Getting Started

Your Vision

You have decided to build a new Timber Frame home. Great!  There are a few things that you need to have before you invest funds and begin the process by entering into a design agreement with a timber frame company or an architectural firm. Being organized will make the process smoother and will save you time and money.

• You have or are in the process of acquiring land
• You have ideas on style and layout
• You have decided what size you would like your home to be (Square footage of living space)
• You have determined a budget after meeting with financial professionals
• You have an idea of when you want to move into your new home

Try to start the design process one year before you intend to break ground on your project. Manufacturers and builders may be booked for 3-12 months or more. The actual building of your new home should take around five to six months on average if you hire a general contractor or builder.

Timber frame homes at this time can have completed costs (depending on the local economy) ranging from under $150 to over $200 per square foot. If you plan on hiring a local general contractor, interview three to five contractors and ask them all what local conventional construction costs are per square foot. Timber frame homes may cost 5%-10% more then conventionally constructed homes. Please remember that Hampshire Timber Frame homes are built to be lived in for hundreds of years, not dozens.

Design

Probably the most important decision is going to be your first decision, Who is going to design your home? Architects are fine, but tend to be a lot more expensive and most are not familiar with timber framing and need to be educated thoroughly. Even though most timber frame companies have in-house design services, you may end up working with a person who is not an Architectural Designer. They may be a “Salesperson”, “Project coordinator”, “Project manager”, “Draftsman”, etc. It is preferable to team up with an experienced architectural designer.

Hampshire Timber Frame's architectural designer is Dana Roberts. Dana has designed over 360 timber frame homes in the last 24 years. Dana will work one on one with you to make your ideas work. Dana has a reputation for taking on projects no one else will, and continues to be the first choice for new timber frame home owners. Dana and his staff also specializes in downsizing and retirement home design. They will help you get the most out of every square foot and will always keep your wants, needs and ideas in the forefront.

OK. If you are considering entering into a design agreement with a timber frame/post & beam company. Here are a few important questions you need to ask.

1. Is your company a timber frame company or a post & beam company?
2. What are the differences between timber frame and post & beam homes?
3. Do you hand cut or machine cut the timbers?
4. Can you tell me about the joinery you use and the sizes of the timbers?
5. Do the same craftsman that will cut my timber frame come to my site to raise the frame and install the structural insulated panels (SIPS)?
6. Who will I be working with in the design of my new home?
7. What are the designer’s qualifications?
8. Will my design deposit funds be credited to the package contract?
9. Will you sign off on the copyright of the plans free of charge if I choose not to purchase your package? (This is extremely important!)
10. What makes your company better then all the other companies?

For a more complete list of questions on what to ask a timber frame company, please contact us by phone or email at your convenience.

The initial design that you will be working on with your designer is called a "Preliminary Set of Plans" This set of plans should include all the floor plans, all four (4) elevations and a section drawing displaying the stairways if any, the foundation, floor, wall, roof and overhang details. This set of plans normally is all you will need to receive bids and apply for financing and permits.

Timber Frame Companies

Every Timber Frame company says that they have the best products and services and that you should pick them to work with. OK. So how do you choose your Timber Frame Company? There are phone calls to make, emails to send, meetings to have and maybe some homes to visit. A good place to start gathering information is in trade magazines like "Timber Home Living", the internet and at log home and timber frame trade shows.

These resources will help you develop a list of potential companies to work with. You should contact each company and talk with whomever you will be working with throughout the project. This will give you a sense if they are “on the same page” as you, have the knowledge and experience you require and will be pleasant to work with.

After talking with many companies, you should be getting pretty good at the interviewing process. You may want to call more than once with questions, concerns and to ascertain if they are truly interested in your project. Please check out their policies, products and timber frame joinery details/quality completely.

Ask what makes their company better than all the other companies. If you have sketches or are considering one of their standard designs, ask them to provide a quote. Inform them of the specifications you require that apply to the products that are included in their standard package. Reviewing the companies’ quotes will give you a good idea of their pricing as well as their organization. A well written quote should define each option completely, be well organized, easy to read, and have a fair price. Estimated costs for installation and trucking should also be included. After interacting with timber frame companies and evaluating their quality, prices and value, one company will stand out as being right for you. We hope that company is Hampshire Timber Frame.

 

Timber Frame Options

You should have choices of timber species, such as Douglas fir, Eastern White Pine, Hemlock or Oak and choices of timber surface finishes like rough sawn, hand hewn, or plained smooth to be coated with tung oil, stained to your liking or left to finish  yourself.  You should also have choices of timber edge finishes (chamfered edge). You may prefer a straight edge or a flat 45, or a 3/8” or 3/4” rounded bead chamfer, a hand drawn edge or a custom edge.

What about the design of the timber frame itself? Most of the time, the layout of the home will indicate what frame design works best. It may be a Common Rafter System or a Bent system with King Post Bents. You should always have the option of incorporating custom frame designs into your home. Please take the time to learn all you can about what it is that you are buying and are eventually going to live in.

These options will define the look and feel of your timber frame and your home. Your architectural designer should be able to explain what works and what doesn’t and why. The more you understand, the more comfortable you will feel and the closer the project will come to fulfilling your vision.

 

Interior Options

Most of the interior material options will be reviewed and supplied by your general contractor. Floor and wall finishes, moldings, stairways, cabinets and fixtures, doors and hardware are some of them. Some of the big ticket items like the heating/cooling system, plumbing and the electrical layout will need more attention. Since most timber frames are built with stress skin panel walls and roof, they tend to be very air tight, energy efficient homes. Therefore the heating/cooling system needs to be adjusted for a structure where the only thermal breaks tend to be windows and doors. Because of the tightness of these panelized homes, air exchanger systems are highly recommended. A humidifying system may also be needed for a few reasons. Humidity control will make the home more comfortable, healthier and will save you money on heating and cooling. Humidity control will also assist in the slow drying of the timbers. It is a good idea to review the electrical, telecommunications and audio/video wire layouts for every room of the home. The kitchen may be the most important electrical layout in the home since lighting and appliance locations help create a safe, efficient and enjoyable kitchen.

 

Exterior Options

The outside of your home will create the first impression for you each time you return home and for visitors. It is very important for you to have options of different sidings, trim, windows and roofing, in both material and style so you can create this first impression. The appearance of these options on your house can be represented on the drawings, but any maintenance they may require cannot. Therefore, learning about the warranties and the maintenance required on all your choices is necessary. Hampshire Timber Frame offers real cedar, hemlock or pine siding and trim, unfinished or pre-stained to your liking with stains that features a fifteen year warranty. We offer all siding styles such as clapboards, shingles, vertical tongue & groove, shiplap and board & batten siding. We also offer cement siding for humid climates in many different styles with a fifteen  warrantee as well.

 

Choosing a General Contractor (builder)

The general contractor does not have to have any experience with timber frames in order to finish one off. If you decide to hire a general contractor (GC) and not act as your own GC, you should obtain at least three estimates for your project. Contractors will require sets of plans for any in-depth project discussions and to develop the accurate price estimates for you. Their enthusiasm and confidence of being involved in the construction of a timber frame structure is very important. Try to hire a contractor who is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, is insured, has a stable business record, supplies you with a competitive bid, guarantees their work will be completed in a timely, efficient manner and who offers a warranty on both their building materials and craftsmanship. Try to review samples of their work and interview past clients to assess their level of satisfaction. Questions you may want to ask references include: Did they finish within budget and on time? Were there any surprises? How did they handle changes? Were they easy to work with? Would you use them again? Did they hire subcontractors? What didn’t you like about them? Scheduling may be an issue, so please discuss it with all parties involved.

 

Engineering Stamps and Local Building Departments

Contact your local building department and let them know your plans. Early contact will help keep the building process smooth and avoid surprises. They should inform you about all the code restrictions and ordinances you will have to comply with such as needing a registered structural engineer stamp on your drawings, property/lot setbacks, height restrictions, road closings, bridge weight loads. Review the building permit application for requirements, conditions and expiration. Ask what conditions need to be met to receive a certificate of occupancy as you may want to move in as soon as possible and perform some finishing labor yourself.

Ready to Build

Take your time. You will know when you are ready. And when you are, we hope to hear from you. Thanks.

Questions

Please contact Dana with any questions or concerns about any aspect of building your new home.