Amish-built cabins for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South and North Dakota

Handcrafted in Southern Minnesota and widely deliverable, Amish Log Cabin's are made with 5 1/2" thick pine logs .  You will find all of our structures both beautiful and durable.  Prices are also very competitive with small structures for a couple thousand dollars to well-appointed larger cabins in the tens of thousands of dollars.  Our cabins are not pre-constructed or modular in any way.       

Illustration of two men labeled as John. The man on the left is called Amish John, a master builder with a beard, wearing a straw hat and holding a hammer. The man on the right is called English John, who works in planning and communication, wearing a baseball cap and using a laptop. A small log cabin is depicted between them. Caption reads, 'Two Johns. One cabin team.'

Custom Built Cabins is proudly run by John Bontrager (“Amish John”) and John Olson (“English John”).

John Bontrager is our master builder, leading the construction of each cabin with quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. John Olson and his wife, Krystal, handle customer communication, design support, and project coordination.

John Olson works full time as an engineer for Mayo Clinic and also brings a degree in carpentry along with many years of hands-on experience in the building trades. His background helps bridge the gap between design, communication, and practical construction knowledge.

As a customer, you’ll work with both Johns throughout your project. We work together to provide a smooth, personal building experience from start to finish. While John and Krystal also work full time outside of the cabin business, they are committed to keeping your project organized, your questions answered, and your build moving forward.

1) Who builds the log structures?

John Bontrager along with his brothers and son who are Amish craftsman in the St Charles Minnesota area. Many companies claim to sell Amish structures, many of them are not actually built by the Amish.

2) How does communication work with your Amish builder?

We combine traditional Amish craftsmanship with modern customer service.

While the Amish do not use electricity, cell phones, or computers in their daily lives, they do work closely with trusted partners who do. That means you can benefit from authentic Amish construction while still having a simple way to get answers about pricing, cabin options, availability, and delivery.

For the quickest response and the best way to receive pricing and delivery information, we recommend contacting us through our info email.

3) Are there any buildings ready for sale?

Most all buildings are built to order. Occasionally we have some smaller outbuildings available for immediate sale.

4) What are the buildings constructed from?

Ground contact material is locally sourced treated lumber, and solid pine logs are milled and used for the sidewalls. On some small structures like outhouses, solid logs are impractical and these buildings have log siding. Roofs are available in shingles or steel. Most doors are hand crafted, and most windows are local lumber yard grade. Many interiors are knotty pine, and insulation is always used for floors and ceilings.

5) What is the R value of the walls?

Logs are nearly 6" thick and have an R value of around 6.

6) What is the lead time?

Lead time varies from a few weeks for small structures, and up to a couple months for large structures.

8) How do I pay?

We accept several forms of payment, cash, check, or credit cards. All cabins require a  down payment and the balance due on pick up or delivery.

9) Do cabins have plumbing or electrical available?

We can build this into the design plan for your cabin and contract this to be done

10) What long term maintenance is required?

We suggest staining each cabin following construction. Over time, the sun may break down the stain and addition coats may be required every 3-5 years. Interiors require very little long term maintenance.

11) What is the warranty?

All cabins carry a one year total package warranty, a 5 year structural warranty, and the manufacturer's warranty on the roof, windows, and doors.