Wooden Cabins for Sale in SA: Prices and Free Quotes

Wooden cabins are small timber buildings of one or two rooms, built on a treated pine frame and clad in boards, or with solid log or half-log walls. Most are made as prefab cabins in a yard and put up on site in a few days. They serve as holiday cabins, guest rooms, studios, lodge chalets and farm cottages, from the Western Cape to Limpopo. Tell us the size, how it will be used and where it must stand, and independent cabin builders and timber suppliers who work in your area will send free quotes, with no obligation.

Wooden cabin types and sizes

Wooden cabins for sale in South Africa are usually one of these:

Frame and clad: a treated pine frame with tongue and groove, shiplap or log-lap boards, built the way a wendy house is, but lined and insulated.
Log or half-log: thicker round or half-round timbers for the cabin look, see log homes.
A-frame: a steep roof that comes down to the floor, good for a sleeping loft.

A one room cabin can start from about 3 x 4 m; a cabin with a bedroom, a shower and a small kitchen often needs 6 x 6 m or more.

Choosing timber, insulation and finishes

Ask for the board thickness, the frame size and the hazard class of the timber: H3 for cladding outside above ground and H4 for anything touching the ground. A cabin you will sleep in needs insulation in the walls and under the roof, an inside lining and a ceiling, or it will be cold in winter and hot under the summer sun. Choose a stoep, double doors and windows for the view. A dark stain looks good but takes up heat; lighter finishes stay cooler. For a larger timber home, see wooden houses.

Plans, foundations and setting it up

A cabin that people sleep in needs approved plans from the municipality, and many estates and some rural areas have rules on timber buildings, so check first. On flat ground a concrete slab works well; on a slope or in the mountains, many cabins stand on timber or steel stilts or concrete plinths. Keep timber off the soil and away from splashing water, and treat against termites where they are a problem. Plan the route for the delivery truck, especially on narrow farm roads and steep tracks.

Wooden cabin prices and what to ask

The price depends on the size, the timber thickness, the lining and insulation, the windows and doors, a bathroom, and the base. Advertised prices for a basic 3 x 6 m timber cabin shell work out at roughly R900 to R1,800 per m²; a lined, plumbed and wired cabin costs a good deal more. Ask each builder:

what the price includes: floor, lining, insulation, ceiling
the timber treatment class and the board thickness
delivery and erection to your site
how often it needs sealing, and who does maintenance

What to put in your request

Size and number of rooms
Use: guest room, studio, lodge chalet
Board thickness, lining and insulation
Base: slab, plinths or stilts
Road and access to the site

Wooden Cabins for different clients

Homeowners: a garden studio, guest room or home office in timber at the bottom of the garden
Backyard landlords and families: a lined one room cabin with a shower let to a single tenant
Farms and smallholdings: a weekend cabin or worker's cottage on a farm, put up without heavy machines
Lodges, guest farms and resorts: self-catering chalets on stilts with a covered stoep facing the view
Schools and creches: a timber reading room or music room on a quiet corner of the grounds
Contractors and mines: a cabin office or guard room for a long project on a rural site
Shops, offices and small businesses: a coffee kiosk, farm stall or treatment room built in natural timber
Municipalities, churches and NGOs: a ranger's cabin or visitor information hut in a nature reserve

Frequently asked questions

How much do wooden cabins cost in South Africa?

Advertised basic timber cabin shells of about 3 x 6 m work out at roughly R900 to R1,800 per m², and that is the structure only. Lining, insulation, a ceiling, wiring, a bathroom and a slab or stilts all add to it, and a finished, plumbed cabin can cost several times the shell price. Ask builders to quote the same size and list every item.

Do I need plans for a wooden cabin?

If anyone will sleep or live in it, plan on getting plans approved by the municipality under the building regulations. A small garden shed may count as minor building work, but a cabin with a bed or a bathroom usually does not. Estates often have their own rules on timber. A plan drawer can tell you what your erf allows.

How long does a wooden cabin last?

It depends far more on care than on the cabin itself. Timber that is treated to the right hazard class, kept off the ground, sealed regularly and checked for termites and leaks can serve for a long time. A cabin left unsealed in full sun dries out, cracks and lets water in. Ask the builder how often to reseal in your climate.

Can a wooden cabin be moved?

Many prefab cabins can be taken apart panel by panel and put up again elsewhere, because they are screwed or bolted together. Expect to pay for dismantling, transport and re-erection, and for some boards to be replaced. Cabins built on a trailer can be towed, like a tiny house. Log cabins with notched corners are harder to move.

One or two rooms in timber, for the plot, the farm or the lodge

Wooden cabin types and sizes

Choosing timber, insulation and finishes

Plans, foundations and setting it up

Wooden cabin prices and what to ask

What to put in your request

Wooden Cabins for different clients

Frequently asked questions

Wooden Cabins by province and city

More homes, buildings and services

Homes

Rooms, cabins & buildings

Supplies & services

Request wooden cabins quotes

1The job

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3Delivery and when

4Parts list (optional)

5Your details