Log Home FAQ

“How Much Does a Log Home Cost?”

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Naturally, this is the most frequently asked question we get.

Unfortunately there is no hard and fast answers. The total price or cost of a turn-key log home (move-in ready) really depends on YOU – the log home package you choose, the land you want to build on, your budget and your lifestyle.

But we can tell you one thing for certain… 

You must understand your budget numbers before your begin or hire anyone. 

Building a log home is a bit different because how they are constructed as well the financing can be a little more complicated than when building or buying a traditional frame house.

Besides getting approved for financing, you will need some pay-as-you-go project funds for such expenses such as blueprints, site prep (grading & foundation work) and FOB shipping (the costs of freight, insurance, unloading, and transportation from the log package provider to your building site) .

And you will have to make plans for unexpected cost overruns (building material costs can change weekly) or construction design upgrades.

A Typical Log Home Construction Budget

Say you decide that you want to build a Hidden Lake log home package. The estimated cost of this package will be $82,500.

You are looking to spend around about $350,000-$390,000 for the entire project in order to get a “turn-key” log home.

Note: This sample budget does NOT include the price of buying a lot or improving raw land.

Okay, we’re going to assume that you own a lot suitable for building or already have a couple of acres and you just want buy a log home package, get it erected and pay for the rest of the construction project.

Below are just a few of the construction factors that can affect the overall cost of  a log home project (listed in 2014 prices):

• Custom Log Home Plans & Blueprints: $2000
• Labor to Construct: $57,500
• Site Prep Work (includes grading, well and septic): $20,000 (Final costs depend on site
location)
• Foundation: $15,000
• Flooring: $10,000
• Roofing/Insulation: $7,500
• Plumbing: $15,000
• Electrical: $12,500
• Heating: $10,000
• Kitchen: $10,000
• Appliances: $4,500
• Log Staining: $5,000
• Miscellaneous: $5,000

As you might guess your log home costs will vary based on everything from

  • Local building codes and regulations
  • Your land’s condition and topography,
  • Add-on log stairways, porches and decks,
  • our choices of interior design such as extra windows &  doorways,
  • Additional fees from electrical, plumbing and roofing sub contractors,
  • Premium interior finishes: fixtures, flooring, counter tops, cabinets, appliances

A very rough rule of thumb you can use to calculate almost any log home construction project (with plenty of room for unforeseen problems) is to multiply the cost of the log home package by 4.

In our Hidden Lake example above that would be – 4 x $82,500 = $330,000 – which is more than
enough to get your log home project completed and under budget.

We understand that log home living is not for everyone – yet at the end of the day the final costs of a log home project is always in your hands!