By using important guidelines your log cabin-building-plans will be significantly improved

Property

Designing your cabin-building-plans starts with researching and finding just the right piece of property. There are many ways to find land to buy such as Realtors, on-line, Real Estate magazines, etc.

Budget

The price of your log cabin or home should fit your budget. So once the budget is set it is important to stay within it.


Log Home Blueprint

Decide on a general size and style of your cabin or home. Then design your log cabin blueprints. The blueprints are an important part of how to build a cabin or house properly. Remember, the location of the house on the lot must be included.

There are computer programs available that can provide excellent blueprints for your cabin-building-plans. they also include a virtual tour or walk through of your cabin design as you create it.

Another option is to have a design engineer draw your blueprints. Most log home or home building companies have an engineer on staff.


Planning and Zoning office

Take your blueprints to your local planning and zoning office. They will provide you with information on the building rules you must follow and permits you will need to purchase before building any log cabin.

Foundation

Decide if you will build the foundation yourself or have a construction company build it for you. Any local hardware store will have a do it yourself book on building foundations. A self built foundation is hard work but it is well worth the savings.

If you use the construction company then plan on the cost of your log house to significantly increasing. Make sure you arrange a date with the construction company of your choice or you may have to wait awhile because most of these companies schedule foundation work well ahead of time.


Logs

Decide if you will purchase a permit for your logs, from the forest service and handcraft them yourself, or buy them finished in a log cabin/home kit or in finished bundles from your local log home dealer. Any of these types of logs will work in your cabin-building-plans.


The log cabin roof will need extra research and planning. Each state has different insulating requirements that are based on that areas weather climate.

The information packet that planning and zoning give out should have insulation requirements for your cabin roof.

Decide what material you will use for the ceilings and floors of your cabin/house. Drywall costs less then tongue and groove hardwood, but I feel it isn't as beautiful or rustic when drywall is used to finish a cabin.

The best thing about tongue and groove hardwood is it can be used to finish both the ceilings and the floors in your new home as well as create a rustic atmosphere. The choice is up to you.


The cabin windows and doors will need to meet your areas guide lines for insulation value. Any local "do it yourself" hardware store will be able to guide you in the right direction when it comes to choosing the right windows and doors that meet your areas guidelines.

Planning is the key to successful cabin-building-plans and saving money at the same time.

Step for designing your cabin-building-plans top of page

Here is how to build a cabin or house out of logs

Cutting and preparing logs for handcrafted log cabin houses