Questions & Answers
Building a log home is a big decision — and the more you understand upfront, the smoother the project goes. Here are the questions we hear most often, answered honestly. If something's still unclear, call the mill.
Every log home project is different — your land, your plan, your timeline, your build team. We've answered the most common questions below, but your situation may be the exception, and that's worth a conversation.
Read what's useful, skip what isn't, and pick up the phone if you'd rather just talk.
When you choose Beaver Log Homes, our team becomes a partner in the project. We start by developing a plan of action — typically a set of working drawings based on your foundation plan, paired with a material list scaled to the square footage of your home and the interior and exterior features you want.
From there, each log is identified, machined, and pre-cut at our Kalkaska mill so the wall system arrives ready to assemble. We stay close through delivery, assembly, and dry-in — and we're a phone call away long after.
You have options:
Whichever route you choose, we stay involved — answering questions for you and your builder through every phase. If you'd like a recommendation, our trusted partners are a phone call away.
Yes. If you've got the skills, the time, and the patience, there's nothing stopping you from assembling your own package. Our system is built for this — every log is pre-cut, machined, and labeled for its exact location. It's as close to "paint by number" as a log home gets.
You'll receive our free Beaver Log Construction Manual, and we're a phone call away through every phase of the build. Owner-builders are part of our heritage — we love helping people put their own home together.
Yes — every Beaver log home is custom. Bring your own drawing, modify one of ours, or start from a sketch. We'll work with what you have, and our designers can help turn it into a buildable plan.
Pricing is individual to each plan. As a guide: the Log Package is priced per your drawing; Dry-In starts at about $200 per square foot; Turnkey starts at about $325 per square foot. Send us a drawing and we'll quote it within a few business days.
Our packages are designed to arrive ready to assemble. A typical package includes:
Every piece is machined for its exact location on the wall.
We're upfront about this — our packages cover the log wall system and supporting wood material, but they don't include:
Your local builder or supply yard will handle these items. We'll walk you through what you need and when you need it.
The profile shapes how your home looks — and how the logs fit together, including how they intersect at the corners. We offer a full range:
Diameters are available in 8″, 10″, 12″, and 14″. Call to talk through which profile and diameter is right for your design.
Logs ship kiln-dried but unfinished. Stain and sealer are applied to the assembled walls after construction — that sequence speeds the build and lets the finish properly protect the home once it's standing.
We stock high-quality stains in a range of colors that complement our log profiles, plus Perma-Chink maintenance supplies. Call for samples or recommendations based on where your home is going up.
Half-log siding gives you the look of a solid log home without building one from scratch. Our siding matches our full-log profiles exactly, so the result reads as a true log home from the curb. It can be used on:
It's a popular option for renovations and for hybrid plans that mix log walls in featured areas with conventional walls elsewhere.
Solid, full-round, kiln-dried Michigan pine in 8″, 10″, 12″, and 14″ diameters. The 8″ and 10″ pine log is our standard for homes.
Yes — every Beaver log home needs a strong, durable base. A proper foundation gives the wall system a stable platform and protects the home from soil subsidence (the ground gradually shifting away from the structure over time).
Most American log cabin foundations use some form of concrete — poured, block, or precast. Common foundation types include:
Your site, soil, floor plan, and budget will dictate which is right. The foundation itself is outside our package, but we'll coordinate dimensions with your foundation contractor so the log walls land exactly where they should.
Yes — solid-log walls are exceptionally strong, often stronger than conventional framed walls. Our logs are dense, kiln-dried Michigan pine, and they're totally solid — no veneer, no hollow cores. That mass is much of what makes log walls hold up the way they do.
Strength in our system comes from the engineering at every joint:
The result is a wall that's weather-tight, structurally redundant, and built to last for generations. That's why we say: built once, enjoyed for generations.
Still Have Questions?
Every project is different. If your situation isn't covered above, give us a call and we'll walk through it with you. There's no obligation and no pressure — just plain answers from people who've been doing this for over 60 years.