Alabama land owners with a deed are allowed to build their own house and I’m thinking about tackling this project.
I’m researching building my own cabin on a small scale and simple design. This is just my infancy stage of gathering information.
I can’t physically do the work but I can hire subs as employees.
Are any of you contractors or builders?
I’m sure to have lots of questions.
I have a cousin that does this for a living but we are up here in VA. I think he used to sell and install log homes.
So basically, you want to act as your own contractor? I did this 22 years ago for the home we still live in. We built a custom, 2,300 SF home for right at $100,000. I contracted out the foundation, framing, roofing/siding, sheetrock, insulation and plumbing. I did the electrical, all wood/tile floors and bathrooms, trim carpentry and painting. You can save a ton of money and usually do it better than someone you pay to do it. Doing this got us into a house we could not have afforded otherwise, and it was completely paid for in less than 12 years.
It wasn’t easy but, it was worth it.
God’s speed and best wishes on doing this. I’m a bit envious, having wanted to build my own cabin for the last 20 years.
Well it’s just in my head at the moment but at least I’ve bought the land
It’s land locked at the moment but I hope to have a easement in 3-6 months 
@AZ_Joe
You may recall my eldest son reclaimed a old share cropper’s cabin? It turned out amazing with the vertical poplar and cedar posts until the carpenter bees showed up! Any exposed horizontal wood they bore holes, laid their larvae and then the woodpeckers came to feed on them. Traps did ok but not to his liking nor mine. He got some nice rustic looking vinyl soffit for both porches. Before that it would look like sawdust on the floors of the porches. Now the moles have moved in on the property.
That’s a beautiful cabin and I always enjoy seeing your pictures.
Those bees eat into everything. A friend of mine put up some glass jar traps and it seemed to work, or definitely helped. I’m assuming you tried the same.
Hopefully the vinyl will run them off.
Did you get your easement brother?
Thanks for asking brother.
Not yet!
We have a new court date in 2 weeks.
My brother and I used garden sprayers and sprayed all of his exposed treated lumber underneath his lean to shed with diesel fuel. Diesel fuel is not like gas and will not explode from the fumes. You have very little chance of it catching on fire but the diesel fuel leaves gas and oil residue on the lumber that the carpenter bees do not like it at all.
Maybe I’ll start soliciting for volunteers to come down to Alabama and help out with the build once I get the easement 
How flamable is the residue 24-72 hours after application?
I have a buddy in a high forest fire zone.
Not much at all. Most treated lumber starts to dry out pretty quickly if it is in a location with hot summers. The lumber in my brothers case did a pretty good job of absorbing some of the diesel fuel which is what you really want it to do. Diesel fuel is actually a little hard to burn until it gets heated up some. Any fuel residue on the ground isn’t a bad thing either if you have a sand floor instead of concrete. The diesel actually does some of the same thing in repelling some insects. If you want to add a little more oil to the diesel you can. The oil makes diesel harder to burn until it is heated up.If you have existing holes in the lumber you can spray directly into them. When we did if there was a bee in the hole they came out pretty quickly. The oil makes it harder for them to fly if they get a good spray.
Well good news to share about my property. After going round and round trying to get legal access to land locked property we finally have a legal easement after three years and 8 months!
Signed all the finalizing paperwork this morning, my attorney cut a check and everything will be filed with the County courthouse in the morning.
I had to compensate the easement land owner for the fair market value of his property (just to use his existing dirt road) and had to make some temporary concessions in order to get it done, but nothing that I can’t live with.
Blessed for this next chapter in my life to start 
We still have a long road to go because I’m broke, so right now it’s not going to be my dream cabin but at least I’ll be sitting in the middle of 20 acres of woods.
A lot of work ahead to cut in a road and make a clearing for our camper, trenching and running a water line.
Getting the power company out to do their thing.
Making sure the soil will perc for a septic system ect ect.
I am glad that things are moving foward. It is fun but at the same time a pain in the butt and tiring to deal with. I hope that things go a lot smoother now than everything that you have been through. I don’t remember you saying but did your other property with your brother ever sell?
Thanks Greg, my hopes as well.
@1911
I’m going to question if you have brain fog or not because you don’t forget anything 
No sir the 2 properties my brother and I own in Savannah have just been listed with a new agent.
We had a contract on one of the pieces but it fell through for the buyers due to zoning for what they wanted to use it for.
BUT fingers crossed one or both of them sell in the very near future, I could certainly use the funds.
I will add that to my prayer list for you. I know you have been waiting for a couple of years to get to the point where you can build due to circumstances that you can’t control. In the end it will all be worth it. I know that you, Shelia snd Shelby will really enjoy finally being on your own land.
Thanks brother @1911
So happy for y’all! Long time waiting brother.
