The cost to completely build your home is influenced by several factors. They include:
The size and complexity of your plan. The
size of your log home is probably the biggest cost vari-
able because the size affects all other factors. A larger home
means more materials and more labor time. “The more corners,
roof ridge lines and roof valleys in your design, the more it will cost to
build,” says Jim Young, president of PrecisionCraft Log Homes & Timber
Frame, noting that each element will require more design time, expertise,
and labor, which will drive up the price.
Location and the site details. “A home that costs $250,000 to build in rural eastern Tennessee may easily cost $500,000 or more in the resort area of Aspen, Colorado,” says Burton Webb of Tennessee Log Homes. “The same home may cost $225,000 in west Texas.” “The geographical locations where you choose to build your home will affect the cost of labor, land, and local materials,” says Jim Banner, VP of PrecisionCraft. The site conditions can impact cost. Accessibility, site slope, snow loads, and availability of utilities and services will have to be factored into the final cost, which may be unknown until after your log home is designed.
Construction methods and materials. A home that costs $250,000 in the southeastern U.S. may cost $350,000 in the Northeast. The construction methods required to meet local codes for snow load, wind load, and seismic allowance may require different materials and construction methods that cause the overall costs to be higher. “The snow load requirement in eastern Tennessee is 40 pounds; in McCall, Idaho, the snow load requirement is 150 pounds,” Webb says. “The materials
Factors that will affect the final turnkey price include the location of the home, the size of the home, and the quality of “finishes” used.
land and build site improvements, such as roads, sewers, utility lines.
“In our case, Town & Country Cedar Homes provides a team approach and not only sells the home, but provides a professional construction crew to build it,” says homeowner Milt Kniss. (The home tour begins on p. 44.)
“The marketplace demanded architecturally complex log homes and to guarantee high quality, we soon realized we had to control the outcome of the project,” says Town & Country Cedar Homes Chairman Steve Biggs. “We even own our own forests and can literally take a customer from ‘trees to keys.’ Even after the sale, we warranty and service the home.”
When the modern log-home industry was born in the 1970s, new ideas helped revolutionize the ease and method in which they were built.
One idea was the creation of a “log kit” or package. Much of the log home could be milled, staged at the logyard to make sure each part fit together, then decon-structed and rebuilt at the client’s site.
Another important development was the birth of the turnkey process. By incorporating principles already used in stan-
used in the roof system and other building systems must be larger and stronger in McCall, and the overall cost of building the home there will be considerably more expensive.”
Finish materials. A home that costs $250,000 on one lot may cost $350,000 right next door. This variation in cost can be attributed to the quality level of the finish materials and workmanship. For example, exotic hardwood flooring from South America costs more than carpeting. Granite counter tops cost more than Formica. Twig railing costs more than 2 x 2 pickets. Granite counters, Jacuzzi tubs and wide plank flooring are more expensive than Formica counters, fiberglass tubs, and carpet. Copper clad windows cost more than vinyl clad windows. Extensive use of stone and glass will affect the final price. A Viking range costs more than a Hot-point.
Owner participation in building. Approximately a third of the overall costs of building a home are labor costs, Webb says. “Any of that labor that you do yourself and do not charge for will lessen the cost of the home,” he says. “Some people act as their own general contractor and make all arrangements for sub-contractors. This can reduce the overall cost by 15% or so. Some people can do their own finish carpentry and may save $10,000 by doing so. Some people have a brother-in-law that is a roofer, and he does the roofing job for free or cheap.”
“The best way to determine turnkey costs is to contact a sales representative in the area where you plan to build for a consultation,” Webb says. “The sales rep will have builder relationships and will be familiar with local typical costs of construction. He or she can give you general [pricing] ideas, and they can ask the right questions of you to refine the turnkey cost.”
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