{"id":196,"date":"2017-03-12T22:04:05","date_gmt":"2017-03-12T22:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=196"},"modified":"2025-07-01T15:36:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T15:36:44","slug":"kit-houses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/kit-houses\/","title":{"rendered":"Kit Houses"},"content":{"rendered":"

A modular home is built in a factory, then delivered complete or nearly complete. A kit house is delivered as materials on a truck.<\/p>\n

Advantage<\/h2>\n

A big advantage of Kit Houses is; you know what your costs are up front. Depending on the company, for a fixed price, you may get everything you need to build the house, except the foundation. All you provide is the labor.<\/p>\n

Different companies offer different kinds of kits. It is hard to compare, because there are so many variations in what you get in your kit.<\/p>\n

Cut-to-Fit or Not Cut-to-Fit<\/h2>\n

If the kit is Cut-to-Fit, the lumber is pre-cut, numbered and marked. Much of the job can be assembled without measuring and cutting. If it is not Cut-to-Fit, the materials are provided, but the builder measures and cuts. Some kits even come with\u00a0 parts pre-assembled.<\/p>\n

What’s Included?<\/h2>\n

Kit House companies order materials in bulk. They can sell to you at a lower price and still make a profit. Some kit houses include everything, even the electrical and plumbing materials. You can assemble your house yourself or hire a local contractor. But what is included varies a LOT!<\/p>\n

Just Logs<\/h3>\n

Some log home kits just provide the logs. Often they are pre-cut and pre-notched to be ready to assemble. But there is still a lot of work left to do. They include plans with a complete materials list, to help calculate the costs up front.<\/p>\n

My log cabin was a kit house. I was not the builder, so I don\u2019t know what was included. I know the builder. He was in his 20s when he and his friends put my house together in the late 1980s.<\/p>\n

Most Materials<\/h3>\n
\"Connor
Connor Construction house kits are delivered partially assembled by flatbed trailer or factory owned trucks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Connor Construction<\/strong> says, \u201cEverything to complete the exterior of the home is included with the shell except finished roofing materials, doors, decks or porches and a small amount of exterior trim.\u201d
\n\u201cA 40,000.00 shell will usually cost another 40,000.00 to finish.\u00a0 Not including the foundation, grading, septic tank, utility hook ups, porches or decks. (cost may vary from state to state) Any work performed by homeowner will reduce total price per square foot.\u201d
\nTheir kits do not include foundation, small amount of exterior trim (facia and corners), last run of OSB roof decking on each side of roof, finished roofing materials (shingles or metal), decks or porches, stairs and interior studding, plumbing and electrical, between studding and rafter insulation, interior walls ceiling and floor coverings, cabinets, heating and air, interior finishing or exterior staining.
\nwww.octagonhomes.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Everything but the Foundation<\/h3>\n

Amish Made Cabins<\/strong> sells ready-to-build kits that have everything. The roof, stain, windows doors and instructions. They say you only need these tools; cordless screw driver, circular saw, level, utility knife, tape measure, step ladder, hammer, caulking gun, pencil, inexpensive sprayer.
\nAll you need to provide is the foundation.
\nwww.amishmadecabins.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Lowes used to sell Katrina Cottages as a kit. You chose your plans and it came with instructions and all the lumber needed to build it. They weren\u2019t pre-cut. And they are discontinued. So, it doesn’t matter.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kit House #52
Sears Modern Home Catalog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kit Houses Aren’t New<\/h2>\n

Kit houses, also called mill-cut houses, pre-cut houses, ready-cut houses, mail order homes, or catalog homes aren\u2019t new. There were a lot of companies making them over 100 years ago. They were sold in the Sears catalog. You can find a lot of these plans on-line, but they really aren\u2019t practical. Many of them have no closets, even no bathroom! The ones that have bathrooms are scaled to the large old bath tubs.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kit House #52 Floor Plans
Sears Modern Home Catalog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Kit House #52
Sears Modern Home Catalog
First Floor Plan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Kit House #52
Sears Modern Home Catalog
Second Floor Plan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A modular home is built in a factory, then delivered complete or nearly complete. A kit house is delivered as materials on a truck. Advantage A big advantage of Kit Houses is; you know what your costs are up front. Depending on the company, for …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":84,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,32,12,1,66],"tags":[79,54,14],"class_list":["post-196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-log-cabin","category-modular","category-new-cottage","category-research","category-small-house-kits","tag-cabin-shell","tag-kit-house","tag-log-cabin"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/meadowbrook_cabin.jpg?fit=760%2C400&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8310,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/complete-cabin-kit-from-deer-run-cabins-only-33000\/","url_meta":{"origin":196,"position":0},"title":"Complete Cabin from Deer Run Cabins Only $33,000","author":"Carla","date":"March 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This just showed up on Facebook, a complete log cabin delivered to your land for only $33,000. Check This Out \ud83d\udcaf This Completely Built Cabin Can Be Shipped Immediately To Your Land At A Discounted Price. This 14' x 28' unit with 392 Square Feet, One Bedroom, One Bathroom, Loft\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "House Plans"","block_context":{"text":"House Plans","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/house-plans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Deer Run Cabins Discount Complete Cabin Kit","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/featured-deer_run-14x28_elk.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/featured-deer_run-14x28_elk.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/featured-deer_run-14x28_elk.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/featured-deer_run-14x28_elk.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15646,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2025\/03\/panelized-home-kits\/","url_meta":{"origin":196,"position":1},"title":"Panelized Home Kits","author":"Carla","date":"March 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Panelized Home Kits kind of split the difference between a stick-built home, a house kit, and a modular home. When you build a standard, stick-built home, your house plan will probably come with a materials list; a comprehensive inventory of what you will need to build the house. It will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","block_context":{"text":"Research","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/featured-redstone.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/featured-redstone.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/featured-redstone.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/featured-redstone.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15719,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2025\/03\/buy-a-log-cabin-kit-for-the-balance-owed\/","url_meta":{"origin":196,"position":2},"title":"Buy a Log Cabin Kit for the Balance Owed","author":"Carla","date":"March 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"What happens when someone makes a deposit, then plans change and they don\u2019t want their log cabin kit? You can buy it for the balance owed. A kit to build a little 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath cabin is only $14,500. The listing I found on Facebook Marketplace is a 3-bedroom\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Log Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Log Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/log-cabin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/featured-american_log_homes-kit-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/featured-american_log_homes-kit-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/featured-american_log_homes-kit-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/featured-american_log_homes-kit-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6846,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/11-x-36-diy-park-model-log-cabin-kit-for-11900\/","url_meta":{"origin":196,"position":3},"title":"11\u2019 x 36\u2019 DIY Park Model Log Cabin Kit for $11,900","author":"Carla","date":"December 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This 11\u2019 x 36\u2019 DIY Park Model Log Cabin Kit showed up in my Facebook Marketplace feed. It comes with all the logs and everything else you need to build this log cabin. It is currently on Facebook Marketplace: www.facebook.com\/marketplace\/item\/413448752862347\/ Logs screws log gaskets 2x4 Tongue and Groove Roofing Flooring\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Log Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Log Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/log-cabin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Park model log cabin from Avery Cabin Co ready to be delivered","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/featured-modular_log_cabin-2.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/featured-modular_log_cabin-2.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/featured-modular_log_cabin-2.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/featured-modular_log_cabin-2.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3878,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/modular-log-cabin-on-ebay\/","url_meta":{"origin":196,"position":4},"title":"Modular Log Cabin on eBay","author":"Carla","date":"February 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is another log cabin you can get on eBay. This is the White Tail Cabin, made by Deer Run Cabins in Campbellsville, Kentucky. They sell modular cabins and cabin kits. You can order a modular cabin complete, with kitchen, bathroom, hot water heater and anything else. You can order\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "House Plans"","block_context":{"text":"House Plans","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/house-plans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"White Tail Log Cabin \u2013 Project Small House","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/featured_image-White-Tail.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/featured_image-White-Tail.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/featured_image-White-Tail.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/featured_image-White-Tail.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10997,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/ez-log-structures-do-it-yourself-log-cabin-kits\/","url_meta":{"origin":196,"position":5},"title":"EZ Log Structures Do-It-Yourself Log Cabin Kits","author":"Carla","date":"October 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you seen these log cabin kits? This DIY log cabin has shown up a few times. This time it was on one of the Facebook garage sale sites I follow. 1 Bed 1 Bath \u2013 House $35,089 Franklin, NC We offer complete log home packages ranging from 1-4 bedroom\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Log Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Log Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/log-cabin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"EZ Log Structures Do-It-Yourself Log Cabin Kits","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/featured-ezlogstructures.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/featured-ezlogstructures.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/featured-ezlogstructures.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/featured-ezlogstructures.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":202,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions\/202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}