A few things you should know.

FAQS

What is a typical lead-time on a KIT?
Lead-time will vary depending on time of year and scope of project. In general our peak seasons are spring and fall. We try to maintain an inventory position on all our materials. This allows us to typically ship in 6-8 weeks upon receipt of your CAD Approval Drawing. To be safe and not rushed we encourage clients to think about ordering one season in advance of desired delivery. As an example, for spring delivery order by calendar year end.

Will I need a permit?
Permit requirements are governed by local ordinance so it’s best to check with your local building department. It is a client’s responsibility to apply for and obtain any required permit. We provide you with any required documents. Typically this is a straightforward process.

What type of foundation do you recommend?
Your building will need to be constructed on a level foundation. We always prefer to see a 4” concrete slab foundation as this will provide the most stable base. For smaller buildings a properly prepared gravel foundation will prove adequate. Check with us (and your local building department) before installing your foundation so that we can review proper sizing to fit our building footprint.

What is included in a KIT?
A typical KIT will include the following materials: framing, rafters/lathing, siding, trim, flooring, roof shingles, windows, doors, cupola, hardware, and any selected building options. These are all exclusive and unique materials to Outbuildings.com that are either milled, forged, cast or handcrafted in-house, and can not be sourced or purchased locally. Our subcomponents (windows, doors and cupola) are fully pre-assembled with optional pre-finishing with your paint selection available. Your affiliate carpenter will provide a few common materials.

Do you provide samples of the materials used in a Kit?
Absolutely. We want you to see, touch, and appreciate the quality materials we use. We have a complete material sample package that we make available for $50 that is fully credited to your Kit order or upon return of the sample package.

Are your buildings something an average DYI homeowner could put together?
We offer two levels of KIT construction—Standard and Deluxe. Both include the same materials and construction/assembly documents. Our STANDARD KIT will have the majority of materials pre-dimensioned with the remainder to be cut in the field at project jobsite. Our DELUXE KIT will have 95% of all material pre-cut and pre-dimensioned in our workshop. For a DYI Homeowner we recommend the DELUXE KIT version of any building. Construction of either STANDARD or DELUXE will require an understanding of basic carpentry tools and techniques.

What is the advantage in working with one of your certified affiliate carpenter partners?
We are still in the process of establishing a national network of affiliate carpenters so one may not be available in every location. For areas where we have established an affiliate carpenter the advantage is that we have vetted and pre-screened each partner. As well, each partner is licensed and has required insurance. The advantage of working with one of our affiliate partners is that they have attended and completed one of our required workshops. They are familiar with our building techniques and construction standards. At this time our workshops are open to affiliate partners only.

Can I work with a carpenter we have worked with before who is not one of your affiliate partners?
Absolutely. With either our Affiliate Partners or your carpenter we monitor, consult and review all aspects of construction. Our construction documents are very clear and we also provide a time-lapse video link to one of our workshops showing the assembly of our Williamsburg Classic®.

Do I schedule assembly/installation with your local affiliate partner?
At time of your order placement we will notify our affiliate partner(s) so that tentative scheduling can be coordinated. Prior to construction of your building our affiliate partner will meet with you to review the site and discuss the project. At this time you will be asked to sign an agreement with our affiliate partner(s) for the construction phase of the project. The construction phase of the project is handled as a separate transaction from the purchase of the Design and Kit phase of the project. Payment of the construction phase, whether with our Affiliate Partner or your select carpenter, is handled between client and carpenter. We are not involved with the financial aspect of the construction/assembly phase of your project.

How do I know how much it will cost to assemble the building?
At time of price quote we will provide cost estimate for construction/assembly of your building. We’ve built more than 1,600 buildings to date ourselves so we have a good handle on labor for different phases of construction—subfloor/flooring; framing; siding; roofing; subcomponent install. A good gauge of construction/assembly cost is that it will approximate 30% of the Kit cost. For example, if you are purchasing a Kit with a material cost of $12,000, you should budget an allowance of $3,600 for construction/assembly. Again, we have no financial interest in the cost of assembly other than to offer guidance and direction where required.

Can a building be insulated and heated/cooled?
For temperate reasons without winter freeze, our buildings do not require insulation and can be efficiently heated/cooled with a split system wall mount unit like Mitsubishi. For locations subject to harsh winters, yes, our buildings can be insulated. We recommend a closed cell insulation that will be installed at time of assembly. Insulation will required a closed wall with your selection of material.

Can a bathroom be installed?
Bathrooms are a common feature of our buildings, especially pool houses. We address the layout and design of a bathroom during the project design phase. Your building Kit will include interior wall partitions, door and any options including shelving, towel racks, cabinetry, etc. Your local plumber will address the installation of plumbing and fixtures.

How will the KIT ship?
All materials are safely packaged and ship via our truck/trailer or common carrier with tailgate lift. Delivery in our company truck/trailer is typically within a 250-mile radius. The carrier will notify you 24 hours prior to delivery. We suggest that off-load of materials be coordinated with your local affiliate partner or other help that you have arranged. The ability to lift up to 50lbs may be required. Some materials will be off-loaded by truck lift gate. Other materials will require off-loading by hand. A typical KIT can be off-loaded in half hour by 2 people. We recommend that materials be off-loaded onto a tarp and covered. Windows, doors, cupola and any accessory items should be safely stored in a garage until time of installation.

Are you able to customize any of the buildings in your portfolio?
Yes. Our design service is an integral part of the process and perhaps the most important. Each building kit we design and produce is made-to-order to your specifications and requirements. Thus, there is a range of sizes for each building, and options for siding, roofing, flooring, windows, doors and cupolas, together with an array of exterior and interior optional features. We work closely with you to design a building that will best suit your needs. We provide you with a rendered CAD drawing so that you can better visualize the proposed building. At this stage modifications can still be made. Once the design is approved we then produce construction/assembly documents specific to your building. We also offer an optional 3-D scale model printing of your building.

Are you willing to produce a custom design not shown in your portfolio?
Approximately 15% of our annual business is with architects/designers to produce their custom designs. We can provide project quote based on sketch or CAD drawing. Sometimes a client will present us with an idea for a building design not shown in our portfolio. We look at each of these projects on an individual basis. What we will not do is knowingly copy or reproduce another company’s designs. We view this as a violation of good business ethics and principles.

Is it possible to arrange a visit to either your design studio or production facility?
Our production facility is not open to the public due to insurance rating, potential hazards and risks. We do, however, try to share the workings of our production shop by regularly posting photos and videos that help to show the various stages in creating one of our signature Outbuilding.com Kits. Our Design Studio is open to the public by appointment and we welcome visits. We are located in central New Jersey near the Delaware River mid-way between Philadelphia and New York City.

Is a visit to your Design Studio required?
While we welcome visits to our Design Studio, most of our business is conducted without a visit. Every aspect of the Design phase can be addressed by phone, email and exchange of photos, PDF documents, and videos. As well, a remote meeting can be easily connected with web conferencing.

Where can I see one of your completed buildings?
We do not maintain a showroom per se. We do have a few buildings on display at our Lambertville, NJ location. Our website gallery and Facebook page are probably the most convenient and accessible “showroom” we offer. Otherwise we can typically arrange for you to see a client installation in your area if one is available. Our clients are always eager to showoff their building!

Do you offer a print catalogue?
We do not only because most all of the information is available on our website and Facebook page. We do, however, plan on offering a down-loadable PDF catalogue on our website later this year.

Can I purchase windows or doors only?
This is a question we are asked frequently suggesting that we should. Unfortunately, at this time we do not sell any of our pre-assembled subcomponents independent of the complete building KIT. All of our subcomponents are designed and scaled specific to our buildings. As it is we are so busy with fulfilling orders for our building kits. Should this policy change we will provide change notice.

Can I purchase building plans only?
No, we do not sell plans only. The hallmark of our buildings is a marriage of both materials and design so it really does not make sense. Moreover, the materials we use are specific to our buildings and is what makes our buildings distinct and recognizeable. As well, each of our designs is copyright protected so designs may not be copied or reproduced, in whole or part.

Do you recommend prime option?
We do recommend that all exposed exterior materials be pre-primed. We use an exterior acrylic primer that is vacuum applied ensuring penetration and full coverage on 4-sides. We then run materials through our buffer station that removes any grain raise and scuffs the surface for proper adhesion and binding of your topcoat paint. Our pre-fabricated corner boards with lock-miter are fully primed as standard. We recommend priming of siding and trim so that when installed the material is fully sealed and protected until such time as finish topcoat is applied. If you are considering a painted interior then you would definitely want rafters and lathing factory primed and finished. All our interior components are pre-finished with a standard white.

Can you ship a building Kit outside of the US?
Yes. We are always delighted when one of our Outbuildings ships abroad. We typically consolidate all materials into a standard container and coordinate shipping with your freight broker. To date we have shipped buildings to Canada, Australia and Bermuda.

Have in mind something not listed above? Let us know!