Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about us or our custom log homes? No problem!
Our friendly Pioneer team is more than happy to answer any questions that you have! If you do not find the answers to your questions below, please contact us directly. We will gladly assist you and exceed all of your expectations.
Yes. All of our custom log homes can be customized using our standard floor plans as a starting point. By utilizing our incredible design team, clients can make changes and adjust design concepts to suit their own needs. You can also submit your own plans or plans from another company for us to build your very own world-class Pioneer Log Home.
It is very difficult to quote per square foot as there are so many variables which affect the cost of a handcrafted log home. Some of these variables include: log species, size of logs, the detail of the plan, the number of corners, the intricacy of the floor and roof system as well as any special feature or individual touches you might want to incorporate into your luxury log home. If you have an idea of the size or a rough plan of what you want, Pioneer Log Homes can provide you with an approximate price. Schedule a time to speak or meet with us to discuss your dreams and budget.
Typically, we use only one species in the construction of our log homes – Western Red Cedar which is selected and harvested in the forests of British Columbia. It is by far the best in terms of beauty, quality, and durability; it is also by far the best insulator and has the best in thermal quality. We do, however, sometimes use Douglas Fir as well as Yellow Cedar for structural floor and roof beams. The log species you end up building with, along with proper roof overhangs and foundation ensures your home will last for many generations, or even centuries! Some of our log homes in Europe have been engineered and rated by German Engineers to last up to 300 years.
It is very easy. Simply contact the closest Pioneer Log Homes distributor to where you are going to build your custom log home or contact Pioneer Log Homes head office. We will gladly assist you in the process. To start the planning stage, a deposit is required based on the square footage of your proposed plan. You then work directly with one member of the Pioneer design team to ensure your personal needs and desires are met to complete the preliminary plans. Once you approve your plans and sign off on them, the final set of construction plans are produced for you to take for engineering, permits and contractor pricing.
Often times we break the payments down into three equal payments during your log home construction process.
Generally, we only provide the log shell package which includes the log walls, log beams and posts to support the roof structure, the log floor joists to support the upstairs floor, a log staircase if required, and related hardware. However, Pioneer can assist with arranging for additional materials you may require in the finishing of your home such as dimensional lumber, stain, windows, doors and cabinets, etc.
The freight is usually a small portion of the overall expense of your luxury log home. All log shell packages are constructed in British Columbia, Canada so freight is definitely a factor in the cost of your home. For ease of our clients, we will usually quote your package with freight included and delivered to your building site. Our skilled crews then can work in conjunction with the freight company to unload the logs and re-erect your dream home.
Yes. We build structures for play houses, gazebos, barns, deer stands, carports, garages, gateways, malls, visitor centres, lodges, hotels, restaurants, and much more. If you can dream it we can build it! We have built the largest log structure in the world in Colorado, USA at 117,000 square feet.
To finance a custom log home is no different than a conventional stick frame home. There are some financial companies that we can assist you in contacting to help you with your log home financing.
We believe that Pioneer Log Homes of BC offers the most attractive and the most structurally sound product on the market. We have been constructing handcrafted log homes since 1973. Pioneer Log Homes not only has the expertise, but also the years of experience behind us. We pride ourselves in constructing only quality custom log homes with our signature details, and delivering this personalized structure to the homeowner, anywhere in the world. We emphasize the beauty of the natural wood and use each piece in the area of the house that best suits it. The uniqueness of our logs and the artistry of our craftsmen make us extremely proud, and the homeowner extremely happy!
There are basically three time phases in getting your custom log home to you. The first phase is the planning and design phase which varies, depending on the uniqueness and complexity of the project. Then you move into the construction phase – on average a 3,000 square foot home will take approximately 12 to 14 weeks to handcraft. The final stage is the fun stage for you the homeowner, when we erect the logs on your foundation, which usually takes 2 to 3 days. This timeline again depends on complexity of the project and logistics of the building site.
Most definitely! However, we call it crush and load due to the fact that our logs are seasoned. There is also a small amount of shrinkage in the wood fibres, and wood also does compress under load of the logs stacked above. At Pioneer Log Homes, all of our construction methods allow for the shrinkage of the logs as well as the crush and load and settling of the home itself. To ensure the least amount of movement we have all our logs rough peeled and air-dried on our site for approximately one year before we use them in construction. We have specialized methods of construction to allow for shrinkage over the doors, windows and with all the support posts in your home. We go over all of these procedures and methods with you during the planning and design phase. Pioneer’s own specific methods are proven with many decades of experience building our beautiful log and timber structures.
Yes. You can have us produce flat walls on the interior of your log home, however, a more pleasing and modern way of having flat walls and still have the log home feeling is to use the Log Post and Beam, Timber Frame or a Hybrid log construction system.
Our custom log homes are some of the most thermally and energy efficient log homes being built today. There are two factors that determine the R-value of logs that we use; the diameter and the species. The greater the diameter of the logs used to construct your home, the higher the R-value and thermal mass it provides. The cellular structure of the Western Red Cedar provides a better R-Value in comparison to any of the other log species. As a rule, the wood fibre that we use in our custom log homes is more energy efficient to heat and cool than a conventional stick frame home built with 2×6 studs and R19 insulation.
Please contact us with any other questions you may have.
