How Much Does A Log Home Cost?

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