If you have read my first article, BUDGET FOR YOUR LOG HOUSE: Where to start?, it has a very basic description of the process. However, there are still a number of questions that I would like to address. Again, many of these questions will come up if you build a custom home, but I’d venture to guess that log home owners find themselves more involved in the decision-making process than someone dealing with a custom builder. After all, the differences become immediately apparent, as owners have to find their own manufacturer.

Unless you have a pocket full of cash, you’ll need to follow the construction loan mindset throughout the budgeting process. I plan to dedicate an entire article to the construction loan, but this search will serve as a preliminary step before going to the bank.

Most of your budget will be buying the land. With today’s new construction market, especially in New Jersey, raw land makes up 30-40% of the total project (of course, in other states the land won’t be as much, but the overhead costs will be as well). will be less). It is helpful to buy the land first so you know how much money you will have left over.

Next, you need to figure out how much to set aside for your dig, your driveway, and your septic system. Before you can arrive at this number, it helps to hire a civil engineer to do a survey and plot plan (you’ll need the survey for the mortgage company anyway). This will cost you a few hundred dollars. The plot plan will diagram where the house (and house space) will go, the length of the driveway, where the well and septic tank will go. With this document, you can go to the excavator to get a quote.

Since most log homes tend to be built in rural areas, you’ll probably have to install your own well and septic tank. The digger making your driveway will probably be the one digging your septic. The well driller will probably be a different company. Both are “wild cards”, because the cost of the septic tank will depend on how well you perc the earth (short for percolating), and you don’t know how deep your well will go.

Once again, the engineer will design a septic plan that will need to be approved by the county (in most states). The cost of your septic can range from $10,000 to $30,000. If you’re putting the house away from the road, you need to budget for that extra long driveway. And if your lot is heavily wooded, you’ll have to pay more for tree removal; Remember that you need to leave enough space to accommodate both the house and a large area around the house for you to maneuver the machinery. You should also consider a space to place the records after delivery.

Once the location and size of the house is determined, you may need to use a different contractor for the foundation. The log house manufacturer does not provide the foundation (with rare exceptions). There are several ways to do this: you can build on a slab, a crawlspace, or a full foundation. You can use a block foundation, a precast foundation, a poured concrete foundation (these are the main options). Poured concrete is the most expensive. These days, many people choose precast foundations for log houses, because they are so precise and don’t require a footer. If you go this route, you’ll need to hire a mason to pour the floor after the precast foundation is erected. Remember that if you choose to build on a slab, you will have trouble routing the wiring, because this is typically done from the basement.

Your log home manufacturer will give you an estimate for the package. Many people want the manufacturer to quote a house “turnkey” or at least a worn cover, for convenience. However, this might not be the way to go if you live in a different state than the mill. Do you really want to pay for plywood shipping? In the end, having your contractor buy lumber locally could save you thousands of dollars, even if it’s a little less convenient to calculate initially. Your local builder will be happy to give you a quote as long as they have a good set of preliminary plans to work with.

I started with a simple checklist to get my budget in order. Fortunately, I found a contractor who was willing to take on the project and hire their own subs; his detailed quote helped me to visualize all the elements that were included in the project. I then added subs that I hired separately (excavator, bricklayer, landscaper, etc.). Here are some items that were included on the checklist: Air Conditioning, Appliances, Builder Profit, Doors (Interior), Doors (Exterior), Driveway, Electrician, Fireplace, Floors, Foundation, Furnace (or Boiler), HVAC Installation, Insulation, Interior Siding, Kitchen, Labor, Landscaping (Grass Seed), Lifting Equipment, Light Fixtures, Logs, Lumber (Plywood, Joists, 2×6’s), Mason, Permits, Plumbing, Fixtures plumbing (sinks, bathtubs, toilets), roof, sanding and staining, septic, stair (if not included in the listing quote), tile (kitchen and bathroom), utilities, well, windows.

Depending on your job site, you may have other expenses. If the flatbed truck transporting your logs cannot get to the site, you will need to make arrangements to unload the logs elsewhere and have them brought to you. If it is set back from the road, you may have to pay for telephone poles or pay for ditch digging. Also, your builder may require you to bring power to the site for your tools (most allow you a few days of generator power, but not for the entire job).

It took me a while to fill in all the blanks on my checklist, but once I started looking at each task individually, the project as a whole made sense. Actually, the registration package was the easiest part to handle. In our case, the manufacturer only provided the logs (and layout), resulting in less than 1/6 of the total cost of the house (not counting ground work). Otherwise, the costs are like any other custom home; then the question becomes “Who does what?”. After all, a little sweat goes a long way.