Two story house plans have a long history as the quintessential “white picket fence” American home. Building up versus building out has homeowners drawn to the cost-effective nature, space-saving benefits, and amazing curb appeal of two-floor designs. Our extensive collection of 2-story house plans hosts a wide range of architectural styles and sizes, including several best-selling home designs.
Traditionally, 2-story floor plans detail the main floor with common gathering areas such as the great room, the kitchen, formal dining room or breakfast nook, and formal living room. The second floor is dedicated to the sleeping quarters, where the primary bedroom and secondary bedrooms are found.
Some of today’s 2-story house plans not only cater to the privacy of the homeowner by placing the primary suite on the main floor but they also feature additional dedicated rooms. Designed for convenience and privacy, these rooms often include a keeping room, an office, a media room, or a study.
With our extensive and ever-growing collection of 2-story house plans, you and your family are bound to find your next home.
Start planning your dream home today by signing up for an account on our site and adding your favorite 2-story house plans to your list today.
The difference between a 2-story and a 1.5-story home is all in the ceilings. For a house to be considered 2 stories, the walls must be 8 feet tall or higher throughout the entire second floor. This isn’t the case for 1.5-story homes.
The pros for 2-story house plans include more privacy, the ability to fit a larger home on a smaller footprint, and savings on construction costs. However, some of the cons include a lack of accessibility for anyone in your family who may have difficulty walking up and down stairs regularly, as well as an overall difficulty in maintaining the home. The stairs also remove potential square footage that could be used on other single-story design elements, such as a larger kitchen or dining room.
It is typically cheaper to build a 2-story home than a comparable single-story home due mostly because of the savings in materials. Because the house is built up and not out, the plumbing and wiring materials are less spread out, and therefore, there is less used.
A report based on newer-construction homes found that, in the United States, the average two-story house is about 25 feet tall. This, of course, varies depending on the age and style of the home, but this is the general average.
This depends on the style of your design. If you’re looking at 2-story colonial house plans, the peak will differ from modern 2-story house plans, some of which have flat roofs. The peak will likely be over 20 feet, but due to the variety of designs in home styles, there is no single standard peak for 2-story homes.
We've sent a magic sign-in link to your email. Click the link to be instantly signed in!
We'll email you a magic link for a password-free sign in! Or you can sign in manually instead.
*Passwords must be at least 8 characters, and include a lowercase letter, an uppercase letter, a number, and special character: .=!@#+\-$%^&*