Useful Tips

Building a house is a lengthy and complicated process that requires prior knowledge and experience for achieving the desired result. In order to help you with planning the construction of your house, we have written down some practical tips for log house design and construction.

1. Find out whether the local government allows a log house to be built at the site you have selected.

Before ordering construction drawings, you should consult the local government and specify whether you can build a log house on the site you have selected because often, there are limitations to the construction of log houses. Read the local construction regulations, requirements related to wind and snow conditions, and other possible limitations to the construction of residential buildings. Obtaining a permit to start the construction and planning processes for a site depends on the legislative acts of the local government.

2. Order architectural drawings of the house.

In order to achieve the best result when planning the interior and exterior design and construction solutions and calculating the cost of a house, you should order the architectural drawings of a log house from an experienced and qualified architect who will take into account both your vision and the technical possibilities specific to log houses. Architectural drawings help you to get an accurate idea of the house you have envisioned.

3. Draft a preliminary budget for the construction with the help of a specialist or someone who has experience in construction; it should take into account the following:

Excavation works and the installation of technical systems (plumbing, electricity)
Building a foundation
The cost of a log house kit that would include all the necessary timber for the house
The shipping costs of the kit to the construction site
The assembly and general construction costs of the log house kit
Installing the electrical systems and the plumbing
Installing a heating system
Kitchen and bathroom fixtures and furniture
The cost of other construction materials and equipment (e.g. a crane)

4. Think about your financing options.

A very important stage in the entire process is deciding how to finance the construction. We highly recommend consulting a specialist you know or someone from your bank.

5. Order the final construction drawings.

As a rule, the companies that produce log houses do not offer plans for the installation of technical systems (plumbing systems, electricity, heating, etc.) and site plans; these are provided by specialists and architects who have specialized in this particular area.

When you order a log house kit, you should ascertain that it would include detail drawings of the log walls and bearing structures, floor plans, floor and ceiling framing plans, roof framing plans, framing plans for the balcony and the porch and detail drawings of windows, doors and staircases. You can also order a strength analysis of the house if it is required by the local government.

Once your project has been approved, i.e. you have received a construction permit, then:

6. You should contract a log house manufacturer.

You should draw up the final list of all the materials that you want to order in your log house kit with the log house specialist of your choice. The date of delivery is about 6−8 weeks after signing the contract.

7. Prepare a foundation and other construction materials.

You should ask the log house manufacturer to draw a foundation plan that you could forward to the company who plans and constructs the foundation. You should also complete all the necessary preparations yourself or together with the construction company; for example, you should order the materials for the electrical systems and plumbing, materials for insulation, roof tiles, tools and heavy equipment, etc.

8. The delivery of the log house kit.

Make sure that the means of transport that are used to ship your log house kit can access the site. If the access is difficult, you should consult the manufacturer to find possible solutions. If necessary, organize a crane to unload the cargo; it is advisable to cover the shipment to protect it from the rain. Store the kit according to the order of the assembly and the content of the packages; information for that is provided by the manufacturer of the house.

9. Assembly and construction.

If at all possible, it is advisable to order your log house to be assembled to at least up to the Doors and Windows Installed stage by qualified builders of log houses. This would guarantee a quality construction and avoid any problems that might arise in the later stages of the construction. When you are assembling your house, you should precisely follow the design solutions that are provided by the manufacturer of the log house kit. Try to reach the Doors and Windows Installed stage as quickly as possible. Once all the doors and windows have been installed, one stage of the construction is finished; now, the technical systems can be installed and the exterior and interior finish completed.