Ultimate Guide to: Planning a Log Home, Designing and Building Log Homes

The winners of Log Home Living's 1st Annual Small Log Homes Design Contest are nothing less than spectacular (oh yeah, and none of them are MORE than 2,500 square feet).

Enjoy these Top 10 Small Log Homes, ranked by Log Home Living.

Building a custom log house is an exciting adventure—from the day you start planning to make your dream a reality, to your first night's sleep surrounded by cozy log walls. There are many decisions to make along the way to ensure that the process runs smoothly. First and foremost, you must acquire knowledge about financing, design and construction. That way, you get the house that fits your needs, budget and preferences. Being informed also helps when your dream collides with reality, and you encounter the inevitable: compromise.

Getting Started

Start by determining how much house you can afford. You'll probably turn to your banker or a mortgage lender who can assist you in two ways. First, they look at your income, expenses and financial situation to calculate how much money you can afford to spend. Second, they will help you establish a building budget. Most people who are building a home will apply for a loan at some point, so while you are thinking about finances, check your credit rating. Your credit history is a snapshot of how you have repaid borrowed money in the past. The rating indicates to your lender the degree to which he is likely to be repaid in full and on time. A credit history covers charge accounts and other credit cards you have, car loans and perhaps, past mortgages. There are several credit reporting agencies. To find one that has your records, ask the officials at your bank.


Once you have a clear picture of your financial resources, focus on getting information from the people who will design and build your log house. Then pose these questions from the following categories when making your final decisions:


Financial Advice
Design Tips
Selecting Your Logs

Production Information
Construction Advice

Browse these log home plans and let these innovative designs provide a spark of inspiration to light the fire of your log-home dream.


Less Than 2,500 Square Feet
More Than 2,500 Square Feet

Thinking about acting as the general contractor for your own homebuilding project? Here are a few things to consider before you dive in.

Still, don't fall for the immediate gratification of buying online. To make sure your land is a prime cut, invest some time into prioritizing and research. Your two best tools for making a good decision: your gut and these land-shopping tips.

Whether you want to have more control over the building process, are chasing a profound sense of accomplishment or just want to save a few bucks, the temptation to serve as the general contractor for your log-home project can be pretty powerful. But it's not a decision you should make without investing plenty of thought first.

We asked Dan Ramsey, a California-based contractor and author of several books about homebuilding, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Building Your Own Home, for his best advice for first-time would-be contractors. Before you pick up a tool belt, check out his tips:

1. Realize there's no one-size-fits-all approach: "A general contractor is really just a manager," Dan says, "so you can participate in the project in a number of different ways." For those with little to no previous construction experience, he recommends sticking to paperwork and scheduling of subcontractors. Those who feel a little more comfortable with the nuts and bolts of construction, however, might want to take a more hands-on approach. "People who have experience with plumbing or electrical work might become a subcontractor to a general contractor and save some money that way," Dan suggests. If you're worried about the time commitment, only take on as much work as you can complete easily in the evenings and on weekends. "The idea is to spend less time than it will take to make you lose your job," he says with a laugh.

2. Do a trial run: You wouldn't buy a car without taking it for a test drive first, right? Nor should you make a major decision like this before getting your feet a bit wet. While you can't exactly build a test-run house, there are several ways to determine your interest in and aptitude for contracting work, according to Dan. Perhaps the best way is to tackle a remodeling project on your current home, but you also can get a feel for the process by reading books or taking a construction-oriented class at a local community college. If, after you've done your homework, you've still got the contracting bug but are feeling skeptical about your ability to manage the project on your own, don't hesitate to call in a construction consultant. "A consultant will spend maybe one afternoon a week with you, helping to prepare you for the next week's work," Dan says. "It still saves money over a full-time general contractor because you're doing most of the work yourself."

3. Beware of potential pitfalls: Contractors who have been around the block a few times are well versed in common headaches on construction projects and can circumvent them. You can minimize the learning curve by schooling yourself on possible trouble spots ahead of time. Scheduling and payments are often points of contention, says Dan, so make sure you have delivery dates for materials timed properly, and that all of your subcontractors know when to be there. (A phone call a few days before should do the trick.) Making some friends at your local building department also is a smart move: "They hold the keys to your house, so it's a good idea to meet them and find out what their requirements are early on," says Dan. Finally, resist the urge to make tweaks to your design after work is underway. "If you've never done this before, it's easy to start making changes here and there," says Dan, "without realizing that each time there's a change order, it's going to cost more and take longer."