Timing is a little different from company to company for many reasons. At the risk of sounding negative, we feel you should know the general preparation in planning your project.

It takes a lot of planning on your part to make things go smooth. We can walk you through most of the steps and help with some of the footwork so it’s not so overwhelming for you. Some things that will help speed things up are:

Get pre-approved by a lender so you know what your budget is. It’s a waste of time and heartbreaking to plan the project only to find out you are not qualified for the home you want.

Decide how much of the budget can be spent on the land and secure the property you want if you don’t already have it. Research the wells in the area to make sure there is water. Be sure the covenants will allow you to use the land for which you intend.

Decide on a home plan and put it out for bid to several log home companies and contractors. They will only be able to give you a preliminary bid until a final plan from an architect and /or engineer is completed, but it will get you in the ballpark of your budget.

When you have decided upon the home, have the architect/engineer get final plan done and resubmit to the log home companies and contractors to which you have narrowed it down. The log home company should be able to get you a quote relatively quickly with a final plan; however it will probably take some time for the contractor bids whether you do it yourself or hire a general contractor to handle it.

Get your septic permit. This may require a perk test by your local health department unless it was already done by the current landowner. This permit will be required to get your building permit.

Get your building permit. Building departments will require and architectural drawing and most likely and engineers stamp. Cities, counties and states vary in their requirements for plan review. Most have a checklist for you to follow or just talk to them and make your own list.

Once you have decided on the contractor and the log home package supplier and have the proper permits, you can get your homeowners insurance.  The builder should have liability insurance for his company; however there are many things that could happen that would not be covered by the builder’s insurance such as an Act of God or vandalism.

Now you should be ready to submit all this to the lender and apply for the money to make your deposit to the log home company and the contractor when required. Most log home companies and contractors won’t put you in line for production until a contract has been sign and a down payment received.

With all this behind you, the backlog of the log home company will dictate the timing of receiving the log home package.

The weather in you area could also cause delays.

So, be realistic when starting to plan your home. If you want to build in the summer, start planning in the winter.