| "How Much Does a Log Home Cost?" is the single | | | | your kitchen drawer. These also require more |
| most asked question in the industry, and also the | | | | precision equipment and are a little more expensive |
| most difficult one to answer. The customers aren't | | | | to build.There are other corner systems, but these |
| the only ones who are frustrated; dealers and | | | | three are the most common. Just bear in mind that |
| manufacturers are fully aware that not giving an easy | | | | the corner creates one of the big differences |
| answer could lose a sale. However, in reality the | | | | between one milled manufacturer's product and |
| answer is "That Depends", and the sooner the | | | | another's.LOG PACKAGES. After you have decided |
| homeowners accept this statement the sooner they | | | | on the corner system, you'll find that every company |
| can start looking in the right place.WHAT DO I MEAN | | | | quotes their logs differently. To get a real |
| BY THE RIGHT PLACE? Like everyone else, my | | | | apples-to-apples comparison, you must ask for a |
| husband and I started our search by oohing and | | | | quote on the logs ONLY. And remember that the |
| aahing at the majestic, multi-faceted homes with | | | | logs constitute 1/4 to 1/5 the cost of the eventual |
| numerous peaks in the roof, giant trusses, huge | | | | house. I think you're going to find that within the |
| windows, and big logs. What we didn't realize right | | | | same size, species and corner system, the basic |
| away is that every one of our favorite log homes | | | | costs will not vary all that much from one |
| were hand-crafted, and so far out of our price range | | | | manufacturer to another... not including shipping, of |
| that we might as well have been shopping for a | | | | course.Many companies quote on a Weathered-in |
| castle.The first thing you need to do is distinguish | | | | Shell, which means all the components for a weather |
| between a handcrafted log home and a milled log | | | | tight house: logs, windows, roof sheathing, doors. It's |
| home. Handcrafted log homes will cost anywhere | | | | tempting to get this kind of quote, but remember |
| from 2-4 times as much per square foot as a milled | | | | that you may be paying thousands of extra dollars |
| log home, when you take into consideration the size | | | | to ship generic lumber across the country. And when |
| of the logs and the intense labor required from the | | | | the extra stuff is delivered, it's up to you to store it |
| first day the logs are selected. If the logs are not | | | | all safe and dry on site. If your contractor buys the |
| evenly sized, you know right away you are looking at | | | | lumber locally, you can get it delivered when you |
| a handcrafted home.MILLED LOG HOMES: If you | | | | need it, rather than months ahead of time.IT'S A |
| select a handcrafted log home, you don't need to be | | | | CUSTOM HOME. Once you get past erection of the |
| reading this article! For the rest of us, there are other | | | | log walls, you're going to discover that your log home |
| basic factors to consider if you are looking at price: | | | | is not a whole lot different from any other custom |
| log diameter, log species, and log corners. The first | | | | home. The roof materials are the same, the heating |
| two factors speak for themselves. The corner | | | | systems are the same, the windows are basically the |
| system, however, can make a big difference. For | | | | same. Most of your decisions are on the inside of the |
| instance, think about how the logs are stacked. If | | | | house: stock kitchen vs. custom cabinets, granite vs. |
| you remember your Lincoln Log toy, you had to find | | | | Formica, wood floors vs. carpeting, |
| the half-log to start the first course. This is the way | | | | tongue-and-groove vs. sheetrock, antler chandelier vs. |
| a Saddle-Notched corner system is constructed. The | | | | wagon wheel... here's where the wild differences in |
| courses are staggered and logs are notched to fit | | | | price can add up. It's a custom home, remember, and |
| snugly together, and when you look at the corner | | | | the choices are up to you. In the mid-Atlantic states, |
| you will see each log end lying on top of the one | | | | the square foot price of a custom framed house and |
| below it, creating a continuous unbroken stretch from | | | | a custom log home will be pretty equivalent. When |
| top to bottom. The notches require another run | | | | looked at from that point of view, the whole pricing |
| through the mill, and will add to the eventual | | | | equation starts to make more sense.BOTTOM LINE: |
| cost.When you look at a Butt-and-Pass log home you | | | | This is where we all get into trouble. There's no |
| will see a gap between each log past the corner. This | | | | agreement as to a budgeting price, because local |
| is because all the logs are laid on the same plane; the | | | | costs vary so much. Four years ago, when I started |
| first course is started with a full log and it butts up | | | | designing my home, the magazines said to budget |
| against the other wall log which runs past it. The next | | | | $150 per square foot. I thought this was outrageous, |
| course reverses the process. There is no notch to | | | | but in the end, we spent about $157 per square foot |
| hold them together, hence a less time in the mill. If | | | | for a saddle-notched home with 8" pine logs and |
| you compare a butt-and-pass house to a | | | | some upgrades, so I'm glad I paid attention. If you |
| saddle-notched house, dollar for dollar the | | | | start there, you'll at least be in the ballpark.Mercedes |
| butt-and-pass house should be less expensive. This is | | | | Hayes is a Hiawatha Log Home dealer and also a |
| where aesthetics kicks in.A home with logs that are | | | | Realtor in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She designed |
| flat inside-and-out will probably be joined with a | | | | her own log home which was featured in the 2004 |
| dovetail system, where the logs are notched at an | | | | Floor Plan Guide of Log Home Living magazine. |
| angle and snugly fit together. Think of the corner of | | | | |