Related Costs To Building A Log Home

As I mentioned before, the log home plans and package have alot to do with the price. You may now be at the stage of your log home plans being close to completion and are getting some bids and other costs gathered from a log home builder. Those are very important steps but there are other costs that may come up that may or may not be part of that stage. Beyond the building permit some townships or counties may require a separate driveway permit. As far as driveways go, some developments may require an asphalt driveway, a culvert may be needed or extra gravel may need to be brought in. All of these items can add cost. Your log home will need electricity. The best thing to do for utility cost is to call the local power company to find out what they charge per foot of line and transformer. The same will go for phone company as well. Many log homes are built where there cable TV is not available so you will need to contact a satellite TV provider for those rates. We now have driveway and utilities so what is next? Chances are your log home will be built in an area that isn't serviced by municipal water and sewer so you will need a soil test (also called perc test) to get a septic design. That test and design will dictate size and cost of your septic system. In my area a perc test usually costs around $400. If you are on a smaller lot that may be impacted by setbacks from property lines, lake shore or road right of way you may need to get a survey to the house is placed to comply with local codes. Other items that are site specific can be window wells, retaining walls, fill to be either hauled in or haul out and lot clearing to name a few more. Ask your builder if the "extras" are covered. Most reputable log home builders will include these extras but some may be encountered before the builder is involved. There are many factors involved from log home companies, log home packages and prices, log home builders, site prep and site costs. It takes some time, don't rush and enjoy the process.