This New A-Frame Cabin Kit Can Be Built in a Weekend for $21K

The couple behind the DIY cabin company Den are at it again. After releasing a set of $99 cabin plans over the summer, Mike Romanowicz and Lizzie Kardon just launched a prefab A-frame cabin kit that two people can assemble in just a few days. 

Inspired by their own cabin-building experience in the Catskills, the couple sought to create an easy and cost-effective way for anyone to create the cozy retreat of their dreams.

"Great projects are sometimes born out of frustration. While building our first cabin, the Fox Den I slammed into the reality that traditional building is a labor-intensive process that takes time, and often requires involving folks with special skills and tools," Romanowicz says. "We wanted to completely change that with this kit. We wanted to give the joy of building to more people by making a product that was so well-thought-out and comprehensive that nearly anyone could do it."

They came up with a concept called "The One Day Cabin"—a structure so simple that it could be assembled by two people in just 24 hours. "Admittedly, we became a bit obsessed with this challenge throughout the process of making this cabin," Romanowicz says. "While the ‘One Day Cabin’ still remains elusive, it took our team of three people (I was one of them!) two-and-a-half days to finish our first cabin. Completely turn-key finished."

Den’s prefab A-frame kit is cut with CNC precision, so the pieces connect easily. The lumber is predrilled, and the kit includes all the bolts and screws for quick assembly—no need to run to the hardware store.

As far as tools and equipment, the kit calls for a ratchet set, one or two power drills, a painter’s ladder, a step ladder, and a staple gun. The flat-packed materials even come packaged in the order in which you need them, to help streamline the building process.