House Framing Packages

Types

• Kit home packages have materials in various stages of completion. Some packages may only include the materials to construct the basic exterior of the home, while others might include interior elements such as hardwood floors. The amount of building supplies included in a package helps determine the final cost of the home. As a rule of thumb, the price of the kit package represents about one-fourth to one-third of the final cost of constructing the home, according to "Mother Earth News" magazine.

Post and Beam

• Post-and-beam construction, which uses heavy timbers as the basic framing for the home, was once a common building method but was surpassed in the 20th century by stick framing. Kit manufacturers now offer packages for post-and-beam framed homes. These homes have no interior structural walls, which allows you a great deal of freedom when designing the layout of the house. This type of construction is challenging, however, and might take more time to complete than other packages.

Dome

• Dome kits make a good choice for the hands-on homeowner who wants to take a large role in constructing the house. The relative simplicity of the design allows a skilled amateur to build a house without much professional help, as long as she has a few friends to assist her. The individual pieces might come color-coded or numbered and fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Some parts of the home, however, such as the foundation, will still need the experience and skill of a contractor.

Panelized

• Panel home packages offer purchasers a kit with panels pre-assembled at the factory. The panels merely need to be fitted into place once they arrive at the site. In addition to the panels, the packages typically include roof trusses. A significant advantage of panel packages is the short amount of time required for framing. A small crew of professionals can usually assemble the basic exterior of a panel home in just a few days, achieving large savings on labor costs.