Log Home Square Footage | Timber Frame Size

How Can I Change a Floor Plan to Meet My Square Footage Needs?

Everyone has different needs and wants when they start to design their custom mountain style home. The number of bedrooms, levels, specialty rooms, size & slope of property, and turnkey budget are all determining factors for the final size and layout of your custom log home or timber home design.

Our floor plans featured in our timber & log home plan gallery are simply starting points. Work with your Mountain Architects designer to modify one of our plans or design a home from scratch to meet your specific needs.

Modifying a floor plan by size can be done in conjunction with other modifications to product, complexity and level of finishes.

Below are just a few examples of how some of our clients have modified a plan's layout to meet their goals.

The Value of a Basement

Basements can be an inexpensive way to add livable space to your home.

Example: Our Alderbrook design was drawn with a basement of 1,347 sq.ft. The estimated turnkey cost of this plan, as drawn, is $530,000. If you were to remove the basement, the estimated turnkey cost would be about $453,000.

By including the basement we are able to increase total square footage by more than 70% while approximate turnkey price is only increased by 15%.

The price per square foot is approximately $240 without a basement, but changes to an overall average of $164 per square foot when a basement is added. This example illustrates how adding a basement is a great way to add affordable livable square footage to your home.

Minor Plan Alteration

In this version of the Winter Park log home plan, the client wanted the master bedroom to be on the main level, so they moved the master suite to the first floor and the two other bedrooms to the 2nd floor with the loft.

Winter Park Log Home Plan Winter Park Altered Bedrooms

» 2nd floor comparison

Modifying to Fit Needs and Location

Blue Ridge Floor Plan Modified Rendering Modified from a milled log home into a timber frame home, this version of the Blue Ridge remains true to its original design in the great room, dining room, kitchen, entry porch and nook .

Alterations to this Blue Ridge design were made to accommodate the client's aesthetic preferences, budget and build site.

Modifications include:

The original plan was drawn with a tri-level first floor. Since this layout did not fit this client's property, the main floor was converted into a single level.
The guest suite which was a half level higher than the master suite has been removed.
The bedrooms, laundry and powder room that were on the back side of the house were switched with the garage. Now the garage is located on the back side of the house.
A wine room was added and the laundry room was enlarged.
Two screened-in porches replaced the covered porches.

» Main Level Floor Plan Comparison

Distributing Square Feet in a Design

Crested Butte Original Log and Timber Rendering Crested Butte Altered Rendering

The Crested Butte is one of our most popular designs and has been modified many times in many ways. In this particular example, the client wanted to add a room above the garage, but did not want this increase in square footage to put them over their budget. Here is how Mountain Architects met their needs:

In this example, Mountain Architects:

Moved the garage from the right front side of the plan to the left front.
Removed the nook, redesigned the laundry area and pulled the dining room in, reducing corners.
Added a bonus room above the garage.

» Main Level Floor Plan Comparison

Mountain Architects was able to make these alterations without loosing the original concept of the Crested Butte design, which so many of our clients love.

With these modifications the main level plan went from 2,418 sq.ft. to 2,202sq.ft This change in size and complexity decreased the turnkey estimate enough for the client to add the bonus room above the garage.

How else can I modify my timber or log home plan?