How to Plan for Building a Timber Framed Home

When you plan for building a timber frame home, you'll need to start by finding out all the information you can about timber homes. Get a broad picture of who makes them and how the timber frame home building process works. Since there's a lot of material to sort through, take your time do some thorough research about costs, time involved, choosing people to work with and the finished product.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Ask timber framing professionals, architects, designers and construction contractors about what you should expect to pay for their timber framing services. Come up with a ballpark figure for the entire project.

2. Read online sources, books and magazines about building a timber frame home.

3. See if you can get pre-qualified for a mortgage and create a budget according to how much you qualify for on a loan. If you don't qualify for the entire ballpark figure you have in mind, figure out how you will come up with the difference.

4. Visit timber frame home building seminars and workshops. Take notes during presentations and ask questions afterwards.

5. Go to timber frame building sites, open houses or model timber frame home showings. Ask the people in charge of the showing any questions you might have.

6. Compare various timber frame building companies' prices, products and services. Timberpeg and Bensonwood are two good places to start.

7. Choose whether to hire and manage your own team of timber framing professionals or to hire a contractor.

Tips & Warnings

• Some timber framing design companies offer package deals. These can include turnkey services, general contracting, manufacturing, raising the timber frame or a combination of any of those services.
• Take your location into account and find out how your area's weather, climate and seismic activity may dictate how you plan for building a timber framed home.

Resources

• Timberpeg website
• Bensonwood website

[bpickartz]

on 6/18/2009 The Timber Frame Business Council is a good place to start when researching timber frame companies.