The log home market

Recent industry surveys performed by the Log Home Living Association (Chantilly, VA) indicate the log and timber frame home industry is grabbing nearly 7% of the custom housing market, approaching nearly $1 billion in annual package sales.

In recent years, log home production has surged by 39% worldwide to 22,043 units from 15,854 between 1988 and 1996, according to the survey. Total industry sales figures (not adjusted for inflation) have risen more than 105% to $961.8 million a year from $467.9 million in 1988.

Today, about 90% of log homes built come from factories where manufacturers mill the logs and systematically design and engineer them to account for log shrinkage and other challenges in construction.

Roughly 325 log home systems manufacturers exist in the industry, versus 125 producers who create handcrafted log homes with hand-held tools.

From "Building Systems Magazine" May/June 2001

Editor's Note: You'll find 348 handcrafted log home builders in the
www.log-world.com directory (shows you how accurate surveys can be!).