Table of Content
- Things You Need to Know Before Building a Log Home
- Log in
- Things You’ll Need
- Core Reasons Why a Modular Log Cabin is a Wise Investment
- How Long Does It Take To Build A Log Home Kit?
- Log Home Construction
- Reasons Log Cabin Kits are a Bad Investment
- Zook Cabin’s Modular Log Cabins are Ready to Partner with You!
It is also possible to hire a professional log home builder, regardless of whether you have any experience building them. Black Bear Log Homes offers the best log cabin kits on the market. The materials provided are custom made by our team of experts.

Handcrafting a log home, log by log, can take weeks, even months. The skilled logsmiths who do this work generally assemble the home on piers in their yard or building lot. In the case of a very large handcrafting operation, as many as a dozen houses may be under construction at one time in the handcrafter's yard. Most handcrafters, however, are small operations where two or three logsmiths build one home at a time, completing half a dozen homes a year. In the construction sequence we have detailed how to build a manufactured, kit log home.
Things You Need to Know Before Building a Log Home
One company may include on-site assistance, while another provides a detailed construction manual or video. Perhaps the most frustrating challenge facing log-home shoppers is comparing prices quoted by different companies. Each manufacturer has its own idea about what should be included in a log home package. One’s standard item is the second’s option and a third may not carry the item at all. The overhang, or the part of the roof that hangs out over the walls, protects your logs from wind, rain, and rot. At the bare minimum, you should factor in 7 ft (2.1 m) of overhang, if not more, to protect your logs and keep them around for a long time.
An exception to this is if you want to insulate your log home walls. You can cut a v shaped groove into the top of each log and pad it with insulation which will obviously add time onto raising the logs. As a ballpark guide, this stage will take about 3 weeks to notch and raise the walls for a 20 x 24ft log cabin.
Log in
The next step, involving more work but a great deal less cost, is to purchase a “kit” log home and erect it yourself. For instance you can purchase only milled or debarked logs if you wish to cut your own notches, window and door openings. You can also purchase a kit consisting of only the walls, along with spikes, gaskets and other items needed. Another type is the “shell” kit, which includes the walls, roof and floor framing, and sometimes the windows and doors.
Modern chinking, however, often consists of a wide range of materials, such as Log Jam and Chinker’s Edge (). If you would like a customized cabin kit with materials not covered on the picture, feel free to contact us by clicking here. Cabin kit logs are not always cut to the exact measurements which can offset your whole project. A crane may be required to set your cabin’s roof in place and a forklift will be needed to unload your cabin kit once its delivered.
Things You’ll Need
We build handcrafted, chink-style homes using only dry logs and allow the wood to compress naturally over the first year. This means you will have no settling problems or drywall cracks. A log cabin kit also gives you the opportunity to be personally involved in the building of your home. If you enjoy building, sanding, and investing yourself in your home, then a log cabin kit gives you plenty of opportunities to step in and take the initiative. When you work with a local log cabin builder, we have the connections to source your materials close to your chosen cabin site, which cuts down on shipping costs.
You’ll probably need a good medium-size chainsaw, and a heavy sledge for driving spikes. You’ll also need standard construction carpenter’s tools including hammers, cordless drills and saws, levels, squares and so forth. A cabin kit in theory, is made for convenience and affordability. They come with prefabricated floor plans and materials that are used for the construction of your new log house.
Within 2 weeks after delivery, you should be enjoying your new log cabin home. We are passionate about building log cabins that bring nostalgia and coziness of a simpler lifestyle to your home. Throughout the whole process they were exceptional professionals. They were honest, transparent, trustworthy, and second to none. Bruce guided us through the building project start to finish and was in constant communication with us.

Heavy Timber or Log Joists.Exposed heavy timber or log joists can be very attractive in a log home. They are not too difficult to design and build, but they may add extra cost to the home. All of these problems can be easily overcome if you include the use of timber or log joists in your initial plans.
Have a look at this post for a definitive cost guide to log cabin maintenance. You will also need to seal your log cabin, which can take a couple of days depending on the size. Allow anywhere from 1 day to a week to complete your log cabin roof. If you are having your logs sawn to size at a lumber yard, I would recommend leaving 2 months for this. You will get a better idea by phoning local yards and asking for time estimates.
One kit may have a top-of-the-line window, for example, while another includes an inexpensive unit. One company may base its quote on an 8-inch-thick log against a competitor’s 6-inch log. Labor costs to erect the package are another area for detailed comparison. If you are having your kit erected, get firm estimates from builders who can do the work. Attach floor joists about 14 in apart across the 4 initial logs that you installed previously, using notches to attach each one.
Once found, however, they drop right into place with no cutting required. There are several Log Home Hotspots that are home to plenty of log cabins, these areas are a great starting point if you are unsure where to build your home. Although more realistic, this cabin was still built on a small budget; I would recommend you can expect to spend roughly $40 per square foot on a hand-built log cabin. For example, if the kit is $40,000, the final cost will be roughly $104,000.
A life savings invested in a house of poor materials, of poor design or shoddy joinery can create big disappointments. Most companies are willing to make substantial changes to suit individual requirements. In fact, you may be able to send your own design for appraisal and a quote. Unless you love to build and have acquired a level of carpentry expertise and skill, frustration is inevitable. Be aware of the potential frustrations coming your way if you go the log cabin kits route.
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