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HopefulHomemaker
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# Posted: 7 May 2012 09:03pm
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We might be nuts, but...we're giving slight consideration just just buying plans and building the place ourselves. Cabin kits are too pricey, sheds are not all that well built, and we can't afford to have someone build a cabin for us. This is probably insane, but maybe building a simple cabin ourselves is really an option? We basically just want a little box with a deck on it. How hard can that be? The Husband used to build theater sets back in high school (lol) and is very mechanical. He can't do math to save his life, but I can. We don't really have any help (anyone in the Williamstown NY area want to come help? lol) but we're also not on a huge time crunch.
Any recommendation for a good site to get plans, that won't cost us $500?
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larry
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# Posted: 7 May 2012 09:23pm
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what is your budget and how many square feeet do you want?
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HopefulHomemaker
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# Posted: 7 May 2012 09:30pm
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Budget is $5000ish, around 400sqf (no more than 600), one floor, one big room. No electric or plumbing, either.
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VTweekender
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 12:19am - Edited by: VTweekender
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http://www.townandcountryplans.com all of their plans are with a concrete slab but just replace that with wood ...... and NO you aren't nuts!
Also this ebay seller does some nice stuff, he also sells a "instruction guide" to building a cabin http://stores.ebay.com/Crafts-by-Vera/_i.html?_fsub=3125513018 ...
And free is free! http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/housing ....scroll and look for the framing illustrations as well, doors walls etc..
you could do any of these with the gravel pad and floor joists on treated skids you planned on..
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 12:24am - Edited by: MtnDon
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I don't have a breakdown on bare shell and various points of completeness... all I have readily available is the completed ready to move furniture in cost for our 432 sq ft one room cabin; no loft. It also includes such niceties as T&G aspen ceiling and one wall (drywall others), quality low-e slider windows, red oak kitchen cabinets, ceramic tile floor throughout, hardi cement board siding...., everything bought new but with a 10% contractor discount on the basic building materials. It also includes more or less typical electrical wiring and a minimal plumbing install (1 sink and a shower). $46 a square foot. But that includes a propane range, propane wall heater, $900 wood stove, Servel propane refrigerator and a SunMar composting toilet. That does not include the PV electric system (just the wiring in the walls. That also included $450 dollars labor paid for casual labor for a couple of things I did not feel like doing.
I know of a couple of other nicely finished cabins in that size range that also cost the owner-builders around $45 a square foot.
So that's probably not a big help; but there it is.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 01:17am
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Maybe some help with costs here
or this page
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bhebby
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 08:44am
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shoot me your email I am in redfield and I might be able to help you out a bit with some names.
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bhebby
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 08:46am
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I have a plan I bought that I didnt use that you are welcome to but its a lot pf pages. It is smaller than you want but it can be panelized so you could build a piece at home and haul it in and assemble.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 10:50am
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hopeful.....wait till you get to plan Z and then have to start plan A1,B2 and so forth!!!! It is an adventure but it is fun along the way!
If you are thinking of a fairly simple cabin you could save the $$$ spent on plans and design your own.
Begin by thinking about what you ultimately want-sq. footage, door facing south, windows facing each direction, deck, loft whatever...you get the idea. Then start with 4 walls. Post it here and let others help you finalize your plans.......I bet there are a lot of us out there that would have fun helping you!
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exsailor
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 02:41pm
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Designing a box isn't that difficult. Go to the library; read about small cabins, houses, and sheds. The library can provide basic structure construction tips and referance. Lowes or Home Depot offers project classes. You can use a number of sources to learn, then start looking at freecylce, graigslist, and other free to cheap sources for anything you need for the cabin. This will allow youi to get materials while you learn so the overall price will be cheaper. As trollbridge said you are embarking on a journey of learning, doing, and enjoying. You already know to ask for help here so you have begun the trip!
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larry
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 04:47pm
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http://www.panelconcepts.com/. take a look at this you may find something you like
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tbjohn
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 05:46pm
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If you go to the local lumber yard they usually have a small design dept that will draw it up and charge you a few hundred. If you take the plans and get the lumber elsewhere or if you buy material from them the plans are free. They also give you a material list and cost of material. At least here in central Maine I have 2 diferent ones thatoffer that service.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 8 May 2012 05:56pm
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Quoting: HopefulHomemaker Any recommendation for a good site to get plans, that won't cost us $500?
I just used townandcountryplans.com.
Price is for 1st set of plans, extra prints are less. I have bought and built the "Whitehorse" and bough plans for the Peniac for my retirement
Use whiteout to make changes before submititng the plans to the county. You can lengthen the cabin if you want more space etc.
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Swamphunter
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 10:19am
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Have you checked with the local Amish community? Very reasonably priced, they DONT need a plan to go off of so you'lll save that money. Plus the time you'd have into building the cabin, hubby could work a shift or two overtime and maybe help the cost not feel quite so painful.
On the other hand, Building for walls and a ropof should be well within your hubby's capabilities and I say go for it!!! Keep us updated with pics!!
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Seto
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 12:10pm
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look up the book by Alexandar Lamar called simple solar homesteading, i got a copy of his ebook version. he has floor plans for several simple and cheap to build cabins.
i would also suggest if you have any Amish in your area to ask around, they build sizable buildings a lot cheaper than anyone else and do premium work, just don't ask them to install the electric. around here they will build a 16x 20 or so building for under 4k
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HopefulHomemaker
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 03:48pm
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We've already talked to the Amish guy down the road. That was a previous plan (and still a possibility). We can get a 20x20 with a porch, delivered, for about $3500. That's just a shell, so we'd need to unsulate and finish the interior ourselves, but that's not a big deal. The problem is with the building permit. For one thing, we have already determined that we are not going to be able to put in a poured foundation, so we're sticking with a gravel pad for whatever we get, so our dimensions keep shrinking. For another, we still do need to submit plans for an Amish-built shed. And there's a huge form they have to fill out with the exact dimensions of everything (it's two pages long). And apparently we have to buy homeowners insurance just to have them drop a shed on the gravel pad. And the Amish guys have to submit some kind of certificate to prove that they actually built the thing the way they said they did, because we need a certificate of occupancy.
No matter which way we go, this is going to be a bit of a nightmare.
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MikeOnBike
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 04:13pm
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Your budget is a little tight for 400-600sqft. If you can do the work yourself and find some good salvage/surplus items you might be able to manage a dried in shell.
Another reasonably priced source for plans.
http://countryplans.com/
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Borrego
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 05:56pm - Edited by: Borrego
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i agree your budget is tight as Mike said... we are not quite done yet (just finished drywall) but I can do the rest of the math and to get to finish we will be near $20k for about 600 ft2 , so about $36 per sq. That doesn't include solar or outside screen porch that I will add later.
But - I did all my own work, (except had a couple of good buddies come out to volunteer several times), used recycled materials anywhere I could, got items from jobsites i was building, you get the drift......
But you and hubby can certainly do this, it's not that hard if you're even reasonably handy, and once you get into it, it'll just happen. So what if you're a little out of square when you're done? Lotsa good help from this forum for sure.
The Amish cabin ,on the other hand, sounds like a screaming deal! I would want to build my own place, but if that is not a thing to you, get that prebuilt cabin
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HopefulHomemaker
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 06:45pm
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Just got off the phone with the building inspector, and it's not good news. Whatever we put up (even a yurt) requires a permit, and has to be attached to the foundation and the ground. We can either put in a concrete slab, pour concrete for footers, or put it on a deck which is attached to the ground with tie-downs (which require concrete). A gravel pad is absolutely not ok, without the addition of tie-downs. We'd have to figure out how to mix and pour concrete ourselves, by hand, without electricity or a water source. And we can't hire someone to do it without first buying insurance on a house that doesn't exist (which isn't in our budget anyway). So we might just be screwed.
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MikeOnBike
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 07:01pm
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A less concrete intensive foundation would be to used piers. Depending on your frost depth they probably only take 2-3 bags of premix each and can be dug and formed one at a time.
I used no more than a couple of gallons of water for each of my piers. I mixed each batch in a wheel barrow or concrete mixing pan. You could also look at purchasing or renting a gas powered mixer.
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HopefulHomemaker
Member
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 09:27pm - Edited by: HopefulHomemaker
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Do we need to put rebar in concrete forms for piers? Or does the form provide enough stability without it? I'm guessing that we will need the rebar. Hopefully getting the permit won't take a waiting period, because our time is going to be tight for doing all of this over four days.
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 09:47pm
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you'll need something like this:
http://www.strongtie.com/products/CFS/STHD.asp
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 9 May 2012 11:00pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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Rebar is required in any normal concrete work.. The simple way to look at it is that steel rebar gives the concrete bending strength.
If there are permits involved I imagine they will require paper plans that detail the sizes of the things like footings and pier sizes, as well as what size or rebar and the number of pieces per footing and pier. Add in a floorplan, roof construction details, windows and door framing, insulation etc. .... Hopefully they are a owner-builder friendly department and can tell you what sort of things they require. Some departments have hand outs that can help, some don't.
Specifically ask if they will accept poured concrete footings as I described above (16x16x8....) with 6x6 PT piers? Ask what they would require for bracing the piers to the floor? That would be the least costly foundation if it would be acceptable. Note that such a foundation is not listed as an approved foundation in the IRC, which is the code used in NYS.
You can access it here.
EDIT: I had the wrong link in there before. - MD And note that under foundations, wood foundation referrs to a Permanent Wood Foundation. (PWF) They work but require a lot of digging.
See PWF info, D/L link at near page bottom
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