The Maverick by General Shelters continues to be a great template for customized tiny (read: small, efficient) homes. Here is the standard Maverick floor plan:
Here is the modified floor plan:
To be clear, every cabin by General Shelters is great to customize, but as we have already shown in this post, adding two feet to the width and ten feet to the length really adds to the space
Built with wood framing like all other General Shelters cabins, this is fully insulated, wrapped in high gauge steel, and built to last generations. Refrigerator, stove/oven, dishwasher, and microwave are all included. Forgot to mention in the video that the cabin features central heat/air.
For the current model, we kept the width and size the same, but removed the dormer. Controversial move, because we love the extra light, but really do not miss it. We also removed the fixed kitchen island to allow more space for the owner to place a table. Additionally, we opted for the white interior trim instead of the rustic unfinished cedar slats – really makes the windows pop.
General Shelters of Texas manufactures the largest finished portable pier-and-beam buildings in the United States. This is not easy, though their fifty years experience makes it look simple enough.
They are wood-framed buildings, clad and roofed in steel, so they flex when moved. This is where General Shelters’ experience comes in. They have A/B tested techniques and processes so that the structure stays intact and holds together, such that only minor fixes need to be performed after delivery.
This is the final stage of installation, when the building is carefully lowered into place. Blocks have been placed where the pressure-treated interlaced skids will rest, expertly placed so the entire building is square and on the level.
Funny enough, they positioned the cabin at our location the day before to get an early start the next morning. Dimebox over in Lee County is about forty miles away, so I gave them a thirty minute or so head start and waited at the entrance of the property and waited for them. I chose an alternate route roughly the same length of time, so I thought I would arrive earlier then the install crew.
After forty five or so minutes I drove into the property to find they had already positioned the cabin and blocks! This is a short video showing the custom Chapparal being lowered into place:
There are very few manufacturers of portable pier-and-beam buildings in America, and, as far as we can tell, only one that builds finished out, ready to plug in buildings. That manufacturer is General Shelters, so it is not an exaggeration to say that the Cedar View III we have on location is the largest portable building of its kind in America.
The decades of experience they have culminates in this cabin. They know how to build wood frame buildings that can be delivered, blocked and levelled, without compromising the integrity of the structure.
The following video is an annotated walk-through of the custom Cedar View III we have currently on location at Trees of Central Texas. Astute observers will note that the actual model we commissioned has a few changes from the basic stock model. Here is the stock floor plan:
Of course, feel free to visit us for a tour of whatever cabins we have on site (unsure when you will be reading this and we will not update this post), as a Platinum Dealer for General Shelters we will always have something that illustrates the quality of their products.
When General Shelters says that the options for customization are practically limitless, they really mean it! Having manufactured finished portable pier-and-beam cabins for nearly twenty years, one would imagine that there is nothing new to offer. But the design team at General Shelters have done it again, adding The Farmstead and The Haven to their collection.
Like all other cabins, these are stick-built structures clad and roofed in steel. Portable, but not mobile homes or trailers. Designed to last generations, these are perfect cost-effective solutions delivered at a fraction of the time as built-on-site homes.
The Farmstead is an 18ft by 60ft (1080sf) two-bed/two-bath cabin with barn-style roofing. Featuring two dormers, the Farmstead is an open, bright model that feels much larger than its square footage. With doors on the front and back, it is ready to add a deck to either side. If you want a country themed cabin, the barn-style is perfect for you!
The master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, and features a soaking tub, with a linen closet housing a stackable washer/dryer. The guest bedroom has a convenient Jack-and-Jill bathroom, with the commode available from the living area.
This model features the attractive Barnwash paneling, Galvalum ceiling, and brown vinyl flooring. White Dallas Granite is used throughout. Here is the spec sheet which lists all materials used in the construction of the Farmstead.
The kitchen is a chef’s dream, its huge island with its inset double stainless-steel sink perfect for meal prep, service, and clean-up. Conveniently, the island has room for seating four people.
The Farmstead includes a three-ton central HVAC, refrigerator, microwave, stove, oven, dishwasher, the aforementioned stackable washer/dryer, and in-line water heater. It is insulated floor to ceiling.
The Haven is a mono-slope one bedroom/bath cabin. Measuring 18ft x 36ft (648sf), windows at the top of the front wall allow plenty of light inside. Love that covered porch! [NOTE: the top windows are not included in the stock model.]
Part of General Shelters’ ‘Efficiency’ series, the Haven is built to limit costs. Toward that end, counters are formica, with spray sheetrock ceiling. Here is the spec sheet for the Haven.
Another cost-saving move is eliminating insulation beneath the floor, and including two window-mounted 12k BTU air conditioners in place of central HVAC.
The bathroom features plenty of space. While not ADA spec, the door is 36in wide, and features a step-in shower with seat. Featured throughout are Bianco Romano formica counters – very attractive and money-saving.
The bedroom looks dark from this angle, but there is an entire wall of windows on the front wall.; you can see them in pic below. Featured in this model are Pallet paneling for an especially rustic look.
Appliances include a stackable washer/dryer combo, 18cf refrigerator, 30in slide-in range, vented microwave, and the two wall-mounted 12k BTU air units.
As with other General Shelters buildings, they can be ordered to any level of finish and customization. Once you have submitted your changes, we submit those to the engineering team at General Shelters and they will advise whether those are possible or what can be done to meet your need.
We are excited to introduce you to these new floor plans! If you want to visit the homes we have on site at Trees of Central Texas, give a call at 979-836-7225 and swing on by. As a Platinum level dealer for General Shelters, we have helped hundreds of people design their perfect buildings!
Asks the important question “Could you live in this 800 sf cabin?” (A: YES!)
If you cruise YouTube looking for interesting, engaging content about tiny homes, you have probably watched some of Beau Brotherton’s videos. He and his wife left Dallas suburbia to develop a homestead in beautiful Milam County, Texas. They have documented their journey extensively on their YouTube channel , website, and podcasts.
Since our location at Trees of Central Texas is only a short drive south, he stopped by to visit and bring his observations to the world. He first documents our custom Bluewater, and, needless to say, was very impressed!
If you are interested in well-built pier-and-beam cabins from General Shelters – a recognized leader in the industry – plan on a visit to our location at Trees of Central Texas in Brenham, email us, or call us at 979-836-7225.
Continuing our conversation about Bedrock Structures, we are excited to announce their newest product: steel-framed greenhouses! Whether you are a hobbyist or Master Gardener, you know the importance of keeping some plants at temperature and to get your summer garden going early.
To date, our only source for greenhouses were from Bedrock Structure’s parent company, General Shelters (scroll to bottom). Like all their buildings, the General Shelters greenhouses were designed to portable, but constructed with pressure-treated lumber and fixed on skids for easy relocation.
The Bedrock Structure greenhouses are made with their customary 4 inch galvanized steel posts, clad with steel wainscoting and smokey polycarbonate panels, and roofed with polycarbonate panels.
As you can see, they can install fans, and can add windows and doors, or provide cut-outs for you to install after construction. A purlin runs along the ground level to tie the wainscoting down.
We will have one installed by this fall at our showroom for viewing!
They have not added the greenhouse option to their configurator, so please reach out to 979-836-7225 or email and we can give a quote for installation and estimate how soon we can have it installed!
Flexibility and costs have made ‘barndominiums’ an increasingly attractive option. The chief difference between our portable cabins and the ‘barndo’ option is that a metal building is obviously more permanent, and with a much faster install timeframe. While our cabins are delivered turn-key-ready, our metal buildings are ready-to-finish only.
As we have talked about elsewhere, General Shelters “rolls” their own steel. This means they receive the steel in gargantuan coils, and press it through an enormous machine to make their panels.
A subsidiary of General Shelters is Bedrock Structures, which manufactures and installs custom metal buildings. Unlike their portable buildings, Bedrock Structures simply cuts the posts and panels, and have skilled contractors erect the structure on-site.
There are numerous metal building manufacturers, and we proudly represent three (Bedrock Structures, Eagle Carports, and Star Carports). Each having their own benefits.
But we tend to lean into Bedrock Structures, primarily because of the size of the posts they use. While most metal buildings use 2.25 inch galvanized steel posts, spaced at five foot intervals, Bedrock Structures use 4 inch galvanized steel posts spaced twenty feet apart.
This means that when framing the inside walls, you will have more flexibility for the placement of windows, doors, and interior walls. Bedrock Structures also provides red steel (aka red iron), so they can spec out wider buildings than those using galvanized frames.
Important to note that Bedrock Structure will install the frame of your project only. While they can add insulation during construction, they do not wire for electricity or provide any finishing services. Standard windows, doors, and rollups can be installed, while customer-supplied items would be installed by the customer’s contractor in frame-outs.
As with the cabins, the standard steel is 29 gauge, for both sides and roofs. 26 gauge roofs are available for slightly more cost.
To receive a quote for your project, use the configurator on our website. Easy to use, simply put in your zip code and go from there. You will receive a quote for the entire project, and how much the deposit is. Fill in your contact information and we will reach out to review the project with you. Next, we perform a site inspection to assure suitability of the location, and make recommendations for any land work that may be in order. Once we finalize your order, the deposit is placed, we hit ‘go’ and submit the order. Turn around times vary, but in general with six weeks your building will be ready.
Lean-tos, porticos etc will not be reflected on the configurator, and we will quote those costs when reviewing your needs.
General Shelters’ Maverick’s simple design and small footprint provide an excellent template for customizations. For our custom 2 bed Maverick, we balanced the need for open space and functionality by adding two feet to the width, nine feet to the length, a dormer, expanded living space, and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. At 832sf (16×52) it is a cozy, bright space perfect for full-time or part-time living.
The popular Colony Green color for the exterior steel walls is complimented with faux cedar accent wall and gables. Inside, the new ‘Barnwash’ paneling lends a rustic touch that compliments both dark and light furniture and decorations. To emphasize the rustic atmosphere, we upgraded the ceiling to the metal galvalume from the stock gypsum ceiling tile.
Other upgrades for this model include White Dallas granite counters throughout, 36 inch interior doors, and central heat/air. This model comes with a full-size GE refrigerator, microwave, and stackable washer/dryer.
An island in the kitchen area doubles nicely as a serving area, while providing plenty of space for food preparation. We opted out of the dishwasher for this model, but included a stainless steel double sink.
The Jack-and-Jill bathroom is a space-saving feature that conveniently allows one person to use the bathroom facilities and another to use the shower/bath.
Here is the floor plan of our custom Maverick. We added two feet to the width, and nine and a half feet to the length.
This model sold for $129,900, but we have a slightly redesigned model for sale at $126,900 and available for viewing at our Brenham location.
When we drive by mobile home or trailer home dealers, it is a strong tell that what they are selling is the financing of their buildings and not necessarily the quality of the buildings. When the main message from their signs is 0% down and low payments, we suspect they are selling cost and not value.
Having said that, few want to or are able to pay outright for their building. So what are the options?
Bank Financing
Depending on the bank, they may need to be educated on what they are financing. Their immediate reaction will probably assume the General Shelters building is a trailer or mobile home. We have collaborated with local banks to ensure they understand when our customers approach them for loan service, they are talking about pier-and-beam structures, rather than trailers or mobile homes.
Even though they are designed to be successfully moved numerous times over the years, once installed on your property they are considered permanent structures.
The amount of the loan may vary based on whether one is moving the building to an unimproved location without services or not. Electricity, septic, and well/water service are all costs that can rolled into one convenient payment mortgage payment.
Standard credit requirements will then determine down payment and interest rates, as with any other mortgage. Obviously, we are able to provide any information a loan officer would need to evaluate.
General Shelters Financing
We do not receive any compensation or incentive if a customer finances directly with General Shelters. The chief difference between General Shelters financing and bank financing is that General Shelters will finance the cost of the building and delivery only, so this would work if one is able to pay separately for utility costs,
General Shelters financing typically asks for 15% down payment, and shortens the loan to ten years. There is a $150 credit application fee. At the annual dealer seminar, this was another topic of discussion. If a customer is having problems having the bank understand the product or hesitant to loan, the customer can pursue the loan with General Shelters and then refinance for a longer period with the bank; once the building is set on the land, some banks find it easier to understand what they are being asked to loan for. This approach has been successful for several buyers.
The main point of this post is to offer a general review regarding financing. Key to this process is thoroughly educating the loan company on the differences between a General Shelters building and trailer and mobile homes. For more information call us at Trees of Central Texas.email. or visit our contact page.
A division of Trees of Central Texas, Texas Big Little Cabins designs custom portable pier-and-beam buildings manufactured by General Shelters of Texas. Recognized as a nationwide leader for portable buildings, General Shelters has been manufacturing portable metal buildings for fifty years.
General Shelters cabins can be as large as 1188 square feet, and are delivered to your Texas property done and done (insulation, plumbing, electric, floors, walls, ceilingincluding appliances and central heat and air), or ready for you and your crew to finish out . As a Platinum Level dealer for General Shelters, we have helped hundreds of people with their portable buildings.
Texas Big Little Cabins is a one-stop shop for your properties needs, also representing Bedrock Structures, Eagle Carports, and Star Carports for storage, barns, barndominium shells, garages, workshops and more!
The goal of this blog is to spotlight the full range of buildings we offer at our property, what we are working on, and to explore what happy customers have done with their buildings. Please visit us at http://www.treesofcentraltexas.com, and check back for updates. Smash that follow button!
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