Timber Frame Truths is about how a mountain house licensed Architect with 57 years experience exposes the reality of timber frame house projects.
HOME ARCHITECTS ® (who designs timber frame houses, conventional and log) has been besieged with phone calls and emails from misinformed potential clients. He’d like to set the record straight.
1. NO, TIMBER FRAME HOUSES DO NOT COST LESS THAN CONVENTIONAL CONSTRUCTION
Timber frame houses cost MORE. Much more.
As in perhaps $150/GSF more. And that number can be significantly more depending on level of detail, location and other factors. When estimating costs, you have to ADD the cost of the timber frame package (material and erection labor) to the entire cost of building the house, over an above what the conventional construction cost would have been.
For instance: if the cost of conventional construction in your area happened to be $400/HSF (Heated Square Foot), adding the timber frame aspect may be $600 to $750/HSF (and possibly higher, because timber frame cost are on a GSF (Gross SF) calculator). And this of course depends on the materials, site and design requirements. But the takeaway is: timber frame houses are much more costly to build. Just because you think they are visually appealing and you want to pay less does not mean that’s going to happen. Wake up. Be realistic.
Let’s do the math on one example: If your intended home is to be 3,000 HSF, you multiply that times the timber frame cost (for argument’s sake, let’s say $150/GSF (but could be more)) = probably around $500,000 (because the GSF is always more than the HSF). Just so you understand: this means that before you even start doing anything, you are already $500k into the project, then you have to add what the rest of the house will cost, which, for this example’s sake might be around $500/HSF x 3,000 = $1,500,000 then add the timber frame cost (in this example $500k) = around $2,000,000. Okay. Do you understand now? Timber frame houses are not cheap.
And let’s do another example. How about a house that is half that size. around 1,500 HSF. Well, can you guess? $2M/2= $1M. In other words, that smaller example timber frame house will likely be around $1,000,000 and could be more. Probably won’t be less. Timber frame homes are more expensive, not less.
This Architect recently had a possible client call him and declare that 3 timber frame companies told him he could do his proposed 1,500 HSF timber frame house for around $500k including everything. URRGGHHHT (warning buzzer sound). We don’t think so. We believe those timber frame companies were focused mainly on what their packages would cost and likely downplayed what the real costs would be for all of the other aspects of the project (because it’s not their responsibility to do so). The future homeowner heard what he wanted to believe and yelled at the Architect for informing him as to the reality of what was likely to happen. Okay. Enjoy that. The Architect feels compelled to inform his clients as to real world results to try to help them avoid a train wreck. You can lead a horse to water…
Now then, timber frame construction usually LOOKS very nice. That’s not the point. There are many cons to that “pro.” Unless you are made of money and are not concerned about your construction budget.
2. TIMBER FRAME COMPANIES ARE NOT IN BUSINESS TO CALCULATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR ENTIRE HOUSE
Timber frame companies are in business to sell you a big pile of sticks dumped in your driveway. And if you ask them, they can also charge you to possibly assemble that for you. Or they may not offer that service and your General Contractor needs to do that.
Unfortunately, timber frame companies are under no obligation to inform you that their price to provide and install THEIR package does NOT include everything else you’re going to need to complete your house. An unscrupulous package provider might even downplay the additional costs, leading you to believe that the timber frame package will be most of your costs to build your new house. NO IT WILL NOT. What other costs you may ask? Well, how about these:
–ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
–STRUCTURAL DESIGN
— SITEWORK
–PERMITTING
–SEPTIC
–WELL
–ROOFING
–WALLS: EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR
–FLOORS & OTHER FRAMING & CARPENTRY
–HVAC
–PLUMBING
–ELECTRICAL
–APPLIANCES
–SIDING
–DRYWALL AND OTHER INTERIOR FINISHES
–TRIMS: EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR
–DOORS
–WINDOWS
–PAINTING AND STAINING
–PAVING AND OTHER HARDSCAPING
–LANDSCAPING
–DUMPSTER
–TEMPORARY POWER
–BUILDING PERMIT
–FENCING
–SECURITY
–PORCHES
–STRUCTURAL BRACING
–FASTENERS OF ALL TYPES (NAILS, SCREWS, BOLTS)
–ERECTION GEAR: SCAFFOLDING, LADDERS, WALKBOARDS
–INSULATION (BEYOND WHAT TIMBER FRAME COMPANIES PROVIDE)
–SPECIALTIES: FIREPLACES, POSSIBLE ELEVATORS)
–WATERPROOFING(BOTH UNDERGROUND, SURFACE WATER DIVERSION AND IN WALLS AND ROOF)
–CLEANUP CREWS
–TRENCHING
–REPAIRS (nothing ever goes perfectly)
–PUNCHLIST CORRECTIONS for final permit approval
and more.
So: despite what a timber frame company may tell you or imply, (or 2 timber frame companies or 3 timber frame companies) IT WILL COST YOU MUCH MORE TO BUILD YOUR HOUSE THAN JUST THE TIMBER FRAME PACKAGE. MUCH, MUCH, MORE.
The Architect’s cost estimate for his own house has over 2,000 lines in an Excel spreadsheet. How many lines are in your estimate? 100? Do you even have an estimate? It will be wrong. It will never have everything you have to account for in the costs associated with building your house. Do not be fooled by companies mainly trying to sell their materials (which is what timber frame companies do for a living: sell sticks of materials). They are not your General Contractor. And no doubt they will never say that, which would be illegal. They are only one subcontractor and if you press them,, they will admit that. They have zero responsibility for what your total investment is in your house. Anymore than the appliance dealer or door provider or painter.
3. BUILDING A HOUSE TAKES 18 TO 30 MONTHS (MORE IF LARGER) AND 200 WORKERS
Really? YES. Usually about 50 crews with 4 skilled tradespeople per crew. Do the math.
Most people have no idea about this fact.
4. NO, YOU AND YOUR UNCLE BOB CANNOT BUILD THIS HOUSE IN YOUR SPARE TIME ON WEEKENDS IN 3 MONTHS.
See item 3 above.
And also add into this the fact that you are highly likely to hurt or kill yourself trying to do DIY. Construction of any kind is dangerous, dirty, difficult work. Many people die or are maimed each year from falls off ladders, cutting off body parts with electric saws, having heavy machines fall over onto them and other disasters that would convince you to not attempt this, and that your option of hiring a licensed General Contractor will be worth every penny. How much are your eyes worth? Your lungs? Your hands? Your bones? Preserve them by paying licensed other skilled tradespeople to do the physical labor for you.
BTW: painters have some of the shortest lifespans due to the inhalation of paint fumes, in case you’re considering attempting that work. 3 words: don’t do it.
Not easy. Not simple. Not fast. Not cheap.
Instead, do what earns you the big bucks: being a computer coder, an accountant, business person, administrator, real estate broker, or whatever. Do not think that overnight you’re going to be able to assume the very difficult tasks involved in building your future house. Not going to happen. You will regret it, if you survive.
5. NO, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HAVE SOME INITIAL “APARTMENT” OR “GUEST HOUSE” BUILT FROM WHICH YOU WILL SUPERVISE THE PROJECT.
Why: because you are probably not a construction professional of any type.
You will squander your limited budget on such additional structures.
You will not save anything, because you probably don’t know what you are doing.
You need to hire a General Contractor to build your house.
If you ignore the above, you will end up spending twice as much and taking 2 to 3 times as long to build the house and it will be a mess. Don’t do that.
6. MISLEADING SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels)
The thickest SIP used for ceiling/roof panels usually uses EPS insulation and is usually around R-38. Well, guess what? The International Energy Conservation Code, which is typically incorporated into the IRC (International Residential Code) which is usually incorporated into most State residential building codes, often require a roof/ceiling R value of 49. EPS can’t provide that for the panel thickness commonly used.
So what happens, when your timber frame company provides their typical roof SIPs of R38 and your local building code inspector notices this? He will red-tag your job and tell you that you have to ADD more insulation to that. And your question is: “How do I do that?” The inspector will tell you to hire carpenters to add wood furring members on top of or under the SIPs and install additional rigid insulation sheets between them. Surprise! There’s maybe another $30,000+ that you didn’t count on. One of the nasty surprises of building with timber frame and SIPs. Looks great, but comes with a whopping added cost significantly MORE than conventional construction.
And the use of SIPs for both roofing panels and possibly wall panels creates more detailed problems: For instance: how do you get your plumbing pipes and electrical and security wiring into those? If you cut into the SIP panel sheathing, you just destroyed the structural property of the panel. And your Plumber and Electrician are going to charge you more for having to gouge into those SIPs, and when they do that, your just lost a chunk of the thermal resistance of the SIPs.
And SIPs can’t really span very far. So: you have to have carpenters supplemented by a lift crane place heavy wood beams into your roof structure (complicated) to support them. Once again: say hello to more costs.
For the above reasons, this Architect doesn’t recommend SIPs. Even on timber frame projects. And despite what timber frame companies may tell you, SIPs do NOT provide continuous thermal insulation. There are framing members inside them that cause a thermal shunt at 24″ or so o.c.
CONCLUSIONS
Some timber frame components are misleading. Best to check with a real, licensed Architect. And you’re not likely to find any of those at any timber frame company. Better to trust the advice and counsel of a professional who has nothing to gain or lose by using or not using timber frame elements.
And you know what? A competent Architect can provide posts and beams in certain locations that start to assume the appearance of a timber frame for pennies on the dollar, with none of drawbacks of timber frame.
And having said all the above, there are some timber frame companies that may inform you that you will be spending much more than their costs to build your house. Not all of them will misguide you. For instance, this Architect knew a local General Contractor that had his own timber frame shop within his own company. That contractor had realistic overall numbers, because he had to provide them to the homeowners before obtaining the contract to provide the entire house.