Sherpa Cabins™, Inc , founded in 1999, is a small privately held corporation located in Thompson Falls, MT. The first Sherpa cabin we designed was intended to be an answer to an “out-of-state” landowner’s need for a roof overhead until eventual retirement to Montana. Or, the weekend get away spot for the city worker wanting to spend some time at their mountain “property.” Unlike a trailer or RV, we felt a Sherpa Cabin would appreciate in value while providing a beautifully handcrafted, aesthetically pleasing home for the insightful buyer. We registered with the State of Montana as a home-manufacturer as is required by law for any business constructing a dwelling within the confines of another building. After building the shop located in Thompson Falls, Montana we rolled out our first cabin in the spring of 1999. As only previously dreamed, the first actual buyers were racehorse breeders from Florida who recently purchased land in Montana. Many, many cabins later one of two cabins built for a retiring Intel engineer was photographed by Sunset Magazine’s Norman Plate and featured in the July 2002 issue.

Sherpa Cabins™ is owned and operated by Kristin Anderson since co-founder Dennis Roberts' retirement in 2003. In January 2003 our first cabin was delivered out of state. We now have cabins in Idaho, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, California and Montana. We were granted a Trademark by the U.S. Trademark & Patent Bureau in March of 2004. Although our horizons are continually expanding we are stubbornly remaining a very small business. Besides Kristin, there are only two other carpenters. We build one cabin at a time, with an average construction time of 7 weeks from start to finish. Our goal continues to be to build and deliver the best small cabins in the industry. As we so often hear, “this cabin is a work of art!” In a world that seems to continually lose its appreciation for quality and craftsmanship we strive to maintain our own in each Sherpa Cabin we build.

Sherpa Cabins, Inc. has an engineer approved structural plan that encompasses each cabin’s basic design. Although we have never built two identical cabins, all the cabins have the same general framing. From the bottom up, a typical Sherpa Cabins goes like this:

Framing:

• Dimensions of the largest cabin are 14’ x 26’
• 2 x 10 double rim joists with 2 x 10 floor joists 16” O.C.
• 3 extra sets of double 2 x 10’s, one under the bath/loft wall and one approx. 4’ from each end
• ¾” TG plywood subfloor
• 2 x 4 walls framed 16” O.C. ( 2 x 6 walls an option if requested or required to meet State codes)
• Double 2 x 4” top plates
• ½” OSB sheeting
• 1/2” Polysio foam board outside sheeting
  
• Western Cedar 8” Bevel Siding
  
• Minimum 2 x 8” Rafters, 2 x 10” for higher insulation requirements
  
• Appropriately sized Glu-lam Beam for Ridge
  
• Ceiling vented through screen at top of blocking & ridge
  
• 5/8” plywood sheeting on rafters with 30lb tarpaper
  
• 29 gauge Delta Rib 2’ metal roofing with all appropriate trim (Your choice of color)
  

Insulation:

• 2 x 4 walls have high density R-13 combined with 1/2 inch foam board on the outside of the cabin's sheeting
• 2 x 6 walls have R-21
• The ceiling is a standard R-21 in 2 x 8 rafters. For an extra cost we can use R-30 in 2 x 10 rafters. For any higher R value we need to use blow-in foam at purchaser's expense.

Plumbing:

All plumbing is done by local, licensed plumber Dave Klaus Plumbing & meets all codes. Plumbing fixtures include a single stainless steel kitchen sink, bathroom porcelain sink, Kohler, Aquaglass or Lasco 60” fiberglass tub/shower, toilet and Delta faucets. Water heaters are typically placed in the crawlspace or basement at the purchaser’s expense. An exterior “on demand” propane water heater can also be used in appropriate climates. The venting is plumbed through the roof. Both venting and copper are stubbed off underneath the cabin ready to be connected to purchaser’s water source and septic or sewer system. All plumbing expenses after the cabin leaves the shop are at the purchaser’s expense and most be done to comply with local & state building codes.

Wiring:

All cabins are wired to code by locally owned Haas Electric Inc. Each cabin has an exterior 100amp service box with up to 8 circuits depending on the size, design, etc. Typical features in a cabin include ample outlets, GFI outlets in kitchen and bath, overhead ceiling fan/light combo in living room with separate controls for each, two recessed lights in kitchen ceiling, pine bar light in bathroom, overhead fan/light in bath ceiling, outdoor porch light and ourdoor GFI outlet. We can accommodate most custom wiring requests.

Interior:

Interior Framing:

A typical cabin includes a 5’ x 8’ bathroom. Above the bath/kitchen area is an 8’ x 14’ loft with a 1 x 6 pine floor, a window in the gable end, accessed with a log ladder. At the opposite gable end a 3’ x 14’ (larger if requested) loft/shelf . A 5’ wide closet can be framed under the small loft or extending out from the bath wall.

Interior Walls & Ceiling:

1 x 6 pine tongue & groove. We make all the trim to match, hand sanding & routing each piece. The pine is then finished with multiple coats of a high quality vinyl lacquer.

Windows:

The highest quality metal clad/wooden window manufactured by Clawson Windows in Missoula, Mt. With Low E double pane glass. The purchaser can chose from a variety of types, sizes, etc. The window allowance is listed on the price sheet. Cost over allowance is passed on to the buyer.

Cabinets:

We contract local craftsman Tom Wagler and family of Cabinet Mountain Woodworks. The cabinets are handcrafted and finished in the family shop in Trout Creek, Montana. Although we typically use pine cabinets to match the walls, we have also used alder and hickory. The countertops are custom, your choice of formica, with custom wood edges and backsplash. Built-ins are at the customer’s expense but the Wagler’s can make anything.

Doors:

We use solid core, 6 panel Douglas Fir. Bathroom doors are usually 24” Doug Fir, closet doors typically a 36” bi-fold, and the exterior door is a 36” with glass in the top and a removable wooden grid.

Floors:

Our finished floors in the cabins are Douglas Fir 1 x 6” flooring, end matched, center matched T & G. We finish the floors with one coat sanding sealer and 3 coats hard poly finish. The bathroom floor is 1’ square slate installed by local artisan Dave Fehrenbach. We put 2 coats of rock sealer on the bath floor. Any extra rockwork is possible but would be at the purchaser’s expense.

Appliances:

Included with the standard Sherpa Cabin is an under-the-counter refrigerator and a 20” Magic Chef range/oven for the kitchen. For heating we provide an incredibly efficient ( 84%) Aladdin/Quadrafire stove that sits in a corner of the living room. Our typical model vents directly through the wall and looks very much like a regular wood stove with a glass door to view the fire. The stove will need to be hooked up by your local gas company, as we cannot install any gas piping ourselves. Other heating options need to be discussed at the time of purchase.

Floorplans:

Floorplans & designs can be modified to fit your exact needs. We can make almost anything as long as it fits into the allowed space. Recently we created a "Backyard Fitness Center" complete with an excersize pool. We have also designed a "Double bedroom Cabin" for those who need a little more space. Please see "What's New and Exciting" for more information and photos.

Foundation:

Although our cabins are structurally rigid enough to sit atop 6 blocks, we would highly recommend the purchaser invest in a perimeter concrete foundation. We will gladly provide your contractor with a drawing of how we do it in Montana. You will want to check with your local and state codes before pouring the foundation.

Transportation:

We subcontract the haul to a local truck driver. We come along as the roll-on crew. The transportation within 50 miles of the shop is free, extra miles are charged at approximately $6.00/mile for the truck, trailer and one pilot car. It is important to detail the route to the site ahead of time. We don’t usually have any control over the route we are instructed to follow by State D.O.T’s.

We welcome visitors to the shop anytime Monday through Friday or on weekends by appointment to see our work in progress. We appreciate your interest in Sherpa Cabins, Inc.

If your interest is piqued, please cruise around in the FAQ pages for more information and pictures.
Thank you,
Kris Anderson

Interested?
(406) 827 9607
or E-Mail - sales@sherpacabins.com