What is Chief Architect used for?

Chief Architect is residential design and drafting software for home builders, remodelers, architects and interior designers. It is a good fit for designing a new home for a client, planning a kitchen or bath remodel and producing construction drawings for builders.

How much does Chief Architect cost?

Paid plans for Chief Architect start at $229 per month, and there is no free plan. A free trial is available.

Is Chief Architect open source?

No. Chief Architect is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Chief Architect include FreeCAD.

What are some alternatives to Chief Architect?

Chief Architect competes with SketchUp, Archicad and Autodesk Revit. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Chief Architect alternatives.

Chief Architect: features, pricing and alternatives

About Chief Architect

Chief Architect is 3D design and drafting software built specifically for residential projects. Home builders, remodelers, architects, and interior and kitchen and bath designers use it to design houses, plan renovations and produce construction drawings. Its building tools generate elements such as roofs, foundations and framing, along with dimensions, product schedules and materials lists, as the model develops.

The product line centers on Chief Architect Premier, with upgrades, add-on products, a Chief As-Built app and a 3D Viewer app. The company provides a trial download, a knowledge base, training videos, live webinars and a professional forum. The current release listed is Chief Architect X18. It is a proprietary commercial product sold by subscription.

Key features

Residential 3D home design
Automatic roofs, foundations and framing
Dimensions, product schedules and materials lists
Chief As-Built and 3D Viewer apps
Trial version and training resources

Good fit for

→Designing a new home for a client
→Planning a kitchen or bath remodel
→Producing construction drawings for builders

Tags: home-design; residential; cad; architecture; remodeling; interior-design; 3d-design

Chief Architect: questions and answers

What is Chief Architect used for?: Chief Architect is residential design and drafting software for home builders, remodelers, architects and interior designers. It is a good fit for designing a new home for a client, planning a kitchen or bath remodel and producing construction drawings for builders.
How much does Chief Architect cost?: Paid plans for Chief Architect start at $229 per month, and there is no free plan. A free trial is available.
Is Chief Architect open source?: No. Chief Architect is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Chief Architect include FreeCAD.
What are some alternatives to Chief Architect?: Chief Architect competes with SketchUp, Archicad and Autodesk Revit. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Chief Architect alternatives.