Q. What kinds of wood do you use?

A. Typically we use White Pine. 

It is readily available in Minnesota and is probably the least expensive of available wood species for this area.

There are of course other woods commonly used in timber frames, i.e., Douglas Fir which is shipped in, Oak which is significantly stronger but also heavier..

If there is a wood species you prefer, I'm sure we can find the necessary documentation to engineer a frame with it.

Q. How does a timber frame compare in price to a conventional home?

A. If both house were otherwise exactly the same. Our bids suggest the timber frame would cost basically what the frame costs raised on the site more than a stick frame.  In other words....if a house has a $50.0000.00 timber frame inside it..... that's how much more it would cost to build that exact same house vs stick built. There are some minor deductions that you would see like roof trusses etc. This is based upon "OUR" construction costs.   We know there are contractors who charge significantly more to build a timber frame then they would a similar stick built home. And there are "custom" home builders who charge more to imitate a timber frame than it would cost us to build you a one real one.

Q. What does a timber frame cost?

A. "What frame?".  The price from one frame to the next vary considerably.  Not to mention the cost of identical frames from one company to another.  The price is the sum total of the board footage required, the labor to cut/fabrictate the frame, and the type of finish and details requested and how much the company is putting in their pocket.  At a minimum a simple generic frame would cost about $35000.00 for a very simple 4 poster with no loft. If you add "bump outs" or connecting roof structures which require valley rafters, knee walls, hammer beams, structural trusses etc, the price can double or triple very quickly.

Q. What do Timber Frames cost per square foot?

A. I get this question a lot at shows.  It is a common means of estimating costs for stick built homes.   However for Timber Frames, it is in my opinion the worst possible means of determining the price for a home or who you should have build it.

Unless you have a very lengthy list of what is and is not included, a price per square foot for a timber frame is basically useless and often more deceiving than helpful.

For example on a 2500 sq. ft house if Company A tells you they charge $125.00 and omits $75,000.00 of expenses they know would be required to actually live in the house and Company B tells you they charge $150.00 per sq ft for the same house, but they include all of the minor materials and labor they know will be required to actually "finish" the house... then company B is actually less.

Unless you know what is and is not included you will have no way of knowing which contractor is giving you the best price.

The price most people really want to know anyway is.....WHAT WILL THIS HOUSE COST....DONE. As odd as it may seem...I don't get asked that very much.

Q.  Who should I buy my timber frame from?  

A. At a rate of $1.50 a mile delivery. You can ship a $75,000.00 frame from the pacific to the atlantic for about $4,500.00. So if by shopping around you find you can save $10,000.00 - $30,000.00 on the exact same frame..... It might be worth looking into.

But before you pick a timber frame company or a general contractor you need to ask these questions;

Is the company insured and what are they insured for?

What has the company made them themselves legally and financially liable for? VS What turns out to be...Just helpful advice? What do you have "in writing" that specifically tells you what you are getting, what you are paying for, and most importantly who is responsible.

What disclaimers are included in a companies standard contract.

What happens when the frame you bought doesn't fit the foundation your subcontrator poured?

In most cases... the timber frame company will have a signed contract which references a design drawing they provide to the customer for approval. It is unlikely that contract or the drawings will specifically state the frame will fit your foundation, only that the frame will be as per the frame companies contract and approved drawings. So who is responsible for ensuring it will fit?

What happens when the concrete subcontractor claims he poured it as per the drawings provided? But the frame doesn't fit? Or the SIPS don't fit?

What happens if the foundations/supports aren't "exactly" where the posts are or are missing all together?

Who ensures there are no floor truss or other obstructions between the posts and frame post supports?

Who provides the necessary dimensions for the SIPS company to PRE-CUT the SIPS panels. SIPS manufacturers will do exactly the same thing the frame company will do....They will provide the customer with a set of plans to approve. But, who ensures those SIPS designs will fit your house? or your frame? or your foundation?

Who ensures there isn't a post in the middle of your front door? and more importantly what happens if there is?

Who ensures the home you want to build will meet your local city, and state building requirements

Has the frame been engineered by a structural engineer?   Architectual engineers and Structural (civil) engineers are not the same. Your building inspector won't care what your architect said or your architects plans say, unless he is a certified structural engineer.

Who will raise the frame?  A team of professionals who are timber framers or someone who has never done it before?

Does the price include applicable state and local sales tax?.

Non-U.S. companies may not include or pay your local applicable sales tax.  They may not even tell you or make reference to issue of sales tax at all........  They do however, report who bought the frame and where it is being delivered to when it crosses customs.. And sooner or later your phone will ring and the state will want to know why the sales tax wasn't paid.

If you are buying a frame from outside the U.S. your legal costs to pursue a finacial loss will most likely exceed the cost of an average frame.      And they already know that.

If you buy a frame from outside the U.S. that company in most cases is restricted from performing ANY "construction related" tasks. They can't so much as pound a peg....let alone raise a frame. And they already know that too.....So how is that frame being raised?

Q. Who should I hire to build my Timber Frame?
A.  Without exception the contractor who builds your home is the single largest unknown as well as the single largest expense. I recommend hiring someone who has actually built more than one or two timber frame homes.   There is absolutely no comparison between building a conventionally "stick-built" home and a Timber Frame Home. From the initial design, footings/foundations, subfloors, mechanial, plumbing and electrical... Timber Frames and Stick Built Homes are two completely different homes. If the contractor you are thinking of using doesn't already know why......You don't need to ask any more questions....Find someone else.

Q. What kind of foundation can a timber frame be built on?
A. We have built homes "slab on grade",  on concrete block, and ICF concrete formed crawl spaces and basements.

Q. I want to build a timber frame.... Where do I start?

A. It helps if you already have some idea what you like and don't like. Look in magazines, libraries and the internet.   Anywhere you can find pictures of completed timber frames.  Find out what you like and put together a scrapbook of those ideas.  Have a basic idea of how the rooms should be associated with each other, ie, the dining room near the kitchen etc.

Then, find someone to design the house with your ideas in mind.   It is extremely important to hire someone who understands timber frames.   An inexperienced designer can literally add thousands of dollars to a project over and above what they charged in the first place and months of sorting out the final drawings to incorporate a frame. Not to mention increasing the possiblity of serious oversights and mistakes. It is not as simple as drawing a house and putting a frame inside it. The design process should INCLUDE the concept of the frame as the house is being designed.

Finally, have a budget number in mind for a completed home. The cost of down-sizing 3 - 4 times to meet a budget can get expensive. Everyone involved will have to redo whatever was done in the beginning. If the designer knows timber frames and knows your budget, they are much more likely to design a house that meets your needs and your budget the first time.

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS YOU HAVE WHEN BUILDING A TIMBER FRAME HOME ARE YOUR BLUEPRINTS.