Log cabin assembly
Dunster House log cabin installation in Colchester and Essex
If a Dunster House log cabin kit is sitting on your drive, we can build it. We are an independent Colchester builder: we lay the base, assemble the cabin to Dunster House's published instructions and fit the roof, from Colchester to Ipswich and Clacton-on-Sea.
- Based in Colchester, covering North Essex and South Suffolk
- Base, build and finishing from one local team
- Built to Dunster House's published instructions
- Free, no-obligation quotes
What a log cabin kit looks like on your driveway
Dunster House's help centre says "We do not currently offer an installation service on any of our product ranges", and its terms describe its products as "designed for Competent DIY assembly by two or more adults".
Dunster House's delivery page says the kit goes to "the first point of contact at the front of your property", within 20 metres of the delivery vehicle, and that it will not carry items through a back gate, garage or house.
For example, Dunster House's installation manual for the Severn 5 x 3m (28mm) log cabin lists:
- More than 100 wall logs, the longest 5 metres
- 3 bottom wall logs and 8 pressure-treated bearers
- 80 roof boards and 54 floor boards
- 860 nails for the roof and floor boards
- More than 450 screws, plus 4 storm braces
Keeping the logs straight until build day
Dunster House's generic cabin assembly instructions say to "store all components in a cool, dry place away from direct contact with the ground, sunlight and moisture" and to "Keep all timbers straight and well supported".
Its terms also warn that "during excessive weather conditions timbers may warp and assembly can take longer" (clause 14.5). The sooner the cabin is built, the better.
A log cabin base that is flat, level and square
Dunster House's help centre says the base should be the size of your bearer plan "plus an additional 100mm on all sides". For the Severn 5 x 3m, the manual suggests a minimum base of 5,060 x 3,060mm. Dunster House's terms make rectification chargeable where a defect is down to an "unsuitable base/site".
We can lay a concrete slab or a paving-slab base, or lay a Dunster House RapidGrid base you have bought. Dunster House's help centre says concrete should be completely dry before you build on it, which usually takes about 48 hours. Our garden building bases page covers the options.
How we assemble the cabin and fit the roof
We build to Dunster House's published instructions for your model. Dunster House's terms exclude guarantee cover for "failure to correctly assemble the goods as per the assembly instructions".
Dunster House's help centre estimates that two people take around "two full days" to finish a medium-sized log cabin. The base comes first.
We fit the roof covering that came with your kit or that you bought as an upgrade: felt, shingles or EPDM. Dunster House's guarantees page covers EPDM membranes against water getting through as the membrane decays, for 10 years from delivery, if they were installed correctly.
Treating and settling your log cabin after the build
Dunster House's help centre says its log cabins come untreated, apart from the pressure-treated floor bearers, and suggests treating the cabin after it is built. We can treat the timber for you.
Dunster House's maintenance guidance says "Log buildings will settle": storm braces are loosened while the building settles, then tightened back "to finger tightness", and "it is likely that your doors will need to be adjusted".
How it works
- Send us the details The model, size and delivery date, plus a few photos of where the cabin will go.
- Site visit and free quote We look at the ground and access, then give you a free, no-obligation quote.
- Check the kit Check the delivery against the component list on arrival. We can go through it with you before booking a build date.
- Lay the base We lay the base to suit your bearer plan, and let concrete dry first.
- Build and roof We assemble the cabin to your model's instructions and fit the roof covering.
- Treat and hand over We treat the timber and add decking or a path if you asked for them, then show you the storm braces.
Garden buildings, bases and timber work we have built
Real photos from our own jobs around Colchester. See more in the project gallery.
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Garden building, Coggeshall -
Base preparation, Lexden -
Timber canopy with trellis, Lexden -
Raised deck with balustrade, Witham
Questions we are often asked
Which log cabins do you build?
Whether you have ordered a Severn, a Terminator or a Coronet, send us the model and size. We read the instructions for that model before we quote.
Some of my logs look twisted. Is that a problem?
Dunster House's terms say "during excessive weather conditions timbers may warp and assembly can take longer", and it publishes a video guide, "How to install warped/twisted timbers in your Log Cabin". Show us any that worry you.
Can I paint the logs while they wait?
It is better not to. Dunster House's generic assembly instructions say it will not replace "Any timber that has been treated, painted or stained by the purchaser".
What if parts are missing or damaged?
Tell Dunster House straight away: its terms say missing or damaged items must be reported "within 2 calendar days from receipt of delivery". We book the build once you have everything.
Do I need planning permission for a log cabin?
The Planning Portal says many outbuildings are permitted development within its limits, such as being single storey, not forward of the house's principal elevation, and covering no more than half the land around the original house. Any outbuilding within the grounds of a listed building needs planning permission. This is general guidance: check with Colchester City Council, Tendring District Council or Ipswich Borough Council before you build.
Other garden buildings we build
Tell us what you have bought
Send us the model name and size, your delivery date and a photo of where it will go. We will come back to you with a free, no-obligation quote for Colchester, North Essex & South Suffolk.
Independent installer. McKenzie Property Renovations Limited is an independent building contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of Dunster House Ltd. "Dunster House" and product names are used only to describe the products we build and remain the property of their owner.
Information about Dunster House is quoted from its own help centre and terms, and planning guidance from the Planning Portal, checked 27 September 2026.
