Canadian Log Home Builder
Frequently Asked Questions |
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How much per square foot do you charge? We can't price our homes by the square foot, it simply doesn't work. For example, we have built 1000 square foot houses with only 4 log walls, we have built other houses with the same square footage and as many as 8 log walls, as you can imagine, the prices were quite different. When we price a house we look at the following: How many log corners does it have? — a lot of our time is spent notching the corners. The log species — different species of logs cost us different amounts depending on the season or local availability. How high are the walls? — quite often wall heights of 9', 10', or higher are requested, the higher the walls, the more logs we need to put in. What diameter of log is requested? — We buy our logs by the cubic meter — larger diameter logs cost us more. Are we supplying log staircases, log handrails, log trusses in the roof? All of these are available, but of course we must consider whether or not we are including these when we are quoting a price.
The final aspect in pricing out a log home shell is the
relationship of the Canadian dollar to the customer's
currency. In VERY general terms, log shells cost
$40 to $75 per square foot. Turnkey, handcrafted log homes are now costing anywhere from
$150 to $275 per square foot, depending on the construction details.When choosing a builder, a very important consideration should be whether or not you feel comfortable with him or her, have you seen some of their work? Do you like the style of work they do? Were they easy to talk to? Were they helpful in answering your questions? You will be working closely with this person for several months and you will be entrusting them with your "dream" and together, you will be making decisions worth many thousands of dollars. Do you custom build your log homes? Yes we do, and we can build from your drawings. Our on-site talented designers/draftsmen can provide you with preliminary construction drawings for you to incorporate your own custom design into, and then, after accepted by you, can complete the construction drawings ready for permitting and building.  Are changes possible to one of the designs that already exist on your website? Absolutely. All of our designs can be changed to suit your needs. Our designers/draftsmen will create drawings specifically for you, and can be contacted anytime so you can make changes. They can send elevations and floor plans by email or fax to you also. Where can High Mountain Log Homes deliver their log packages to? We will deliver your new log home to anywhere in the world. How can I receive a price and/or shipping quote? For your free quote, please feel free to email or fax us your log home or log cabin sketch/plan and information regarding exact location, type of wood preference, etc. We will respond to your request within 48 hours. For overseas inquiries, we will need to know your nearest port. Log homes are usually shipped in 40’ open top containers, and our nearest port is Vancouver, BC. Canada What types of wood do you build your log packages from? We have access to beautiful Lodgepole Pine, Engleman Spruce, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar logs from our northern forests here in British Columbia, Canada. We use full length logs up to 52 feet, with a mean diameter of 12” to 16”. All of our logs are hand peeled, hand scribed, and handcut. Please click here to find out more about the logs we use to create our log homes. How do you allow for shrinking and settling of the log walls? Shrinking and settling is a natural phenomenon. We calculate and allow for the space above your door and window openings and interior frame walls and then fill them with insulation. Your log home should be finished settling and shrinking in approximately three years.  What type of joinery do you usually use? The majority of our log homes use the popular "Norwegian Saddle Notch", however the "Wedge Notch", "Diamond Notch" and "Dovetail Notch" are also available. Our logs are hand peeled using a drawknife, and then carefully scribed their entire length so the lower and upper log have a tight fit when placed together. How is the home insulated? As the log shell is being loaded onto trucks for delivery, the lateral V groove on each log is filled with fiberglass insulation. The corner notches are laid with insulation as the home is re-erected and all of the insulation for the log work is included in the log home package price. What does High Mountain Log Homes include in their log home packages? Please click here for a detailed description of what one of our handcrafted log packages include. Certain materials like doors, windows, etc. can be purchased from your local suppliers. Can we observe the construction of our log home package in your yard, once we have placed an order with you? Absolutely! For our customers, we also provide free two day guest accommodation in our 1860’s “Gold Rush” fully restored and comfortable log house situated only one minute from our log yard. Let us know when you will be coming, and we will make sure to book it for you, so you can come and see the building of your new log home in person. In addition, we will regularly send you pictures and updates via email so you can see your log home’s progress. How long does the construction of a new log home usually take? Once we have received your final plans and deposit, an average sized log home takes approximately 6 - 10 weeks to build in our yard. At the same time, the customer may be preparing their foundation/subfloor for the arrival of the log home shell. We will arrange trucking and prepare the customs documents while you, the customer, make arrangements for the crane on site.  How long does the reassembly of our log package take? We always send at least one qualified log builder to meet your log home package on your prepared site, and an average sized log home generally takes 2 - 3 days to re-erect on your prepared foundation and sub floor. What is our first step to building a log home? Your first step would be to secure your property. At that point, you are better able to design a log home plan to suit your desires and needs as well as fit your property. Determining your budget is important at this point. Your next step should be contacting High Mountain Log Homes with your size requirements and design ideas. We will then be able to provide you with a free quote. If you would like to proceed, we will then hand over your ideas to our log home designers/draftsmen to make a set of preliminary plans for your approval. It is important to have a good understanding of all the costs associated with building a log home. For more information on this topic, click here. When shipping one of your log home packages, are there custom duty or other fees? There is a brokerage and customs fee when delivering a home to the United States, usually under $400 U.S. Do you provide financing? We do not offer financing on any of our log home packages. Your bank can help you with this when you’ve made the decision to build a log home or log cabin. What are the requirements for the foundation and sub floor? Foundations for log homes can differ significantly, but usually consist of concrete or masonry. The whole procedure can take from 3 to 5 days, and most foundations are then treated on the outside with waterproofing agents. Gravel is frequently placed around the outside of the foundation to allow water to drain away from the foundation wall. Once the foundation is completed, carpenters then begin to build the sub floor. The subfloor must be completed before the package arrives. We can also build on full or partial basements. Are the logs you use pre-drilled for wiring? Upon request, we will pre-drill your log home for wiring; if not, it is done on site as the log shell is being re-erected. What kind of roofs do your log homes need? Your log home shell is built to the point that it is ready for the type of roof you choose. The usual options are metal, cedar shingles, asphalt shingles, and tile. Do you offer turnkey service? No we don’t. It is not cost effective to send crews and materials a great distance, so we only offer the log home shell portion of your home. Do you offer any guarantee or warranty? We guarantee that our work is correct, and done to "equal to" or "better than" generally accepted standards for our industry. We also guarantee that our materials are good quality, with no obvious structural defects. To promise any more than this, we feel, may promote unrealistic expectations. A Handcrafted log home is a very beautiful thing and no plastic, extruded, manufactured product will ever come close to the character and atmosphere of a natural, handcrafted log home. But we need to remember: THIS IS A NATURAL PRODUCT, THE LOGS COME FROM NATURE, NOT AN ASSEMBLY LINE, THESE ARE THE TRUNKS OF TREES, we simply remove the bark and fit them together into walls and beams for your home. LOGS ARE WOOD, QUITE LARGE PIECES OF WOOD AT THAT, and as they dry there will be some shrinkage, some settling and some checking (drying cracks) and even some twisting. We use the best and latest techniques we know of to LIMIT the shrinkage, checking, and twisting, but its still going to happen to some small degree. These are all normal and to be expected in a Handcrafted log home. What is your payment schedule? 10% deposit on acceptance 40% when logs are being peeled and prepared for log work 20% payment when log walls are completed 20% payment when log roofwork is completed 10% payment when log shell is re-erected on your prepared foundation and sub floor |
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