What Is the Optimal Size for a Log Home?

A log home’s size is affected by more than just your tastes and preferences. Its purpose, the budget, a basement, a garage, lot size and location, zoning laws, and homeowners association regulations all play a part in your decision. All these factors are important and that is why you should spend adequate time planning all of them that apply.

Three log home sizes are popular today and we will use them as examples. They include:

• 24’ x 36’ – 864 square feet
• 32’ x 36’ – 1,152 square feet
• 32’ x 48’ – 1,536 square feet

Any or all of them can be constructed with a single, and one-half, or two-floor plan. You must also determine the best time of year for beginning construction, the contractor, and other material suppliers to make the best decisions.

Purpose of Your Log Home

The purpose of a log home is not a one-person decision. Everyone who will live there should have adequate input so you will not have regrets after construction is completed. This has happened to other homeowners but you do not need this mistake.

There are some key considerations to build into your home plans. How many people will live there and for how long? Will you keep it for many years or perhaps sell it in 5 to 10 years?

Ask yourself and others if extra bedrooms and baths are needed. Do you need a home office, exercise, or entertainment room? What size will each room be and will you expand the home’s size in the future? Each decision affects the budget and perhaps the lot size.

Log Home Size Coordinates with the Budget

Your budget determines the size of a log home as well as many other factors in its construction. Looking at the costs of the three typical home sizes will give you an idea of the one you can realistically afford or perhaps a larger one. We will assume the furnishings, appliances, lighting, flooring, windows, and amenities are similar in each.

The construction costs below are national averages and can vary a lot with the area, contractor, and architectural fees you will encounter. All are based on a one-floor plan and no basement or garage which will cost more than these examples.

• 24’ x 36’ – Range is $93,050 to $186,100
• 32’ x 36’ – Range is $123,050 to $246,100
• 32’ x 48’ – Range is $162,850 to $325,700

You can save a lot of bucks by doing some of the work yourself with pine log siding, trim, and corners. TIP: Consult with a contractor in your area to obtain the going construction cost.

“A log home’s size is affected by more than just your tastes and preferences. Its purpose, the budget, a basement, a garage, lot size and location, zoning laws, and homeowners association regulations all play a part in your decision.”

Log Home Size: Basement or No Basement?

A basement can add a lot of useful space to a log home if needed. You will need to factor its price into your plans. Full-size basements are not always necessary when you can get by with a half or three-fourths size. It all depends on the purpose of a basement and how it is constructed.

Basements can be made waterproof and just as nice as the ground floor rooms. The question you need to ask is, “Do I really need a basement?” It will need to be heated and cooled based on the climate.

Garage? Attached or Detached? 

Garages are great additions that add much usable space for these common reasons:

• A place to keep your car or truck out of the elements
• Additional storage space
• Small living quarters on the second floor
• Room for a workshop
• Space for hobbies
• Space for an extra freezer or refrigerator

A detached garage will cost more than an attached garage and requires a larger lot in general.

Once you determine the garage’s purpose, choose its size and cost. At that point, consider if you really need one, or perhaps a carport will fit your needs.

Save Money with Pine Log Siding

After making multiple decisions about the size of your log home, there is one additional idea to ponder over. Do you want a full-log home that costs much more, or do you want a log-siding home that costs much less? A log siding home provides the full log look without the strain on the budget. You can either save money on the same size or build a larger home with log siding for the same cost as the full log house.

We hope these ideas will be helpful for building the optimal size of your log home. Log siding, log trims, and log corners are available from our huge inventory.

References and Resources

• Choose the Right Size
• Basement Pros and Cons