Yoder Homes is seeking an experienced Residential Draftsman / Designer to join our team in Sarasota, Florida. This position will be responsible for drafting and designing high-quality custom homes, with a particular emphasis on Southwest Florida construction, flood-zone design, barrier-island construction, and constructability.
The ideal candidate is more than a skilled CAD operator. We are looking for someone who understands how a home is constructed and can create accurate, coordinated plans that work in the real world. This person will work closely with project managers, field superintendents, engineers, subcontractors, and other members of the construction team to ensure that plans are accurate, code-compliant, coordinated, and buildable.
A strong eye for detail, problem-solving ability, and field experience are essential.
Key Responsibilities
Custom Home Design & Drafting
- Draft and design custom residential homes from initial concepts through construction documents.
- Develop detailed floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plans, details, and construction drawings.
- Translate architectural concepts and client requirements into accurate, buildable construction documents.
- Modify and revise plans based on client, architect, engineer, field, and construction team feedback.
- Maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail throughout the design and drafting process.
Flood Zone & Barrier Island Design
- Design and draft homes located in flood-prone areas, including Southwest Florida barrier islands.
- Understand the unique design and construction requirements associated with flood zones.
- Incorporate appropriate flood-resistant construction details into plans.
- Understand flood vent requirements, including required quantities, sizing, and placement.
- Understand elevated and flood-zone construction considerations and coordinate requirements with engineers and other professionals.
- Ensure drawings appropriately reflect applicable Southwest Florida building requirements.
Southwest Florida Building Code
- Apply knowledge of applicable Florida and Southwest Florida residential building codes to construction documents.
- Understand and incorporate requirements related to:
- Roof ventilation and vent sizing/quantification
- Flood vents and placement
- Stairs and stair geometry
- Egress and other residential code requirements
- Flood-zone construction
- Structural coordination
- Stay current with applicable building code requirements and changes affecting residential construction.
Septic & Site Coordination
- Be familiar with septic systems and septic coordination as they relate to residential design.
- Coordinate home plans with septic layouts and site constraints.
- Understand how septic requirements can affect home placement, floor plans, setbacks, grading, and site development.
- Coordinate with septic designers, engineers, surveyors, and other professionals when necessary.
Structural & Mechanical Coordination
- Read and interpret structural plans and engineering drawings.
- Read and understand truss drawings.
- Overlay and coordinate truss layouts, particularly on two-story homes, to identify potential conflicts before construction.
- Overlay structural plans with mechanical plans to identify conflicts between framing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and structural components.
- Identify constructability issues and coordinate solutions before they reach the field.
- Work with engineers, truss manufacturers, subcontractors, and field personnel to resolve design and coordination issues.
Stair Design
- Design and draft residential stair systems.
- Calculate and detail stair dimensions, risers, treads, landings, headroom, and related requirements.
- Produce clear stair sections and details suitable for construction.
- Understand how stair design interacts with floor-to-floor heights, framing, structure, and finished floor elevations.
Field & Construction Coordination
- Work directly with Yoder Homes' field superintendents to resolve construction questions and design issues.
- Possess the ability to understand plans from a field superintendent's perspective.
- Review field conditions and incorporate necessary revisions into drawings.
- Assist with identifying potential construction conflicts before they become costly field issues.
- Visit job sites when necessary to verify conditions and coordinate solutions.
- Develop a strong working relationship with the construction team and understand the practical realities of building custom homes.
Qualifications
- 3–5+ years of residential drafting/design experience, preferably with custom homes.
- Demonstrated experience designing and drafting custom residential homes.
- Experience with homes located in flood zones and/or Southwest Florida barrier islands strongly preferred.
- Strong knowledge of Florida residential building codes and construction practices.
- Experience with architectural drafting software such as AutoCAD, Chief Architect, Revit, or similar platforms.
- Ability to read and interpret architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and truss drawings.
- Experience coordinating multiple disciplines and identifying conflicts between plans.
- Working knowledge of septic systems and residential site coordination.
- Ability to design and detail residential stairs.
- Understanding of flood vent requirements and roof ventilation requirements.
- Strong understanding of residential framing and construction methods.
- Previous field or construction experience is highly desirable.
Skills & Attributes
The successful candidate will be:
- Extremely detail-oriented – Small errors can create significant problems in custom home construction.
- A problem solver – Able to identify conflicts and develop practical solutions.
- Construction-minded – Understands that drawings must work in the field, not just look good on paper.
- Highly organized – Able to manage multiple projects, revisions, and deadlines.
- Collaborative – Comfortable working with supers, project managers, engineers, architects, subcontractors, and vendors.
- Proactive – Identifies potential issues before they become construction problems.
- Technically proficient – Comfortable working with CAD/design software and digital construction documents.
- A strong communicator – Able to clearly communicate design intent and resolve questions with both office and field personnel.
- Quality-focused – Takes ownership of the accuracy and completeness of every set of plans.
Pay: $60,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
