Looking for Building Ideas: Kits and Pre-Fabs

Hey everyone. A friend of mine and I are looking to build a community on some land and we were hoping for some advice regarding the buildings. The idea is to first build a main communal space and then smaller, dispersed buildings throughout the property for individuals to live in. We're looking for buildings that can be insulated and can hold up to typical PNW weather (wind, rain, snow). The goal with the main building is to meet building codes for primary residency and appreciate the property value, but we're less concerned about permits for the other dwellings. We were thinking about cabins, yurts, tiny houses, or sheds, but are open to other ideas as well. These buildings don't have to be big, but we'd like for them to feel spacious by utilizing things like lofts or other similar ideas. We're looking for kits or pre-fabricated buildings. We are on a budget, but we also value quality, so we're trying to get the most bang for our buck. We were hoping for some leads on quality companies, or even specific buildings, that people have had success with.

When we wanted to have some buildings built we found a company that was advertising locally to build metal carports and other buildings.

I have lived in several areas and usually, these folks are readily available.  The company is not local though they travel to different areas of the state.

Since I am not familiar with what companies offer this service in the PNW I hesitate to offer names.

We were so happy with our first building that we had the same folks come out and build a second building.  After all these years I am still happy with the quality.

hi - i also love this idea of building out a kit, maybe doing some partially underground earthy stuff and then topping it off with a kit shed as like a sort of hat.

anywho i have looked into these quite a bit, they are available all over the country from different locales. so you may want to look in your local area, as those are the ones that will cheapest to ship/ some are made ready to plop down but only locally.
though in general this is the best company i have found, although they are new england based, they do ship the kits all across the country with a reasonable shipping rate -- https://jamaicacottageshop.com/jcs-models/smithaven/#select-type
is one of their best designs  imo
a couple of others
simple box shed roof -- https://jamaicacottageshop.com/jcs-models/shed-roof/
kind of a whimsical design -- https://jamaicacottageshop.com/jcs-models/writers-haven/

and some thing like this -- could be finished off to be more tiny house, less shed like-- but a solid basic designs -- https://jamaicacottageshop.com/shop/weekender-10x16-fully-assembled/

I've seen Jamaican Cottage Shop stuff before and it seems like they make some cool stuff. Thanks for confirming that they're a solid choice.

Ryan Grossenbacher wrote:I've seen Jamaican Cottage Shop stuff before and it seems like they make some cool stuff. Thanks for confirming that they're a solid choice.

i do think they are making some of the best ones in this tiny shed pre cut kit realm. i am just guessing but i think they are also milling their own lumber.

I've been talking with two companies who do dome kits. Neither are the geodesic variety.

https://www.dreamdomehomes.com does a conventional wood structure and buildout. They can provide the materials and you can build it or they will come build it. Good folks out of Georgia & Florida. Currently, their structures are only available in FL due to needing architectural plans approved. However, where I'm planning to build, that's not necessary. Check your state and Local Gov't sites for additional info.
Contact: Brandon

https://gaiadomesolutions.com does prefabbed panels that are palletized and delivered to the site. They really push Hempcrete, which I totally agree with. Similar to previous, you can build it or they can send people to do it for you. Based out of Florida, but is the US Rep for the Polish company that makes them.
Contact: Scott

Both have 2 base floor plans that you can choose from or you can do your own layout. Both have about a 2-3 month lead time from date of ordering. Both provide the basic house, doors & windows are not included, but they are cut and ready for them.

Either of them would be perfect for me.

Both seem to be pretty newish companies and are still getting their sea legs under them. I recommend patience.

I wonder if either of them would offer me a discount for doing marketing for them...?

And both offer a larger single family home as well as smaller "1 bedroom" units. In quotations because it doesn't even have to be an inhabited building and can be used for whatever.

Logan Melton wrote:I've been talking with two companies who do dome kits. Neither are the geodesic variety.

https://www.dreamdomehomes.com does a conventional wood structure and buildout. They can provide the materials and you can build it or they will come build it. Good folks out of Georgia & Florida. Currently, their structures are only available in FL due to needing architectural plans approved. However, where I'm planning to build, that's not necessary. Check your state and Local Gov't sites for additional info.
Contact: Brandon

https://gaiadomesolutions.com does prefabbed panels that are palletized and delivered to the site. They really push Hempcrete, which I totally agree with. Similar to previous, you can build it or they can send people to do it for you. Based out of Florida, but is the US Rep for the Polish company that makes them.
Contact: Scott

Both have 2 base floor plans that you can choose from or you can do your own layout. Both have about a 2-3 month lead time from date of ordering. Both provide the basic house, doors & windows are not included, but they are cut and ready for them.

Either of them would be perfect for me.

Both seem to be pretty newish companies and are still getting their sea legs under them. I recommend patience.

I wonder if either of them would offer me a discount for doing marketing for them...?

I like some of the kit houses you can get on Amazon. They are pretty cheap and easy to set up (4 people for 8 hours). I am not sure how finished they are on the inside, but with a sawmill bought on there as well, a person could conceivably get into a house for under $20,000 assuming they had the land.

Kit House

Ryan -

Knowing a little more about your situation and objectives might help.

One that has caught my eye is the cabin kit company Bunkie Life:
https://bunkielife.com/

Arkopia did a nice review of one of their kit builds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaiF-nAyZCw

Someone local to me is offering sauna kits made from cedar logs, also raised bed planters and other she-shed looking things, similarly constructed.  It's likely there are mills reasonably close to you which have the molding heads to profile local timbers to this shape.

For my current (in-process) shed build, I used a gambrel roof shed framing kit from EZ Builder:
https://ezbuilder.net/shop/ols/products/ezbuilder-instant-framer-kit-barn-style-shed-kit

All of the lumber, fasteners, insulation and roofing either have been or will be locally obtained (it's still a work in progress).

They also offer a standard double-pitch roof (by eye, about 4 in 12), but I wanted extra attic storage/loft space, and less flat-ish roof area for snow to accumulate on, so went with the gambrel style kit.

I dropped the joist/collar tie to the top of the studs to increase the attic space and give full sitting head room.

I am using 2x6 nominal lumber (with a fair bit of modifications), because I didn't trust the factory spec 2x4 framing.  Have you seen 2x4 studs lately?  Yikes!  Also, design snow loads are 80psf in my county and 100psf in the next county (the county line is a couple of miles from the shed, so...).  The 2x6 walls will allow me to put in 6" of roll insulation, walls and ceiling.  I am also extending the roof at the gable ends and eaves, and other stuff, so I am not hewing very close to the line drawn in the plans.

This 10'x16' shed will house a composting toilet and be cold storage for items at our lake lot, but I am looking ahead for it to be a bolt hole bunkie, if necessary.  It may also get pressed into service as a screen house cum summer kitchen in the future.

I wouldn't consider this a long life structure, though several decades seems a reasonable expectation if well made.  If I can figure out how to post a photo or two, I'll do so.

I don't know whether either of these ideas helps you.

For my purposes, I think I would have been money and time ahead to just make the truss plates from plywood, because of my many mods, but if you could live with the stock plans, the stamped steel truss brackets might be a good choice.

For more durable structures. you may be able to source proper log cabin kits (thicker walls then the Bunkie life type) locally or regionally.


Kevin

Check out Arched Steel cabins. Kitted gothic arches that go up quickly in a system of ribs reinforced by horizontally applied metal roofing running the length of the building. Integral insulation systems and several foundation systems. Gaining popularity, and from what I'm seeing acceptance with building officials.
I'm not an authority on buildings but they're straight forward and incorporate a system that's engineered to be quick, uniform in result and leaned toward owner builders.