Anyone know the most cost effective way to build a hunting cabin? I am looking at the options for building vs buying one that is at least 16x24, but would prefer 24x24. I was looking at pricing out building it with a porch and it came in around 8-9k, but that is with using 2x10's and 2x8's and, essentially, making it strong as hell and with a restroom.
I was just curious what you all used to keep the costs down.

Thanks!

oh, and I have to make this a liiiittle nice so the wife and small kids can come and enjoy it too, so adding a windows AC/heater

Russ

Have you priced a prefabbed metal building and finishing out the inside?

good thin about them is once they are complete there is very little up keep

I have not. I was going to swing by a place or two that had pre-fab'd buildings. I saw some sort of "lease to own no credit check" type sign before.

I'd be good with one of those, I just did not like the ones I saw in pictures as they all looked so darn narrow.. heh

R

I built a 24x24 ft cabin on our land in Bluff Dale,2x6 floor joists on 18" centers,concrete block footings,3/4 decking with oak hardwood floors,hardiboard siding, and high pitched Mueller metal roof(UT orange of course)with cedar posts cut off the land.It ended up costing more than ametal building but it is a true "home",pot belly stove ,window unit air set up high over the refrigerator.If I knew how to post pics I would .Just be sure to make the bathroom big, 8x9 is ours,and corner mount glass shower enclosure.My Wife absolutely loves "our cabin",deer heads and all.

What was your cost?

2X6 floor joist, 4X8X3/4 subfloor, lots of concrete block under the floor joist every 6'. 2X4 studs 24" on center wall frame, no bottom plate, single 2X4 top plate, stack frame 2X6 rafters on same lay out as wall studs. Collar tie each rafter will eliminate ceiling joist. 7/16 osb walls and 7/16 tech shield deck, asphalt shingle roof. Heavy primer and heavy paint the exterior. OSB takes care of all the wind brace needs. Good primer and paint on the OSB exterior maintained fresh will last many years. Insulate int. walls and ceiling optional, batt ceilings,walls, plastic net "common insulation product" paint batts no paneling needed. All 24" O.C.

Webe, you sir...rock, in a major way :p

Thank you very much! I am pretty handy with building, but I ALWAYS over-compensate for strength. I had 2x8's on the floor all the way with 18" joists etc. The price went from 2500 to 8600 with everything I had. I just needed confirmation that I could ease up a little and still have a strong cabin.

Russ

Bowtech,we splurged on some things like the Mueller roof and 3/4 oak hardwood but I believe probably spent about 20K,that includes septic(250galPlastic tank from tractor supply)water softener,also added a back porch shed for water heater,softener,tools etc.That came in real handy when I had a pipe burst last week,I cut off supply line but didnt open all faucets,all the water did was drain out to the ground and not in the house,thank goodness.

I forgot to add,we used solar shield OSB and taped all the joints with aluminum tape,now its like a giant baked potato,once it gets warm it stays warm,even in the Texas heat with just the one window unit it gets really cold,. brrr

I forgot to add,we used solar shield OSB and taped all the joints with aluminum tape,now its like a giant baked potato,once it gets warm it stays warm,even in the Texas heat with just the one window unit it gets really cold,. brrr

I normally design the plans etc myself, but I may break down and buy a set of plans with a material list off the internet because I generally spend more than the cost of the plans getting stuff I forgot to add in :p

I just have to find the right plans. I hate the 14' wide cabins, they are too narrow for my tastes. I want to at least make a 24x20, or 24x24 cabin and then a 24x12 covered porch onto it.

I'll see if someone can make a set of plans custom.

R

we used lumber seconds and construction leftovers for floor and walls , new for roof , it was 16x 24 with a 6 ft covered porch had less than a grand in it all

Very nice! Pictures or it didn't happen !

R

Hey,

If I spend 8k on this cabin, but it is not anchored, what might it do to my ag exempt tax rate? I mean, if I end up having to pay 300 a month in taxes because I "build a house".. heh.. that might make me rethink all this :p

How do you all get around the tax hikes of building a cabin? grin

we are having to move the travel trailers off of our lease for the tax people in Delta county so they are not taxable on ag land

I will see about pics , the Uncle bulldozed it to build a house in the same spot , or so he says . I think it was a ploy to keep me from going to the land up in Montague county to hunt and hang out .

Well, no way I can move the house without a major major ordeal.. so I guess I will get taxed on it I will have to see how long till they figure it is out there I guess.. heh

R

the cabin we built in Montague was not visable from the road and never got noticed I guess , never heard about any tax changes due to it being there , it was there over 15 years

Service Directory back page of the DMN...built on site...214-557-6417....12x16-$1995.00 12x24-$2595.00 16x32-$3995.00 20x40-$5995.00 and 24x28-7995.00....Good Luck

Cool beans, thanks!

It doesn't take them long. Our house isn't technically complete yet. We've been using it, but the builder still has some punch list items that he'll complete next week. The county tax guy came by a few weeks ago, unnanounced. My father-in-law was out on the ranch and drove up to find him walking around the outside of the house checking things out. And they let him in... I told them they should have told him it was a big, empty metal building used for equipment storage... Sort of looks like it. Likely the Dish gave that story away, though.

Google amazing buildings. The guys name is Rodney. His crew drove to Ozona and built a cabin for us for 4,200.00 and it was a 16x32. Now it was only a a shell with studded walls and 50yr siding and we did all the finish out, but we could not be happier. P/m me and i will send you some pics.

Very nice buildings. Thanks for the info!

R

I have some friends that bought a cargo shipping container and renovated it. They added a bunch of extras for the same reason, wife and kids. The container was delivered on site and they worked weekends on it. Took em no time and they did a top notch job. You can store everything in it when you leave and the cages they built around windows and window unit make it inpenetrable by people who shouldnt be in there. Good luck.

I have seen that before. What I am thinking I am going to do is this: We have been given a 30ft travel trailer in very good condition, only about 4 years old. We are going to have the road and pad area dozed out and then use the trailer for a few months, so we can get and do the kind and size place we want, and get the wildlife exemption going and set in place solidly, no sense doing all that at once, it would strain finances and the wife.. heh.

Then we will add the electricity and the water well. THEN, we will build the house.

I am also considering a metal building, since we are waiting anyway. They are/can be like 14ft tall and finished out all sorts of ways plus a really nice loft.

Just an idea.

The water and electricity can hook up to the trailer, in the meantime, and really add value to the property AND, maybe help pay for the cabin if we are able to share the costs.

R