Why is your price higher/lower than other log home companies?

Our customers often comment on how difficult it is to compare prices between different manufacturers. So let’s take a minute to review the most common sources of difficulty.

1. Package Contents
Most log home companies offer their product at various, pre-packaged content levels, ranging from the bare logs to a complete “dry-in” package. Jim Barna Log and Timber Homes, for example, offers log packages at five basic levels. We also give you the option to include or exclude specific items or materials.
To be sure that you are accurately comparing “apples to apples” you need to know exactly what is included in the price. What one log home manufacturer calls a “total package” may include or exclude significant amounts of material compared to another manufacturer’s “total package”. There is no standard of comparison between manufacturers. Sometimes it is not clear to see which items are excluded. For example, a plan which uses conventional framed trusses may have a small note on the plan which says “Trusses by others”. That may be your only indication that they are not part of the package.
Some package prices also include valuable additional items – for example, free attendance at a builders class offered by the manufacturer, or on-site technical assistance. These items are easily overlooked but may be very useful to you if you are planning to build the home yourself.
Michigan Log and Timber provides a complete written listing of the materials and services contained in each package level. If in doubt, your MLT representative will be happy to clarify the exact content of any package level for any home plan that you are considering.

2. Shipping costs
Your log home package will typically be delivered on several semi- trailers; and running a semi-trailer can be expensive. Some log home companies charge a “standardized” delivery charge, while others offer “free delivery!” Whether or not a “standardized” delivery charge is a good deal for you depends on how far from the manufacturer’s factory your building site is. And “free delivery!” is, of course, a bit of a misleading claim. The semi-trucks use fuel and oil, and the drivers expect a paycheck each week; so the cost of delivering your log package is actually rolled into the purchase price somewhere.
Michigan Log and Timbers charges delivery costs based upon the actual delivery mileage from Oneida TN to your building site. You pay only the actual cost of shipping – and shipping costs cannot be used to alter the price of your log package. Your MLT representative will be happy to provide you an estimate of shipping costs to your building site.

3. Standard and Custom Pricing
Some log home manufacturers quote pricing for their “standard” plans, while others develop custom pricing for each customer. It is important to understand that “standard” pricing is based upon certain assumptions about the package. For example “standard” models will typically be priced with a “standard” snow-loading factor for the roof structure. If you are building in an area which has heavier-than-average snowfall, the roof structure will have to be upgraded. This will impact the price.
Estimated prices can vary widely in accuracy and content from manufacturer to manufacturer. Beware of the manufacturer’s representative who estimates a price for you based solely upon the square footage of your plan. This estimate may be incorrect by as much as 50% – either way. The only way to make an estimate which will be accurate within 10% is with a well-defined floor plan and elevation data. You should not make any commitments based upon estimates made without this data.
Michigan Log & Timber provides current pricing for each package level for all of the home plans featured in the catalog. We can also provide custom pricing based on a floorplan of your own design at no charge. Obviously, the more detailed and complete your plan, the more accurate the estimate will be. Consult with your Barna Log Homes distributor to be sure that all factors that will affect your package price are clearly understood.

In conclusion – if you are seeing wide ranges in prices from different manufacturers, take a minute to consider what is included in each price. Some of the differences may be explained by the quality or finish of the materials. If there are still large discrepancies, it can most likely be found in the amounts of materials and services being quoted. The only way to find these out and adjust for them is to study the manufacturers’ materials and ask their representatives for clarifications.
Your Barna Log Homes representative will be happy to answer any questions you may have about package contents, pricing or estimating for your log home plans.