An online log home community for log home enthusiasts.

How many log home manufacturers?

I was just thinking about the number of log home manufacturers that LogHome.com mentioned in their web site. It think it was somewhere in the range of 650. So what does that mean to those of us who are trying to choose that one perfect manufacturer who will build that perfect log home for us?

Well, I don't know about you but I think that I investigated about half of the 650 in my own search. I found that most seemed reliable, most offered the three usual options ( buy only the logs, buy a dri-in package or buy a turnkey house). But mostly what I found was that there was a great similarity in floor plans for houses of fairly similar square footage. And in addition they all say that if they don't have exactly what you want they can customize any floor plan they have or build to your specifications.

So where did all this take me. I decided that the first thing I needed to consider was the log manufactures location. My property is in Western North Carolina so I established an approximate 300 mile radius from the property. Why? Because I felt that the freight costs would kill me if they had to truck the logs half way across the country and additionally, if the manufacturer is close by you can often persuade a member of their sales team or if your really lucky, a member of management to come visit your property. For starters they can help you decide where would be the best place to place your house and also determine if they will have any problems getting the logs to your site. They can identify those nasty "switch-backs" and prepare you and themselves for any possible trucking problems, which can be costly.. With my radius criteria established, I was able to speak with several local manufacturers and as a result have pretty much settled on one that is only 20 minutes from my "blank canvas".

It doesn't hurt either if you feel a chemistry with the manufacturer and his people.

I'll find something else to discuss next time.

Ted

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Comment by Ted on August 10, 2008 at 3:37pm: Many thanks for the input. You bring up a number of good points that I will keep in mind as I continue with the planning process.

Ted

Comment by Tom & Barbara Gaskell/Heritage Log Home Dealers/VA on August 10, 2008 at 9:08am: Gentlemen:

I just was able to get back on this log home page after spending quite a bit of time with our customers going over their plans, visiting a job site and following up on one of our customers that has already built and moved into her log home.

When Barbara and I started out twelve years ago looking to build a log home, we investigated over thirty-two log home companies. We found that there was a large difference in the package contents and the cost for those packages. It took us over a year to settle on the Log Home Company that we decided to use. Unknown to us, the dealer/builder was going to stop working with the company and not build any more log homes. It put is in an awkward position. If it hadn't been for the home office support that they offered us, we would have been in a very serious condition. If we knew now what we know then, we would have done many thing differently and our house would have been better than it is now.
Today, there are many more log home companies out there than before. Some come and go and some stay and offer a good product and good service. It really doesn't matter if the company is close to your location or not. That is certainly your chose. What we find is that we get a lot of customers that will be building away from us because we offer what is not available today and that is service. You can have the best product in the world but if you don't get the service that is needed to make your log home the dream home you want, it just may not happen. Barbara and I have delivered and built log homes in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, North Carolina and all over Virginia. We have even worked with customers that wanted to build in Israel and Turkey (they didn't work out). We offer custom design, on-site technical assistance and continued service throughout the building process. This may seem like an invite to deal with us (It Is) but is something that needs to be mentioned when you are going to invest the kind of money that we do to make our log home dreams come true. We are having a Log Home Tour on August 17, 2008. Come and see what I am talking about and speak to our customers about the way we worked with them.

Comment by Ted on August 8, 2008 at 6:46pm: I don't know why I didn't realize it before but you live in Sarasota too. I live in a community called Bent Tree, if you know where that is. I think that you are being very generous when you say that the market here in Florida is not the greatest. I, like some of the other members of our group from Florida have been trying to sell our homes for quite a while now but as you well know, can't get enough money out of our homes to build the log homes we want. My wife and I have decided that we will put our house on the market in the fall of 2009 and hope for the best (offer).

Getting back to Blueridge Homes, I think they are a good deal if you can stay within there guidelines. As I said in my earlier email, they have a problem when you ask them to deviate from their standard designs. The company I am negotiating with, Top Notch Log Homes of Waynesville,NC are only 20 minutes from where I intend to build, so freight is not as issue and they have come in with a dri-in price of just about $100.00 per square foot. I just haven't been able to beat that. For that price they will put up the house (about 2100 square feet) They will use 6" x 12" square dove tailed logs, install all exterior and interior doors (also included), install the "full" roof and do all three porches and decks. They will also install all interior wall partitions. Being that I will be my own gc I will take on the rest of the responsibilities like, excavating, foundations, well drilling, septic installation, HVAC, electrical rough is, plumbing rough in, all interior finishing. Wow, I'm tired already. I figure that it will take me (conservatively) about a year to do my end of the house. Just some more stuff for you to consider when you start building.

Ted

Comment by Joe on August 8, 2008 at 2:53pm: I haven't really tried to sit down and negotiate a deal as I'm not ready to buy a lot and build or a used home yet since many questions about Eastern TN need to be decided. The market for homes and boats in Fl is not the greatest right now either. I did spend a decent amount of time talking with Blueridge and they quoted me about $110 a foot total for the 3000 sq ft model installed on my foundation in TN. This included the standard midrange appliances and fixtures etc. This included the 200 amp electrical panel and all I had to do was hookup the water, sewer and main power line. The whole thing was very fast compared to on sight building and I'm not getting any younger. They build to tough codes as they only build to the most strict standards and it comes with an engineers load seal. This is important as many log homes companies do not include this. Construction is very important to me after seeing what high winds can do to structures here in Fl. and tornatos are popping up everywhere these days.

They could put one extra layer of logs in to get me a ceiling increase of 8 inches and we could possible shorten the center section to save money and get the footage down. The only negative that I have seen so far is that they use a 6 x 8 D log which means the horizonal joint area is about 4 inches thick which is not good for insulation. I would like to build with a 6 X12 Genisis log. Most log home builders use a 8 x 8 log but you have to confirm this. Decks and garages are extra.

Most other builders are talking in the range of $165 sq ft. but its not fair for me to compare until I seriously sit down and try to compare apples to apples as you may have already done. The "extras" add up quickly.

Comment by Ted on August 7, 2008 at 4:30pm: Interesting comments Joe. I know the "modular" log company you are talking about. As a matter off fact, I contacted them after seeing the promotional video on HGTV. The problem with them, I found, was that they seemed very inflexible. When I told them that their model I was interested in was a little small, they couldn't expand their floor plan because it then wouldn't fit on their trucks. When I told them that I would supply all the appliances and fixtures they didn't know how to credit me for their stuff against mine. If I did the additions the way they suggested, they would be higher in price then the log home company I am currently dealing with.
Your other comment about reputation is right on the money. I have a tendency to believe whatever anyone tells me (at least the first time) but building a home is not the place to play mister nice guy. It's our money and we have to hang tough with all these people who promise the moon and deliver only bad results. I was recently contacted by a sales team for a large out of state (North Carolina) log home manufacturer who immediately told me they could get it to me cheaper then the company I have been dealing with. They don't even know what the other company quoted. Thanks for the heads up, I will be more cautious now.
Ted

Comment by Jarkko on August 7, 2008 at 4:24pm: Joe, great points, let me add few more (probably not as accurate). These might seem cynical, I'm not a cynic, just that I've been in this business for a long time.

1. Many manufacturers work as material suppliers only, because it is easier to avoid reclamations if things turn really ugly (slide problems to builder, even if they come from eg. not so great structure design).
2. From manufacturer point of view, there is a tendency to maximize the amount of delivered wood, thereby generating more turnover.
3. Savings suggested by manufacturer often increase costs in future. "Can't fit log gables into your budget? Not to worry, let's make it stick-built and cut 5% of the cost (and add 100 extra hours to building stage).
4. Good builders make you a log home, bad builders make you a log house.
5. Find a good builder, they recommend you a good manufacturer.
6. Find a good manufacturer, they can recommend you a builder that has built one or more of their log homes.

Comment by Joe on August 7, 2008 at 12:16pm: I too have done a lot of research over the last 2 years on log home builders in the Eastern TN area. The main complaints seem to be on the construction of the homes by outside contractors who have not done their jobs properly. I made the decision I would only use a company that would supply and totally build when the time comes. I also found out interesting things about some of the log home suppliers by turning to the BBB in these areas and because of what I found I completely ruled out certain log home companies with several unresolved complaints. I have now narrowed it down to 4, one of which is the modular log home company in SC that was on HGTV. The log home council sounds good but several of their members have not faired well on BBB complaints. I don't put too much faith in the authorized "dealers" who in many cases are well meaning couples who really have no ability to truely represent the log home company when problems arise. They are essentially independent sales people.

Comment by MtnGal on June 13, 2008 at 12:50pm: I agree - the number of potential companies is a bit overwhelming. Narrowing it down geographically works - if you have a large number in your area...in our situation that doesn't work as well..... however, we have looked at
many different homes that are used as offices by the various dealers - both here in AZ & in NM where we will
build. Another thing that we found to be helpful is to ask
for existing customer contact info. We have talked to people across the country. It is especially helpful with those pesky questions of: were the logs really dry? Did you have any "settling issues" ? Was everthing that was suppose to be included actually there? Was the quality what you expected or better? How easy/difficult was it to construct? etc.

Comment by Rob Romine on June 13, 2008 at 8:14am: Ted--a very good way to find a reputable company is to choose a Log Home Council member. The member companies use a grade stamped log for wall construction, and offer their customers a construction manual. Council members are at the forefront of new technology, new innovations, and new information all pertaining to the log home enthusiasts.