Log Home Guru

So you want to build it yourself just like Grizzly Adams? Sure, you can.

My first question back is this: ever done log before?

My second question: do you have a full time job?

If you answer no/yes then you may not want to try to tackle this yourself. It is easy if you know what you are doing. If you don't know and you try it you might spend a TON of money fixing problems.


If you can answer yes/no(i.e.:I'm a general contractor who knows how to do it) then go for it!

My lenders want it done within a set time frame, usually 11 months maximum. Not 11 months from when you break ground, but 11 months from when you sign your loan documents.

Also my lenders will want some kind of proof of ability. As an alternative, you can hire a consultant for a fee and pay him to pick his brain. Consultants range from daily on site to never there only answer cell phone questions.

My brother-in-law built his own lakeside 2nd log home kit on the weekends. An 1000 sq-ft kit took him 18 months with his full time job. Some of the timbers in the bottom of the stack had to be replaced because they sat on the ground so long. Not from rot, but from staining. He swears he'll never do that again.

He did save some money-but he will tell you he didn't save much. He also knew what he was doing and still says it was something he won't repeat. It cost him a ton of time to get it done. In hindsight, it would have been cheaper in his time cost to pay someone who knows what they are doing. We have horror stories here of cut logs (you don't cut anything, the pre-cut kits have to be stacked in a specific order and if you cut something you have messed up!) and ruined kits... you need to know you can do it to finish no matter what.

I'll be happy to get the money for you, I'm just giving you fair warning!