Log Construction Question

[alexandr325]

Hello,

I am bidding on a 600 SF addition for a customer here in central Colorado that will consist of approximately 120 LF @ 8' high of 6" x 8" "D" style logs. I can not figure out what I should charge to just errect the log package. Can anyone help? What should the cost be to errect logs per LF or SF?

Scott Alexander
Alexander Home Improvements
Poncha Springs, CO
ahi@bresnan.net

[Cole]

Anyone????

We dont have a lot of log home builders here.

[Rich]

Joe Bartok would probably have an idea. I would imagine 2 people could set that in 2 days.

[alexandr325]

But what would the cost be per SF of the wall just for install?

[Rich]

Honestly no one will be able to give you anything more than a guess. Nobody knows how fast you can stack the logs, or what your labor rate is, or your insurance rates, work comp rates, etc..etc..
Want to estimate it - take your "burdened labor rate" x "total manhours" add to that your overhead, profit, etc. and you have your price.
I hate to be that way - but I don't want to give you a number that you'll use on a bid and then lose your ass on it and come back and ask me why my number was wrong - or you lose the job because it's too expensive.

[Joe Bartok]

Sorry, I don't have any idea. Nor any experience with D logs. That part of my life was pretty much strictly labour, and I have no idea as to the pricing and estimating part of the process.
The erection time for house the size you're asking about: With an experienced crane operator and an experienced crew of four or five guys, and a house consisting of just four walls, the shortest time I've seen is four hours; that's just to take the logs off the truck and have them on the foundation. At least a day for just that part of the process would be more typical, and most jobs also involved cutting window and door openings, roof components, etc. Two or three weeks overall time on the erection site would be more realistic.
That's just a guess, given the custom nature of the work, every job is different. And again, that's working with the scribed long logs. What would be involved timewise in your situation with the D logs ...