I Built a Log Cabin From Scratch For Under $11,000

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I also made my own edger for salvaging usable boards from sawmill slabs. All I needed was a 10' section of roller conveyor, some 1 "-round x 24"-long shafting, and two 10" circular-saw blades. I mounted one saw blade in a fixed location, and the other on an adjustable sliding hub with babbitt bearings. This made it easy to adjust the sawing width, according to the width of usable board I could cut from the slabs. I used a small tractor with a PTO (Power Take Off) shaft to power the edger.

Next, I needed to make a roll-around tripod capable of hoisting, moving, and suspending 24'-long logs and beams up to 12' high for stacking the log walls. I made the tripod from 2-by-2-inch steel tubing, welded in a 6' triangle with three wheels. One of the wheels is a steerable swiveling wheel with a handle for easy maneuverability. On this triangular frame, I mounted three 14'-long cedar poles vertically and then banded them together at the top. Then I mounted an 1,800-pound-capacity boat wench about chest-high on one pole, and a pulley at the top of the tripod. By using quarter-inch steel cable on the wench and over the pulley, I was able to hoist up the logs and beams and maneuver them into place.

Estimates & Materials

Now that I had all the equipment I thought I'd need, it was time to get a building permit and get started on our home. But first, I had to draw a few sketches showing the basic outline of the floor plan, so that I'd know how many trees to clear from the site, how many block pillars would be necessary for the foundation, and how many logs and other building materials I would use. Here's the list of materials I needed to build my 4,000-square-foot log house:

• 6 yards of concrete to pour 55 pads for the block pillar foundation
• 600 8-by-8-by-16-inch concrete blocks
• 55 4-by-16-by-16-inch concrete cap blocks
• 95 sheets 5V-crimp roofing tin 18-by-6-inches long
• 22 rolls of roofing felt
• 22 rolls of 23-by-3 1/2-inch fiberglass insulation for the roof
• 120 pine trees to be used for wall logs and lumber (floor sills and joists, rafters, roof decking, flooring, wall studs, wall covering, etc.)

We acquired the trees for absolutely no cost, other than gas for the truck, loader, and chain saw. Some of our trees came from the home site, and others came from folks who wanted trees removed from their yards, from a local highway-widening project, and from a small piece of property owned by my parents. In our area, if you keep an eye out, you can easily find enough trees to build an average-size home, since most people will let you have the trees just for removing them from their property.

Getting Started

The land I bought in 1987 to build on is about 7 1/2 acres and completely wooded except for a small yard with a mobile home. Being able to live on the land while building the house has been extremely convenient, allowing my wife and I to accomplish something almost everyday. For anyone who's thinking of building (or even having someone else build for them), I strongly recommend living next to the site.

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