Question About Log Availability

[ckilpat01]

Hello,

I am planning to build a cabin in the inter-mountain west. I haven't bought a lot yet so I hope to make sure I buy my lot in an area where reasonably priced logs are readily available to be delivered to my site. Any suggestions about areas where logs can be procured at a reasonable price would be appreciated.

Thank you.:D

[loghousenut]

First things first. What kinduva cabin are you thinking of building? Logs and location are the easy part.

[ckilpat01]

Hello,

I don't have the cabin plans yet but I am interested in getting the lot purchased first. I am planning to build an approximately 1600 ft2 cabin built with pillar and post foundation and using the butt and pass method. In reading this forum I has seen widely varying costs for logs quoted and want to be sure I buy a lot in an area with a good supply of reasonably priced logs.

I appreciate your response to my question. Thank you.

[loghousenut]

Log prices vary from free to too darned much. Most of that info is swapped around on the member's side of the forum. It is a kinduva family atmosphere over there and we all seem to know each other and are a bit more open.

If it was me, I think I'd decide where I wanted to live and find the logs later. Most of us who want to build our own log home tend to d it in log home country and the logs find a way of getting found. My logs were free but I would never live where I didn't want to live based on free logs.

It goes without saying that I'd try to talk you into taking the class. I did it and think it's the only way to go.

[WyoFox]

Hi! Another thought to consider if you're really flexible on where you can live is the question of how easy it will be to get permits to build. My husband and I just got home from the class last weekend (which was awesome!) And after hearing how tricky it is to build to code in many areas, we are so glad to live in Wyoming where all we have to get checked out by an inspector is the site for our septic system.

That being said, this issue may or may not be is important to you as it is to us. But it might be something to think about.

[Arrowman]

Hi! Another thought to consider if you're really flexible on where you can live is the question of how easy it will be to get permits to build. My husband and I just got home from the class last weekend (which was awesome!) And after hearing how tricky it is to build to code in many areas, we are so glad to live in Wyoming where all we have to get checked out by an inspector is the site for our septic system.

That being said, this issue may or may not be is important to you as it is to us. But it might be something to think about.

I'll just nuance what you said, WyoFox, so as not to give newbies the wrong impression. The BnP homes are not necessarily hard to build to be code compliant. It's more a matter of how difficult the municipality wants to be. For instance, if they are unfamiliar with the BnP method, they may insist on you having your home design stamped by a PE. They may also insist you have your structural logs graded by a professional log grader. They may want to make sure you have fire blocking in all the walls over X' high. Etc. Etc. It's nothing inherent in the BnP method that keeps it from being code compliant, but rather dealing with certain municipalities that can have 20+ inspections on top of wanting everything done "by the book" that can present complications and headaches for us "do it yourselfers". Throw in the fact that it is a log home that isn't like most other "log" homes out there, and inspectors can want to give you grief because they haven't quite seen anything like it before.

All of those aren't difficult to do in a BnP home, they just cost more money and are more hassle.

[ckilpat01]

Hi! Another thought to consider if you're really flexible on where you can live is the question of how easy it will be to get permits to build.




Hello to all,

Thank you all very much for your helpful input! I do plan to attend the next class and in the meantime I will continue my research including permit requirements.

[DanS]

Thank you all very much for your helpful input! I do plan to attend the next class and in the meantime I will continue my research including permit requirements.

As already noted, the problem isn't necessarily building "to code" but rather convincing the inspector that what you are doing meets the code. Most inspectors see hundreds of stick built houses, and are quite used to dealing with those. A tight pinned butt-and-pass log home is simply very different, and conceptually it seems that you have to walk some inspectors through the methods you are using--and how they comply with the code.

The other reason that having very little permitting required is good is because some of those permitting requirements can slow you down. If you need an inspection before the footer is poured, and then another one before the stem wall is poured, and then another before the walls go on, and then another before the electrical and plumbing get roughed in, and then another once the roof underlayment is on, and then another once the roof surface is on, etc.... you have to deal with inspectors schedules and stuff. It's also a point where you might have a disagreement over whether you are meeting the standard or not, which can again cause you delays.

It is not hard to build significantly better than code, but it might be difficult to convince an inspector that what you did meets or exceeds code.

As LHN noted: most of us build in areas where logs somehow get found. The real question is how far you have to transport them. Some people can cut them down around the homesite and simply have to move them out of the way to build, and other have to truck them hundreds of miles.

Take the class as quickly as you can, because it'll get you thinking the "right way" about buying land, logs, and other stuff. ;)

Dan

[brien]

Any recommendations on a class? We're in Northern California.

[loghousenut]

Take the next LHBA class.

I am in southern Oregon.

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[DanS]

Take the next LHBA class.

I am in southern Oregon.


...or the LHBA class after that. That would work too.

I am in Colorado.

[loghousenut]

I'm still in southern Oregon.

Most any LHBA class would work fine in my opinion.

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