Prefab Review

View Original

Best Prefab A-Frame House Kits

There are several reasons you might be interested in building a prefab a frame home using an a frame house kit. You could be a DIY-er who is looking for a cost effective way to build an a frame cabin. Or you could like the aesthetics of a frame houses and want to reduce your project’s build time and control costs. Or you might live in a hard-to-access location and a kit home lets you access the benefits of prefab construction without having to worry about how you will deliver an a frame modular home to your project site. 

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to build an a frame house, you might have a range of important questions. This includes how much do a frame house kits cost? How long does it take build a prefab a frame cabin? Or even where can I find a frame cabin kits for sale?

To help you find the best a frame house kit for your project and also answer your outstanding questions, we have put together a list of some of the most well known a frame kit home builders in the United States. The a frame kits for sale are delivered as flat packed panelized kits or materials kits which allows handy buyers the option to assemble the homes themselves.

Continue reading below for our list of the best A frame cabins and a frame kit homes. For more information on each company, follow the link associated with the company name for in-depth reviews and a list of their prefab house kits with prices.

Building a Home Using Prefab A-Frame House Kits & A Frame Cabin Kits

As you begin to move ahead in the process of building a prefab A-frame cabin, there are several important decisions you must make. And while one of the biggest (and most fun) is choosing a company & design for your future house, that is only one part of the project. Two other questions that you must be prepared to answer include "How will you pay for your A-frame house?” And, “How will you build your prefab A frame?”

Financing a Kit Home

While paying all-cash for your home kit and later the subsequent steps in the building process is an easy option, it is not realistic for many individuals. Luckily, you can often finance your a frame build using construction to permanent loans that allow for the financing of the home build in stages and later convert into a permanent loan with a similar structure to a mortgage. Some banks that specialize in financing prefab home builds include:

Building an A-Frame Home Using a Kit

Unlike building a modular a frame house (where unfortunately, there are no quality options that we know of), building an a frame house using a kit of materials, still requires a fair bit of on-site assembly. Additionally, as some of the options below only specialize in A frame home & kit plans, rather than selling a complete pack of building materials, there can be varying levels of complication depending on the company and method you choose.

  • Self-Built - This is an appealing option for skilled DIY-minded buyers. This can reduce project costs but includes increased work to secure permits, additional materials, and complete kit assembly

  • Local Labor Built - Using a local contractor or builder to assemble your home kit greatly reduces the stress of your project. They will complete all of the necessary steps in finishing your a-frame cabin. However, you still have to preform due-diligence identifying and screening potential options.

  • Site-Built Projects Managed by your Kit Seller - In some cases, like that of Den Outdoors, your kit designer & seller may offer project management services. This means that they assist with all steps of the project including permitting, finding a local contractor, and supervising project progress.

A Frame House Kits & A Frame Cabin Kits For Sale

Avrame Trio - A Frame House Kit

Avrame USA - A Frame House Kits

While Avrame is a European-based company, they opened a US office in Salt Lake City, Utah due to the growing popularity of a frame cabins and a frame houses in the United States. They focus exclusively on designing and selling structural framing kits for prefabricated a frame homes.

They currently offer 3 product lines, the Solo, Duo, and Trio. Their smallest model is the Solo 57 which has 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom and 140 square feet of living area. While this kit has a list price of just over $12,000, we estimate this a frame home to have turnkey costs starting at $85,000. On the other hand, their largest model, the Trio 150 can be designed with up to 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 1,600 square feet of space. This home kit starts at $69,700 but we estimate the total project costs for this a frame cabin to be closer to $500,000.

It is also worth noting that their a frame kit homes can be modified to include only structural materials or upgraded to include interior/exterior finishes. Additionally, DIY-inclined buyers can assemble the kits as a cost-saving measure.

Everywhere Ayfraym - A Frame Kit House

Everywhere - A Frame Home Kit

In the past, Everywhere only focused on developing building plans for a frame homes. Given the growing popularity of both prefab construction and a frame architecture, they have now begun selling a frame kit houses.

They now sell a building materials kit for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,700+ square foot cabin. Details are still limited about what the kit includes, though interested buyers can begin the process of working with Everywhere by reserving their Ayfraym home. Their home kit currently has a list price of $193,000 and an estimated completion time of 12-18 months.

Example of Work: Ayfraym


Backcountry Hut Company System 00 - A Frame Cabin Kit

Backcountry Hut Company - A Frame Cabin Kits

Backcountry Hut Company has 3 different prefab cabin kits, with their System 00 featuring an a frame design. Their larger cabin kits come with more modern designs and can be designed either as a smaller home with a loft or a larger house with an expanded living area.

All of their home kits are built using a kti of assembled materials purchased directly from Backcountry Hut Company. Their larger cabins are designed with a modular approach in mind and can be combined to provide for more living area

Example of Work: System 00



DC Structures - Prefab A Frame House Kits

DC Structures - Prefab A Frame House Kits

Unlike the other companies listed, DC Structures is a kit home builder that sells homes in a range of architectural styles. In addition to their home and barn kits, they also have 2 a frame house kits for sale. Their cabins come in several sizes ranging from 1 bedroom cabins to larger, 3 bedroom homes.

Their largest version, the Wallowa has a kit price of $208,000 and includes framing materials, door & windows, and other materials for the structure of the home.


Conclusion & Prefab A Frame Home Alternatives

Depending on your reasons for choosing to build an A frame house, the companies listed above could be sound options for your project. If after reading our list you are not convinced you have found the right builder for your project, there are some alternative options that you might want to consider.

Site Built A-Frame Homes

Den Outdoors offers a series of pre-designed A frame house plans that must be built by a local contractor. They also offer a “Built by Den” service which coordinates all stages of the build for customers, however, their modern cabins and a frame houses are still built on-site, by local labor.


Prefab Cabin Kits & Modular Cabins

Several companies specialize in building and selling prefabricated cabins to customers across the United States. At the higher end, companies like FabCab and StudioShed design and sell modern cabin kits consisting of flat-packed structural insulated panels (SIPs). For customers looking for a modular cabin, Wheelhouse sells a series of small square-footage homes.

Help With Your A Frame Home Kit Build

Whatever your reasons are for building a prefab A Frame kit house or a frame cabin kit, if you would like assistance, connect with a member of our prefab coaching team. There, we help you walk through the specifics of your project from identifying suitable land, to screening builders, and understanding the build timeline.

See this form in the original post