When planning for your new handcrafted log home two things will always benefit you– 1. Planning and 2. Planning Ahead. The construction of a log home actually begins long before the foundation is dug and the cement poured. It really begins once you commit to building and moving forward with your project. With construction there will always… ALWAYS… be delays. But the key calender date for coordinating your project hinges on the target delivery date of your log shell to your job site.

A handcrafted log home shell requires weeks of crafting before it is ready to ship. This craftsmanship can be delayed by things like weather, but also due to just how long it takes for each cut, corner, scribe, etc.

Once a target delivery date is chosen then we work forwards, and backwards, to guesstimate when the drawings need to begin and project when the turnkey will be completed.

On an average size log home of 1,500 to 3,000 square feet, a full turnkey– start to finish–may take 9 months, usually it takes about a year from the time you select a log home builder until you move the furniture into your new log castle. On the imaginary construction timeline we estimate about four to six weeks to complete the preliminary and construction drawings.  In reality this may take eight weeks or so depending on the number of changes. Once the logs are cut it is too late to make changes so we have to insure that all of the modifications and tweaks to the plans are made BEFORE we sign off on them and being crafting the logs.

Another enigma has proven to be dealing with a bank for a construction loan. We have seen loans go through quickly and we have also had a bank delay a project by three months. With one recent log home build the owners had perfect credit, equity in their property, and a large down payment. The bank still took 12 weeks longer than they originally estimated before they finally closed on the loan.

Delays can also be caused by the log shell itself. With all the handcrafting that is required a log shell can easily be delayed by two to four weeks on delivery. Just like a gourmet meal it can’t be rushed or the quality could be compromised to an extent.

So how do you hedge against these obstacles??

Plan now, not later.

Order your home as soon as you know you want delivery.Recently we have been seeing log home builders getting booked with projects. So waiting could translate into a smaller selection of quality builders to choose from or having to go on a builder’s waiting list. Some owners even make a deposit on a log shell in July with delivery scheduled for the following April or May.

Keep moving forward with your floor plan ideas instead of waiting.

Get on a log home builder’s schedule even a year ahead of time.

The larger the log home the more time it will require. One very large handcrafted log home shell we completed and shipped required a five month build in our yard.  That equaled 20 weeks before the logs even arrived on the job site. So do your planning and remember– it is just planning. The actual dates for beginning, log shell delivery, and completion may vary, no matter how dedicated your builder is. Scheduling for handcrafted log homes is different than a stick framed home because of the time required to craft the log shell before it is shipped. Over all it is best to allow a minimum of 12 to 16 weeks from the time you sign your contract for your log shell and make your first deposit until the log shell is ready for delivery.

Cowboy Log Homes