12′ x 12′ Cabin: Designing the Perfect Size (Link To Plans)

In the summer of 2022, my fiancé and I bought off-grid property in the Siskiyou Mountains. We spent the latter part of that summer building a 12’ x 12’ cabin for a spot to go on the weekends. Neither of us had any serious building experience. I worked enough odd handyman jobs in college to know basic framing techniques. Nevertheless, we were eager, and we not only wanted to have an off-grid cabin, we wanted to have the satisfaction and experience of building it ourselves. The 12’ x 12’ cabin is the perfect tiny cabin for an amateur carpenter like ourselves. The headache of this cabin’s research and planning phase motivated me to make free construction plans to help others build a cabin like ours.

When we first set out to build the cabin, we spent much time discussing the size. After numerous conversations, we decided to build a 12’ x 12’ cabin with a loft. This size made sense for a variety of reasons. First, 12’ lengths are an efficient use for dimensional lumber. Lumber comes in 2’ increments, and plywood/siding comes in 4’ widths. A 12’ length enabled us to use full amounts of plywood/siding without making any ripping cuts. This length cuts back on material waste. 12’ boards are also easier to haul and move around. You can haul 12′ lumber around in a regular pickup truck or trailer. A 12’ x 12’ cabin is 144 sq ft, under many states’ limits for getting a permit. Lastly, the size of this cabin was cost-effective, and we were on a tight budget. This project was off-grid and 1 hour out of town, so simplicity was key. 

The 12’ by 12’ size is perfect. It is not too big and not too small. Inside, we have a kitchen with a sink that drains into a 5-gallon bucket, a camp stove (soon to be an old camper stove), and enough counter space to prepare a regular dinner. We have a couch that folds into a guest bed. There is also plenty of floor space with a pull-up bar off the loft for morning workouts. Up in the loft, there is a generous amount of space for two single mattresses side by side, giving us a king-size bed width complete with low nightstands and a spot to keep our bags. The gable roof leaves the loft with adequate headroom, enough to sit up in the center of the bed. There is also a bathroom area with a compost toilet and a DIY shower pan.

In the planning phase of this cabin, I spent a lot of time scouring the internet to find plans for a cabin this size. With all of my research, I found little information. I reviewed other plans and information about different square cabins. Still, none of this information was detailed enough for me to use on its own—none of the information I found directly transferred to what we wanted to accomplish. I learned enough to figure out the basic framing layout, but there was no concrete information about a square cabin that did not leave me with more questions than when I started. This lack of information was my primary motivation for creating plans for this cabin. I do not want a lack of information to be a barrier for others trying to build a small cabin.

I learned that when professional carpenters build a house, they follow basic rules about framing and do not require exact plans for the framing.  The problem was that we were not professional carpenters and needed to follow basic plans. As a result, I designed the cabin using a 3D model in Google SketchUp. This 3D model enabled me to make large mistakes on the frame on the computer versus wasting material in person. From this 3D model, I could also figure out exactly how much material was needed, the cost, and order it (mostly) all at once.

With some long summer weekends and some basic tools, we set out to build a dream. We learned a lot through building this cabin, and the result left us with something to be genuinely proud of. Now, almost 1 ½ years later, I have put together construction plans for the cabin for others to use. These are the plans I wish I had when we set out to build. The plans have a material list and a detailed view of each part of the cabin frame. You can find them here. Stay tuned for more informational posts about the building of this cabin, additions, and other ventures.