To be perfectly honest, it’s hard for us not to cringe when people use the word “kit,” because it implies simplicity as if all you have to do to build a log home is buy a package of pre-milled lumber and assemble it like Lincoln Logs, instantly saving thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, it’s far, far more complicated than that.
To illustrate, let’s say you buy a “log kit” complete with an assembly guide and the hardware to fasten it all together. You think “I bought my land… I’ve got the materials… I just need to put it all together. How hard can it be?” The fact is, building a home from a kit is just like building any other home. Even with a kit you still need to factor in:
- Permits
- Excavation
- Foundation
- Utilities (gas/electricity)
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Heating/Cooling
- Well/Septic or Water/Sewer
- Windows
- Roofing
- Cabinets
- Interior Trim/Mill Work
- Flooring
- And the big one… LABOR
Most people way underestimate the cost of building a log or timber frame home. The actual log or timber kit is just one small piece of the puzzle in building the whole house and it doesn’t make the cost of the homeless expensive. These homes are very beautiful when finished, but the beauty comes at a much higher price than a conventionally built home.
Having said all that, we are fans of using pre-milled lumber packages in the proper context and for the right objective. If you’d like to use a lumber package in your home, you’ll find that we’re quite knowledgeable on the topic. For over twenty years we’ve had a relationship with one of the largest Midwest timber frame companies (The Beamery in Helmsburg, Indiana). We can both sell those packages and install them on your land if that’s what you’d like. Contact us to chat further about your timber project.
