Using Your Log Home Builder As A General Contractor

If you've decided on hiring a log home builder for your new log cabin or house, hiring a general contractor can be very simple.  Just use the log home builder as your general contractor.

Actually, you'll find most log builders prefer it this way. They know what to do and when to do it.

The key thing is to spend as much time as it takes to find the right log home builder for the project. Don’t be rushed into appointing the first one you talk to – or the cheapest.

Getting the right builder can make all the difference in how smoothly the building of your log home goes – and how close to your budget you stay!

Many of the guidelines here could be applied to the selection of a general contractor for any house-building project. While they are just as relevant to the building of a log home, there is one additional factor that you must give appropriate attention to – finding a contractor with suitable experience.

It is tempting to say this is more important than any other consideration – but that isn’t really the case. You need all the attributes of a great log home builder working for you … plus experience working with log home projects like yours.

That doesn’t just mean some general log home experience – it means specific experience with the type of construction you are using, on the type of plot you are building on. A contractor who has built a number of prefabricated log cabins on a tract development is likely to be surprised by some of the challenges building a custom design on a tract of mountain land.

Now, that being said, there are many quality builders who do not specialize in building log homes but who can, with close coordination and support from a log home manufacturer, also build you a great log home. They can serve as your general contractor and work out the details of log home building with the log manufacturer.

There are a few ways you can track down log builders or general contractors with the right kind of log home experience:

• If you are building a kit, the supplier may be able to recommend contractors in your area who have built their product in the past. Some manufacturers may even provide a general contractor service for their product.
• Your architect (or other supplier of your plans) may be able to recommend contractors who have built their designs previously.
• Talk to other log home owners in the area and find out who their contractors were.

Your objective should be to finally select a reputable, trustworthy builder with the following attributes: Will build what you want – not what they are comfortable with Understands your vision and can communicate it to sub contractors Good – log home – references that you have checked thoroughly Agrees to sign a mutual agreement specific to the details of the project Can make the financial and time commitment necessary to complete your project Sufficient bank references Bonded

Once you have appointed a general contractor (or log home builder) you have to let them do their job. Don’t interfere with work in progress unless you perceive a problem. If that happens, you should address everything through the contractor or builder, never directly with a sub contractor or individual worker.

Establish clear lines of communication with your contractor, including regular, scheduled updates and open channels for ad hoc advice and steering.

And, finally,  no matter how confident you are in your contractor or log home builder, or how sure you are that everyone knows what is expected of them, have them sign a contract.

For additional information, go to log builder contract.