About Our Plans

Coastal Designs has designed beach cottages and coastal homes along the Carolina Coastal areas for over thirty (30) years. We have cottage designs specially for the barrier islands and high wind areas encountered along the coast. We have cottage designs for the intracoastal waterway and canals, and designs for low-country cottages, vacation cottages, retirement cottages and cottages for year-round living. We also have plans for narrow lots and small lots. We also have many duplex cottages.

      Some plans have inverted plans (bedrooms on the bottom), with the living area above, for capturing the best views. We have plans for two “front” elevations for a plan with good appearance on the street side as well as the water side. We have plans from one story to four stories, many with elevators. Most of our plans have been designed for raised pier (“stilts”) foundations. Raised piers help elevate cottages above potential flood waters or in “Federal Flood” level areas. In most cases, people find an elevated cottage to have a better view of the coastal life as well as bonus shaded parking areas. Some small lots in very expensive resort areas do not provide for off-site parking, so parking under the cottage becomes the only practical way for guest's parking.

Our cottage plans comply with the "CABO ONE AND TWO FAMILY BUILDING CODE (Model)." and "North Carolina State Building Code Vol. VII - Residential," which complies with the Council Of American Building Officials (CABO), International Building Officials Code Administrators (BOCA), Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI), and the International Conference Of Building Officials (ICBO) - Uniform Building Code.

Our plans may be used in other States and locations, provided however, the Owner and/or Builder check with local and state government Building Codes and Regulations for the plans’ compliance in that area.

Although our plans are not sealed or designed by a structural engineer, all plans meet or exceed the N.C. state Building Codes. Most of our cottages, are built in coastal high wind areas and most are required to be engineered for construction in those areas. A structural engineer experienced in residential coastal construction may be required.

Plans are COPYRIGHTED the date of authorship, neither the plans nor any portion thereof shall not be copied, reproduced, traced, scanned, digitally reproduced, resold or otherwise used for ANY purposes without the written permission of Dennis K. Mercer, Copyright Owner of All Designs.