Preparing for Delivery

Zook Structures Helpful Hint:

Try to submit permit without getting the architects seal first in almost every circumstance, as we have seen many times that they are sufficient, and it will save you money. If the municipality insists that the drawings be sealed then you have no choice and we will work with you to get you everything you need.

You've settled on a building, and have designed it to meet your needs, so now there are a few things that you will need to get in order to prepare for delivery day. The preparation of your site ensures a smooth hassle free delivery, that will allow you to start using your cabin as quickly as possible.

There are really three parts preparing for your cabin that you will want to pay special attention to: Permitting, Foundation, Access. We have taken some time to walk you through what you need to know in preparing for your cabin.

The permitting process:

Before you get to far into the process you will want to check in with your local municipality, and see whether you will need a permit for your project. Permit requirements vary a great deal from place to place, and the best way to find out what you need is to go ask.

You'll want to anticipate some obstacles that you may run into, and we can help you with that. Some municipalities will only require you to fill out a simple form, others will expect to see drawings, some will even require that those drawings be sealed by an engineer or architect. Through a simple phone call you should be able to find out what you need to include when you submit your permit.

After you know what your township requires you may need to contact us to get you some additional information. Basic drawings are included at no charge with the purchase of a cabin. If you need to have an engineer, or architects seal that is no problem, but there will be additional charges, and those charges can vary depending on your state.



Zook Structures Helpful Hint:

Keep in mind your local municipality will have a period of time to review the permit before they need to approve or deny. Ask them when you can expect an answer, and make sure everything you submit is correct.

Here is a simple checklist for obtaining your permits:
  1. Call your local zoning office and find out what permits you need, and what will need to be submitted with them.
  2. Call us and get all information you need for your permits.
  3. Fill out all the permit paperwork. Make sure you take your time, and fill everything out correctly and include any necessary drawings.
  4. Pick up your permit at the office when it has been approved.

Getting Your Site Ready

It is very important to put the time and effort into getting your site properly prepared. The proper site preparation gives your building a solid, level foundation, and makes delivery smooth.

There are three types of foundations for you to choose from:
Stone base: Stone base is the easiest most cost effective foundation that you can go with. You can choose to do the site work yourself, or hire a contractor to do the work for you. If the site would be local to us we have a few contractors we work with often that we would recommend for the job.

Truck near cabin stone base
Cabin on stone base
Concrete Slab: A concrete slab 4"-5" will give you a very solid base for your building to rest on. It is the minimum foundation requirement for any of our double wide buildings over 20'X 20'. Locally we can recommend a contractor to do the work for you.


Concrete slab
cabin on concrete slab
Crawl Space or Basement: This option can be the most costly of the three, but can also provide you with extra space. If this is your choice we can build the cabin with 2X8 or 2X10 floorjoists and attach it to a sill plate on your foundation rather than having the 4X4 skids.


Crawl space or basement
Cabin with crawl space or basement
Zook Structures Tips for a Stone Base:
  • Use 4-6 Inches of crushed stone about 1' wider, and 1' longer than the actual size of the cabin.
  • Do not use clean stone, ask for stone with fines in it so it will pack and make a firm foundaition.
  • Level the site with a laser, or you can tape a level to a straight 2X4 aprox. 12' long, and check your pad for level if a laser is not available.
  • After the stones are level tamp them down, or drive your vehicle or skid loader over the area to pack.
  • Recheck the pad to see if its level, and repeat his process until it is.


The minimum requirements for your foundation will vary based on your building style, size, and options.

All single wide buildings can be placed on a stone pad. Double wide buildings 20' X 20' and smaller could also be placed on a stone pad. The stone pad should be roughly 1' larger than your building, that allows water to drain around your building, and keeps rain from splashing up on the sides.

Double Wide Buildings 20' X 20' and larger need to have a minimum of a concrete slab, and if you would like we can place your cabin on a crawl space or full basement.

With any building purchased we will give you a schematic, showing the foundation that we expect to see when we arrive for delivery. Included in the drawing will be details as to where you will need to have an access pit to allow for the hookup of your water, and sewer. The access pit should be roughly 6'L X 3'W X 3'D with 3' of the pit going under the cabin. Since its 3' deep or below frost level in your area the ground temperature keeps the pipes from freezing.

Hooking up your Utilities

Prior to delivery of your building you will need to run your water, electric and sewer lines to your site. It is best to have them run right into your access pit and capped until your delivery is made. At that point in time your contractor can quickly hook the plumbing of your cabin up to your water, and sewer lines and you will be fully funtional. You will also need to do the same thing with your eletric, and that hookup can be made easily as well.

You can hook things up yourself, or have a local contractor take care of that for you, and if at any time in the process you have trouble please give us a call at (610) 593-4556, and we will do everything we can to help you.