ clear width and 78″ clear height, and accessible routes need 32″ clear too, which is why entries get a 36″ leaf. Draw every swing: the radius equals the leaf width.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/kids-room-bed-in-the-corner-top-bunk-from-age-6/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/kids-room-bed-in-the-corner-top-bunk-from-age-6/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPush the bed into a corner, against two walls, and you get one open play area instead of two thin strips: in a 10 ft room a 39″ twin leaves about 81″ of open width. Know the sizes: twin 38 × 75″, twin XL 38 × 80″, full 54 × 75″. For bunk beds, the CPSC says no children under 6 on the top bunk, guardrails on both sides and rail gaps of 3½″ or less. And plan for the next bed: a full is 16″ wider than a twin.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/lien-waivers-get-one-with-every-payment/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/lien-waivers-get-one-with-every-payment/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIf your contractor doesn't pay a sub or a supplier, they can file a mechanic's lien on your property, even when you paid in full. In many states they send a preliminary notice first (California's 20-day preliminary notice): that's your list of who to collect lien waivers from. Get a conditional waiver with each payment and an unconditional one once the funds clear. For big material orders, pay with a joint check, and make the final payment only against final waivers. Rules vary by state, so check locally.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/clearance-layers-vp-freeze-them-for-client-sets/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/clearance-layers-vp-freeze-them-for-client-sets/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTClearance zones help you check a plan, but the client doesn't need them. Keep them on their own layer (A-FURN-CLR), then in the client viewport use VP Freeze in Layer Properties (or VPLAYER): the clearances disappear there and stay in model space and your design sheet. Set New VP Freeze on that layer so new viewports start clean, and save two layer states, DESIGN and CLIENT, to switch in one click. Off hides a layer; freeze hides it and skips it on regen.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/dining-light-30-36-above-the-table-its-width/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/dining-light-30-36-above-the-table-its-width/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMeasure from the table top to the bottom of the fixture: 30–36″ (76–91 cm) for an 8 ft ceiling, plus about 3″ for every extra foot of ceiling. Pick a fixture about half to two-thirds of the table's width: 21–28″ for a 42″ table. Hang it over the table, not the middle of the room; place the table first, then the light. For a central light in other rooms, add the room's length and width in feet: a 12 × 14 ft room takes a fixture about 26″ wide.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/signed-at-home-3-business-days-to-cancel/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/signed-at-home-3-business-days-to-cancel/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe FTC Cooling-Off Rule covers sales of $25 or more made at your home, including a remodeling contract signed at your kitchen table. You can cancel for any reason until midnight of the third business day after signing. Saturdays count, Sundays and federal holidays don't: sign on a Thursday and the deadline is Monday at midnight. The seller must give you two cancellation forms; the refund is due within 10 days. It doesn't apply to contracts signed at the contractor's office, and your state may give you more days. Not legal advice.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/bathtub-sizes-60-30-standard-30-clear-in-front/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/bathtub-sizes-60-30-standard-30-clear-in-front/Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe standard alcove tub is 60 × 30″ (1525 × 760 mm), which is why so many full baths are 5 ft wide: the tub spans wall to wall. Frame the alcove to the tub's spec sheet. NKBA asks for a clear floor space 30″ deep along the tub, and it may overlap the toilet and vanity clearances. Soaking tubs run 66 × 32″ and 72 × 36″; a freestanding tub needs at least 6″ to the walls so you can clean behind it.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/coffee-table-size-two-thirds-of-the-sofa/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/coffee-table-size-two-thirds-of-the-sofa/Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMeasure the sofa arm to arm and take about two-thirds: an 84″ sofa takes a table around 56″, a 72″ sofa around 48″. Pick a height of 16–18″, level with the seat or up to 2″ lower, and place it 14–18″ from the seat so you can reach a drink but still walk past. With an L-shaped sectional, a round or square table reaches both sides.https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/six-checks-before-you-hire-a-contractor/https://squaredawayplanners.com/guides/six-checks-before-you-hire-a-contractor/Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBefore you sign: look up the license yourself on your state board's website and match the number on the bid. Ask for the insurance certificate (general liability and workers' comp) sent by their agent, with current dates. Call 3 references from recent jobs like yours. Make sure the contractor pulls the permit in their own name. Get scope, schedule and payments in a written contract, and never pay cash or a big deposit up front.