Aging-in-Place Floor Plan Walkthroughs at Full 1:1 Scale

Big Floor Plans prints your new home, remodel or single room at true 1:1 scale on a durable synthetic sheet that ships folded in a box. Lay it out and walk it with the people who will live there: bring the wheelchair or walker, put the bed where it will go, open the doors, park the car in the garage. Printing is $0.45 per square foot with a $100 minimum, so you can print just a bathroom or bedroom suite. Big Floor Plans for homeowners

Send your plan for a quote · Price your plan · Read the Hershberger story

Why walk it before you build

Most people want to stay put: AARP’s 2024 survey found 75% of adults 50 and older want to remain in their current home as long as possible. But fewer than 4% of U.S. homes have single-floor living, a no-step entry and wide halls and doors. A drawing says a doorway is 36 inches. A walkthrough answers the question that matters: can I actually get through it, turn and use the room?

Three generations walked one plan

Nathan Hershberger, DPT, and Lindsey Hershberger, PT, DPT, used a Big Floor Plan while planning their multigenerational custom home in Ohio. Three generations walked the proposed home together, including a family member using a wheelchair, and local trades joined them. Nathan parked his actual vehicle on the printed garage: “It was great to put my vehicle in my garage and do a walkthrough with three generations of my family making sure it fit my whole family’s needs.” Both are physical therapists, and they still found it worth standing in the plan. Read the case study

What to walk

Everyday routes: driveway to entry, garage to kitchen, bedroom to bathroom at night
Wheelchair and walker movement: approach the door, open it, pass through, turn, use the room, leave
Bathrooms: door swing, toilet approach, shower entry, transfer space, where a helper would stand
Kitchens: appliance doors open, island seating in use, two people working at once
Bedrooms: both sides of the bed, furniture, the number and tightness of turns
Real objects: your car, bed, sofa, dining table and mobility equipment

The AARP HomeFit Guide and the National Institute on Aging have good room-by-room ideas to bring to the walk.

Who should be there

The resident and family, any caregiver, your architect or designer, the builder or remodeler, and where it helps, a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist or an occupational therapist. For architects · For builders

New homes, remodels, ADUs and senior living

New construction is the cheapest time to plan for main-floor living, wider routes and room for future equipment. In a remodel, compare what exists, what’s proposed and how you’ll move through it before demolition. A backyard unit for a parent is small enough that every inch shows. ADU walkthroughs · Senior-living and repeat-unit developers · Healthcare validation

How it works

Send your current PDF and tell us what to print: the whole home, one level or one room.
Approve the digital proof, typically ready in about 48 hours.
Production takes 5 to 7 business days after approval; FedEx Ground shipping is extra.
Walk it with the people and things that matter, then have your designer put the changes into the plans.

What the print doesn’t do

It shows the floor at full size. It isn’t a fall-risk assessment, a clinical recommendation or an accessibility inspection, and it doesn’t show slopes, thresholds, grab-bar backing or lighting. Your designer and qualified professionals decide what the home needs. Accessibility clearances at 1:1

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a wheelchair today for this to make sense?

No. Families often walk the plan with a walker or wheelchair to test a likely future, even when nobody needs one yet.

Can I print only the bathroom?

Yes. Print any part of the plan, subject to the $100 minimum.

Should I involve an occupational therapist?

For some households, yes. An OT can bring resident-specific insight on daily activities, transfers and devices. We supply the plan, not clinical advice.

Is this an ADA inspection?

No. It doesn’t decide which standards apply or certify compliance.

Full-scale spatial validation · Preconstruction decision review · How it works · Client reviews · Gallery · Research

Updated October 2026.