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