Chief Architect

chiefarchitect.com
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Architectural Home Design Software

How to Replace Chief Architect

Overview

Chief Architect is professional home design software purpose-built for residential home design with building tools that automatically generate roofs, foundations, framing, dimensions, product schedules, and materials lists. It is used by home builders, remodelers, architects, and interior designers for 3D visualization, 2D design, elevations, cross sections, CAD details, site plans, and construction drawings.

Features

30 features across 8 categories

Automation(8)

Automatic Cabinet Placement

Cabinets bump to walls automatically

Automatic Ceiling and Floor Generation

Ceilings and floors form automatically as you design

Automatic Countertop Merging

Countertops merge automatically and cabinets update when placing fixtures and appliances

Automatic Dimensions

Automatically generates dimensions for floor plans and wall elevations

Automatic Foundation Generation

Automatically generates foundations during the design process

Automatic Framing Generation

Automatically generates framing during the design process

Automatic Roof Generation

Automatically generates roofs during the design process

Automatic Window and Door Insertion

When you add windows and doors, they automatically insert into walls creating the openings and framing

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Collaboration(1)

3D Viewer App

Share your 3D models with homeowners, structural engineers, or subcontractors using the Chief Architect 3D Viewer app

Also in: Notion, Airtable, Obsidian

Content Library(3)

Custom Catalog

Custom catalog with nearly unlimited color and material selections

Manufacturer Catalog

Access to manufacturer product catalog

Premium Catalog DownloadsPremium

Access to premium catalog downloads

Core Design(1)

Automatic 3D Model Generation

As you draw walls, the program creates a 3D model simultaneously

Also in: Penpot, UXPin, Canva

Design(9)

2D Design

2D design tools for floor plans and technical drawings

CAD Details

Detailed CAD drawing capabilities

Construction Drawings

Generate construction drawings automatically

Cross Sections

Generate cross section views of designs

Elevations

Create elevation views of designs

Floor and Space Planning

Specialized tools for floor and space planning

Manual Dimensions

Manual dimension controls for precise customization of floor plans and wall elevations

Site Plans

Create site plan drawings

Style Palette Tool

Transform the look of a room with colors, materials, and architectural elements

Also in: Squarespace, InVision, WordPress.com

Reporting(2)

Materials List Generation

The program generates a materials list that continually updates along with the design

Product Schedules

Automatically generates product schedules

Also in: monday.com, Smartsheet, 1Password

Support(2)

Priority Technical SupportPremium

Priority technical support included with subscription

Software UpgradesPremium

Included software upgrades with subscription

Also in: Obsidian, 1Password, Bitwarden

Visualization(4)

3D Visualization

Professional 3D visualization and rendering capabilities

Artistic 3D Rendering

Artistic 3D rendering options including line drawing and watercolor styles

Photo-realistic Rendering

Photo-realistic 3D rendering capabilities

Real-time Rendering

Fastest real-time rendering available for interior designers

Also in: Ironclad, Obsidian, Smartsheet

Pricing

Chief Architect Premier - Billed Annually

Popular
$1,995/yr ($166.25/mo) - Save 27%
  • Software Upgrades
  • Premium Catalog Downloads
  • Priority Technical Support
  • Free Introductory On-Demand Training through March 31

Chief Architect Premier - Billed Monthly

$229/mo
  • Software Upgrades
  • Premium Catalog Downloads
  • Priority Technical Support
  • Free Introductory On-Demand Training through March 31

Chief Architect Premier - Upgrade License

$995 first year - Save 50%
  • Software Upgrades
  • Premium Catalog Downloads
  • Priority Technical Support
  • Free Introductory On-Demand Training through March 31

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Chief Architect

Monthly$166.25/mo
Yearly$2k/yr
5-Year Total$10k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~2 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $1.8k
SaaS
$2k
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $5.3k
SaaS
$6k
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $8.8k
SaaS
$10k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 30 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Chief Architect alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 30 features.

Buy Chief Architect

Monthly cost$1,662.5/mo
3-year total$59,850
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Better Value
Development cost$12,000
Maintenance$180/mo
3-year total$18,480
Dev time~1 months

Building could save ~$41,370 over 3 years.

Estimates based on 30 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.