20% at time of sign up (Credit card, check, or wire transfers*)

20% when plans are provided

55% at the time of shipping

5% contingency when the project is completed.

* Wire transfer are inexpensive ($20 nationally) save a week or more and avoid the 1.8% credit card fee.  (Naturally we prefer that you pay by wire transfer).

The processing of your order begins immediately upon signing.  Our expenses are highest during the first few weeks after your order is place.  If you cancel before the design goes to the engineer the cancellation fee is 15% of the package total.  After the plan has been submitted to the engineer the cancellation fee is 20% of the package total.

We are proud to be able to customize our standard plans to fit your needs.  Once the package order has been placed, there may be a waiting period of one to two weeks while the drafting staff completes their previous projects.  After finalizing your floor plans and receipt of the homework form, drafting begins.

The expense of design, drafting, and engineering constitutes a large portion of the Uncle Howard’s Kit costs.  Changes made after the drafting phase has begun may have an additional charge added based on the difficulty of the change and the number of pages changed.  Design change costs will go up significantly when changes submitted after the plans have gone to the structural engineer. 

Designs that must show specific floor heating, sprinkler systems or items other than the foundation and simple shell may have an additional charge.

Your project is a substantial undertaking.  We at Uncle Howard’s will do our best to meet your schedule.  Uncle Howard’s make no promises as to the exact date your plans will be ready, your permit will be approved or your package will be shipped.  These dates are affected by the difficulty of your project, the design difficulty, design changes, the engineering work load, change orders, building department efficiency, work load, material delays and shipping delays. To avoid frustration please remember to allow time for these delays.  The biggest delay of all is usually the time waster before you finally make the decision to get started.

Uncle Howard’s is able to pay the delivery charges for many of our packages.  On some long distance packages the owner will be asked to share the cost.  The shared cost amount will be determined by the size of the package, the number of accessories and the distance shipped.  Your final shipping cost will be shown on your order form when ready for your signature.

Long distance shipments arrive on a truck with a 40 ft. flatbed trailer.  It is the owner’s responsibility to arrange for a forklift for off-loading.  Make sure the truck and trailer will clear any tight corners or obstacles or you will need to shuttle the load.

Local purchases and material substitutions may be required when backorders, shortages and excessive shipping costs occur.�Backorders, lumber take-off mistakes, shipping, breakage and carpenter mistakes do occur.�Any cost incurred is to be covered by the 5% contingency payment.�A material shortage caused by Uncle Howard’s omission will be purchased locally by Uncle Howard’s if it exceeds the 5% contingency amount.�The 5% contingency holdback payment (or its remainder) is due when the Uncle Howard’s package has been installed.�It is due no later than the time of framing inspection.

Uncle Howard’s has 39 years of building design and on-site building experience.�We recognize that each builder has a slightly different way of building.�Each builder is sure that “his way” is the best way.�We try to work with your builder to review the plans with an eye to “his way”. If your builder is unsure about the kits advantages, has installation questions or wants “his way” features, please feel free to have him call and discuss it with Uncle Howard.

Protecting your materials from the elements, direct sunlight and rain is the owner’s responsibility.  When one side of the wood is wet and the other side is dry, wood will warp or cup under direct sunlight or in a drying wind.  Glulamn beams will not distort.  Once installed and stained or painted it is unlikely to distort.  Large timbers and log posts will sometimes show splits. This is caused by the perimeter of the timber drying and shrinking at a faster rate than the core.  These splits add character and are seldom a strength issue. When tarping lumber, be sure to allow some air flow to prevent molding of wet wood.

Many of Uncle Howard’s packages are intended for present or future heated space use. For these packages Uncle Howard’s will help design your package to fit the window sizes you choose. Because of variation in colors, insulation values, wind strength, and the cost of shipping glass, Uncle Howard’s does not include or ship vinyl windows. We will, however, provide your supplier with the window dimensions we use to achieve the “classic barn look”.  Uncle Howard’s suggests recycling windows to add character and economy.

Uncle Howard’s does manufacture old style wood barn windows.  These windows are for use in unheated buildings such as garages and barns.  They have the old-fashioned small pane look. The lexan pane can be removed for ease of painting.  The lexan can, additionally, be used as a glass pattern if you wish to convert to real glass.  (Remember to follow tempered glass rules about proximity to doors and stairs when converting to glass). Accessory framing materials needed to frame for windows are included in our packages.  Uncle Howard’s also offers shutters for any size windows.  Shutters can be used for both security and decoration.  The average cost of a shutter set is approximately 70% of the window cost.  Although no barn or home is safe from a determined burglar, our sliding barn doors may be used to secure your glass patio door and glass loft doors.  Everyone’s idea of the best door locks vary.  For that reason Uncle Howard’s does not provide door locks except for stall doors.

Uncle Howard’s manufactures and provides stairways for loft barns.  We offer straight, ell shaped and U shaped (45 degree turns). 

There are two qualities offered:

1.      The less expensive Standard Stair, much like the house regular type stairs most builders install with notched 2”x12” lumber.

2.      The Barn Timber stairs built of heavier 2”x12”heavier timbers.

We provide a standard set of cedar handrails with a handgrip rail.  These may be modified on site to fit your needs.  The Standard Stair width is 39” with a 39” tread.  The Barn Timber stair can be 39” to 6’.  Our stair handrails are rustic and well suited for use in barns and garages but not for fine homes.