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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / what did yours cost?
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Goatman
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 11:47
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Just trying to et a idea of prices of different sizes of cabins. I think it can be done for less then 8k. However Im not very sure on this.

PA_Bound
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 13:23
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I think for you to get usable data you need to maybe break your question into two parts. Even then however, there are many many variables. Here is what I might suggest:

1. What did it cost to frame your XxY cabin, with what type of foundation?

2. What did it cost to finish your XxY cabin, and to what degree?

I say this because you can frame a fairly large cabin for less than $8K (with a limited, or hand-done foundation), and smaller cabins for way-less. But what do you consider "done"? Do you define "done" as suitable for a hunting camp for the buddies, or someplace the typical woman would want to spend a week, instead of a hotel? My 16'x16' hunting camp was nicely framed-in (using new, store-bought materials) for about $4K. The finish, although suitable for a few nights with my hunting buddies, is not someplace my wife likes to stay however. The 14'x40' cabin I'm building now is going to cost less than $8K to frame (pad foundation), but likely double-that and more to finish it to a degree suitable for my wife (and she is not all that picky).

dfosson
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 14:21
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I've got just under $15K in mine and although my wife doesn't like to stay, it's suitable.

ShabinNo5
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 19:08
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PA_Bound is peeling the onion. Other issues may be determined by the site itself.

Our build site is on a fairly steep hill side. While not quite a cliff, walking from one side of the deck to the other (22 feet) places one 15 feet above the ground.

This challenging terrain was new to me. We paid an engineer $800 to review both the building plan and foundation plan. While I was not excited about the cost, the resulting adjustments have given me peace of mind. In the end the engineer adjusted the foundation plan to use 18 piers. In each case the surface soil and rock was cleared down to the bedrock and each pier encases three rebar pins that have been set 12-18 inches into the bedrock.

I almost forgot, the Shabin is 10 X 20 with a 6 foot deck wrapping three sides.

Addtionally I have over engineered almost every aspect of the building. Orginally I was hoping that the cost would be within 8-12K. I believe that it is safe to say that the spend has doubled. But then we added 6 windows; converted a section of the deck into a bathroom; bumped out two sections of the deck to 9 feet; expanded the loft; built a crawl space under the main level... There is always an opportunity to spend

larry
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2013 20:02
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the deck cost me $1300.00 and the building was $7800.00 ish. it can be done as long as the build site doesn't need much.
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tmcmurran
Member
# Posted: 1 Apr 2013 15:13
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We are ordering everything now for a 24x40 three bedroom with loft. With the other half working at the local lumber yard and shopping around we are facing close to $30,000. Then again our location does not lend it self to lower prices due to competition, but her discount sure helps.

This amount is for footing, knee wall, four walls, roof trusses, siding, windows, doors and metal roofing. Forget the inside, we have yet to start on that

It seems that by the time we move into it full-time this fall we will have close to $60,000 invested including the land and septic.

jrbarnard
Member
# Posted: 1 Apr 2013 16:10
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I probably have close to 20k in ours. We have a 24x32ft cabin with a 8ft x 24ft loft and a 15ft x 32ft covered porch and a 8x8 bathroom added on.

This includes the hardiplank siding, flooring (3/4" as well as wood laminate and deluxe padding).

We also are finishing out the interior with cedar planks in that cost and kitchen cabinets with granite coutnertops.

Now, it took a LOT to get it under that price as we are in the middle of nowhere. We played Lowes against HD and we did a lot of c-list shopping for cabinets etc.

It can be done.

I had a quote of well over 60k to get what we have built for us, so it was well worth the savings, albeit we are not finished yet (bought it all but not installed it all).

We still have the bathroom to finish, plumbing to install, etc.

Russ

TheWildMan
Member
# Posted: 2 Apr 2013 08:55
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after buying the lot i lived in a series of buildings:

45 year old camper: $400
(lived in it from May to November)

10x14 low wall storage barn $1400
insulation $250
interior panneling $150
wood stove w/ chimney $800
solar pannels and batteries $1000
assorted other stuff $500

winter was closing in and i had no way to heat the camper, bought the shed for storage but when i had not saved enough money by winter for a bigger place i setup the shed with heat, power, etc to survive the winter. lived in it for a year.

second cabin (when i had enough money)
12x20 high wall storage barn $3400
insulation $450
finishing interior $300
woodstove with insulated chimney $1100
solar panels $600
10x 8 addition $500 (store dry firewood, mud room, etc)
assorted expenses $1000

the bigger cabin used a lot of materials from the camper and little cabin, used light fixtures and kitchen counter/sink from camper, moved solar panels and batteries over from the little one as well as the stove (not the chimney). been living in it since.

after i gutted it i gave the camper away (guy wanted one for storage a box on wheels), left a scale down solar array and a barrel stove in the little cabin (two livable cabings on the lot 100' away from each other)

customrunner
Member
# Posted: 3 Apr 2013 20:14
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My 16'x20' has run me wright around $10,000 not including my solar setup.

jayinwww
Member
# Posted: 8 Nov 2015 20:59 - Edited by: jayinwww
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Quoting: larry
the deck cost me $1300.00 and the building was $7800.00 ish. it can be done as long as the build site doesn't need much.

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That deck looks very stable. What did you use to attach the 4x6's to the 2x6's?? Nails? Also did you use 4 4x6's in total one in front of the other? Because normally you can't get them longer that 12 feet.

Also in the middle how to you get it from not bowing out from the center?

What did you do on your corners? are they cut like a 45's for the 4x6's?

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 8 Nov 2015 21:24
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Geez, I'm afraid to add up what's been spent so far and we aren't done yet, nowhere close. Besides I do NOT do the accounting, it "makes my brain hurt" (ala Monty Python).

But a quicky:
Cost of land (too good to say in public, less than 1/2 asking $)
1, 240' Deep Well, Cable drilled $13k
1, Grundfos Pump, Lines, Pressure Tank ... $1.3k ish
1, 20' Sea Can delivered & installed $2.1 K
Excavation work, 22 loads of Pit Run, 4 loads of packing gravel $3.7K (have 280' driveway & two pads (one for cabin & one for a shop)
1, 2Kw Solar System (8 260w panels), batteries, Inverter, wiring etc: $8k

1, 7200/9000 Generator $700 (door crasher sale)
1, Pump/Powerhouse build, $500 with concrete & insulation.
1, FPSF Slab for Cabin (20x24) $3.8k ! I supplied 4" XPS & Radiant Flooring.
1, Radiant Flooring "kit" $1.7K (with 400' 7/8 pex, pump, manifold, controller, sensor etc...) Only thing to get is a Takagi Heater.

8 Windows (3 yrs old, recovered from renovations) 250.00
1, 6' Patio French Doors with built in blinds. $600 (sale)
1, 36" Main door with leaded glass $199 (sale)

Building Materials ? Ohh Myyy wood only I'd say about 2K so far in everything and LOTS has been used... Fair bit of Rough Lumber too.

Insulation... Different Kinds from different places... All XPS foam or ISO with some Type-2 EPS, maybe 3K ish ?

Tools bits etc I don't count as they have a long life span and many projects to come...

Guessing around 40K ish without land cost. EEEKKSS
The accountant let me get away with too much ! Have to have a serious chat there !!! (ok, she was partly to blame too but STILL)

OutdoorFanatic
Member
# Posted: 9 Nov 2015 06:27
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Dont pay any attention to the cost OP. Just start building and when its done, its done.

RichInTheUSA
Member
# Posted: 9 Nov 2015 07:10
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Quoting: OutdoorFanatic
Dont pay any attention to the cost OP. Just start building and when its done, its done.


I like the pay as you go model... For me, this includes not getting into debt or financing it either.

Having a cabin is about piece of mind... and that includes not having to shoulder a payment!

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 9 Nov 2015 07:20
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In my case, this is where I will live out the rest of my life, so...

No Payments, No Credit (haven't got any as such), All paid in cash, been paying as I go along and taping the reserves.

In the end, living for a very low cost and mostly self-sufficient, will need only a little to get by comfortably and without stress & worries about "ohh No how do I pay ABC". Materialism and using that to compensate for a lack of true happiness is not for me... Being on the land and doing it, enjoying it and benefitting from it IS real happiness. The cost is irrelevant to the Priceless Return on the investment.

littlehouseontheprarie
Member
# Posted: 9 Nov 2015 07:45
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Steve S.
I agree with you I do not want to go in debt even for my dream.

smallcabin
Member
# Posted: 11 Nov 2015 17:02
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Let see...for my 16x24....as of to date, I've lost track of my budget and it's still not finished yet. If you want a rough estimate....probably passed the 10K mark...and climbing. This does not include the interior finishes and electrical works.


Also agreed with Steve_S. It's good to have a rough budget in mind...but really, being constraint to a budget really takes out the fun. This is not to say...spend foolishly either.

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