Seeking Advice: Sugar Shack Kit?

[Firestarter]

Hi everyone - longtime lurker first time poster.

I've been looking into making my own sugar house for a while - the last one my wife an I built got washed away in Irene and we havent gotten around to fixing everything else up yet, but i'd ideally like it to be in place for the season next year.

Ive been pricing out differnt options and I was wondering if anyone has had any good experiences iwth actually ordering a kit or a fully assembled sugarshack from jamaica cottage shop?

http://jamaicacottageshop.com/product-category/storage/homestead-farm/sugar-shack/

my father in law recommended them but he bought a shed from them, but its not exactly a shed. it looks nice enough and it might be cheaper (and easier) than just going in it myself.

Anyone have any thoughts?

[unc23win]

I'm not sure about that particular kit but I know people have used kits. From what I can see it looks like a good kit. It is all about meeting your needs. Obviously in most cases a kit saves time and maybe money as well. A well built structure is a well built structure kit or not. Plan for expansion.

[maplerookie]

it is a nice looking kit. I just wonder if it would be cheaper buying the plans and then have a lumber mill cut your lumber. add ons will cost you. i dont know about around your place , but I am always seeing windows going out in peoples trash. many are still useable. Something to consider at least. I would price it out with all options both ways. l

[GeneralStark]

Kits are generally good for saving time but 9 times out of 10, are not effective for saving money. Just comparing the cost of a couple of their "sugar shack" kits to the cost of the materials for the sugarhouse I built last winter, my 14 x 24 timber frame structure was considerably cheaper. I bought the timbers and cut the frame myself, had everything else milled on site from logs we cut, bought used windows and doors, used new timberlocks and decking screws, and metal roofing and fasteners all for under $3500. A 16x20 kit from the above builder is $11,632. But, there is the time factor, and I certainly have many 1000s$ of my time invested in this building.

Without knowing the specifics of your situation, like is this a 50 tap hobby operation or a 10,000 tap commercial operation we are talking about? What is your skill set? it is tough to say for sure if the kit is the best option.

[RC Maple]

If you go to a place like Menards and tell them what size building you are wanting to build with a few details they can tell you what your material list will be and what it will cost. You will have to do the cutting and some other figuring - they probably will look at you funny when you try to explain a working cupola to them. That is what I did and I enjoyed building mine. I can see that a pre-cut kit could be handy to have and it looks like they have options for everything you may want to do. Price them out both ways and see if there is much $ difference.