Sugarhouse Cost?

[sweetmusicj]

Hello everyone,

First post here so quick introduction:

I was fortunate enough to grow up next to my grandfather who had a couple hundred forested acres. When I was about 13 I convinced him to start making maple syrup with me (I even got out of school to attend a conference with him!). Well, college stopped the maple syrup collection and eventually I joined the military. Right now I'm loving life in the US Air Force, but am looking to move back home in a few years and continue to serve with the Guard/Reserve so my kids can enjoy the things I did such as hunting, fishing, and making maple syrup as well as the bad things like having the Vikings break your heart every year (ok, they do that even when I'm not back home). So, to suppliment my income back home I would like to build up to some serious tapping of maple trees eventually getting up to 1,000 taps (my grandfather estimates we could get that many out of his acreage). I bought the "big book" the Maple Syrup Producers Manual and have been reading that as well as this forum. I'm still going to serve in the active military for 3-4 years so I have a lot of time to read and study. I'm currently starting to compile cost estimates and utilizing the financial worksheet that the Maple Syrup Producers Manual has in the back.

Finally, to my Sugerhouse question; I have no experience in the construction trade(s) and have no idea how much a sugarhouse would cost to construct, considering a very simple structure to house a 40" x 10' evaporator.

I know that it all "depends", but was interested to hear how much your "basic" sugarhouses cost you to construct. I would build it with the help of friends. Even a simple range would help me out as I start to map out potential plans.

Thank you for any/all information and I'm sure I'll be posting more as I continue to research and develop a business plan.

[unc23win]

Well of course it is wide open there are so many ways to go. Key factors for most people involve the location. Can you get electric for decent cost? Can you have all your taps run to the sugarhouse or are you going to haul sap? I ran electric to mine which cost a bit but I won't have to haul one drop unless I get REAL big.

The material cost for building a basic functional sugarhouse aren't that high. I am currently building a 30x36 building concrete floor, steel roof, rough cut siding with brand new windows and doors and the total for materials is about $6500. Rough cut for the entire building was $513 from an Amish mill. So I am using some savings to do some insulating and few other extras to make it a little nicer cleaner environment.

It all depends on size and what extras you want and planning for expansion. Sharing more goals might help.

[maple flats]

While a 40" x 10' evaporator can be set in a smaller structure, I personally thing you would like it best if you build at least 20' x 30' for the sugarhouse. That being said, if you think the max. tap count will be in the 1000 tap range, a smaller evaporator will likely better suit you. Many producers do well over 1000 on a 2x6 up to a 3x8. Those doing it on smaller rigs use an RO (reverse Osmosis). With an RO you can remove a high % of the water before you send it to the pans. For example, most start running RO's to remove 75% of the water (2% sap becomes 8% concentrate). Then many graduate to 10-12 and even higher concentrates, because the RO takes so much of the work out but does not lose any flavor. Most RO's need a heated room, but a few smaller ones don't. While the RO uses electricity (on most, some are gas powered) it saves a lot of fuel in the evaporator, whether it be wood, gas, oil or other. About the only factor that might call for a larger evaporator rather than an RO is if you get free gas from an on farm gas well.
Even though I've given you same info, I won't dare price your sugarhouse. I built my own, from trees I logged and sawed. I made my own trusses and so forth. Basically the only things I bought was the concrete, plumbing, electrical, windows roofing, fasteners and hardware. My cost was mostly in sweat equity and as such I can't realistically price one for you. If you down size to a 2x6 the sugarhouse can be 16x24 and many do well even smaller. Some of the things you need to plan for after the evaporator are the filter, canner, finisher?, sink, bathroom?, and syrup sales area and storage (syrup and supplies)
I have a 3x8 on 1250 taps, with an RO that does 250 GPH, a filter press, a canner, 2 finishers, a micro-wave, a sink, storage shelves, surup shelves, sales counter, a wood rack and yes, I need bigger. I am now sawing lumber to add 360 SF more next summer and a cellar/cold storage of 140 SF. Using my RO I can grow to about 1500-1800 taps with my 3x8 and the time I have to boil. Then, rather than a larger evaporator, I'll get a faster RO, to concentrate faster and have time to go to a higher concentration. I now go anywhere from 8% to 14%, with a faster RO I may likely go in the 12-15% range (my RO does not do well over 15%, an RO that runs higher pressures will go to 20% and some go even higher.)

[sweetmusicj]

Thanks for the reply UNC. That info helps, since I'm so early in the process, I'm just getting a rough idea. I don't think it would be possible to run all the taps to the sugarhouse, so some hauling would be necessary. I have different options for location, so running electricity would vary upon where I decided to put it. I'll just estimate $7500 for now and revisit the idea once my plans become more concrete.

[sweetmusicj]

Maple Flats,

Thanks for the info. Well, the thinking with the larger 40" x 10' is that it would be possible down the road to tap additional maples on a geographically seperated plot (just about a 10 minute drive) that my family owns. If that expansion worked out, then I would buy the RO machine to expand and haul the sap to the original evaporator with the new RO. Being new to this, I don't know if that makes the best sense or not. Another factor in this that to start up I think a roadside stand would be ideal as the land adjoins a highway, so I don't know if I'd want my salesroom in the sugarhouse or not. I supposed I can picture in my head a place near the road that I could build a sugarhouse and haul all the sap up (because it's not at the bottom of the hill(s), it's at the top)...but that's something I'll have to think about and discuss with my old man who owns that land. Hmmm...now that I'm thinking about building it closer to the road it would be much easier access to electricity and it would look pretty neat to those who may want to exit the highway to purchase some syrup. The only downfall would be the hauling it up there and the fact that I'd be sugering next to a highway instead of the peaceful valley.

Thanks again!

[unc23win]

You are welcome there are many things to consider. I will add with mine the only rough cut will be the siding everything thing else trusses and framing is finished lumber. I also have one wall that is concrete block as I made mine like a bank barn so my tanks will sit above the sugarhouse without having to have them on a pedestal. If you build small build it so you can add on easily if you want to. Mine is built for lots of expansion. A much bigger evaporator will fit as well as a bigger RO. Maybe visit a sugarhouse or 2 and check out some pictures on here some have photobucket pictures.

As Flats mentioned an RO can allow for a smaller evaporator and that would allow for a smaller building. Also the amount of sap depends on vacuum or gravity. Most people plan for vacuum.

[sjdoyon]

We built our 24x32 sugarhouse three years ago with a concrete floor for a little less than $10,000. Of course we did all the work ourselves, did a trade with a local electrician for the electrical work to hook up the generator/vacuum pump and RO. Everyone on here will tell you to build your sugarhouse a little larger than you plan because you will need the room.

[Sugarmaker]

Hi,
Welcome and wishing you the best getting back into making syrup! Our sugarhouse has a room for the evaporator at 16 x 24 feet. (3 x 10 King evaporator) 10 x 24 wood shed, and 26 x 12 back room with loft for the elevated sap. Rough cut siding and framing on pressure treated poles. concrete floor, water, electric. I would estimate $15,000 and we did all the labor other than the concrete.
Regards.
Chris

[Sugarmaker]

Hope your kids enjoy making syrup as much as you did!
Regards.
Chris

[maple flats]

I think the formula for sugarhouse size is similar to barn sizes, What ever you think you need, double it and you'll then have half enough.

[Revi]

Ours cost less than $4000, but we had the wood milled out for it and it is about 16'x28' with a woodshed. And yes, it's too small, but due to site constraints it's as big as it will get now. We may put a few bump outs for tanks, etc, but the site won't allow for any more expansion.

[sweetmusicj]

Thanks again for all the info. It gives me some rough ideas of numbers to work with in my planning stages. What I lack in the construction trades experience hopefully I can make up with in experienced family and friends who like to be paid in beer (including my uncle who owns a sawmill...).

[maple flats]

Sawmills are a great asset. Then you can generally get good lumber at much cheaper prices. The trade off is that is is rough, the ends are not square and with many mills the dimensions tend to wander some. A good mill with a good operator will hold size well.

[cncaboose]

Our 20x20 sugarhouse plus 8x16 woodshed cost right about $5000 in 2006. That included paying for bulldozer work, crushed stone, and someone else to do a concrete floor. We bought all the materials from a local lumberyard, siding from an Amish sawmill, and built it ourselves.