Kitset cabins framed in light gauge steel

SmartFraming supplies the steel frame: wall and roof framing, made up or flat-packed, with pre-punched service holes, erection screws and detailed assembly plans. A steel floor panel is available on request for small cabins. Your builder supplies and installs the foundations, cladding, roofing, windows, doors, insulation and linings.

We have 46 cabin plans from 15m² to 58m². Twenty-eight are 30m² or under. Thirty-seven have one bedroom and nine have two. Many are long and narrow, around 2.9 m to 3.6 m wide, and wider plans around 4 m to 5 m give a more open living area.

Usually, because our cabin plans include a bathroom. The exemption for detached, single-storey buildings of up to 30m² doesn't allow a toilet, shower or kitchen. A cabin with a bathroom or kitchen needs a building consent, or may qualify under the separate granny flat exemption if it's a self-contained home that meets every condition. Check with your council before you order.

We quote each job rather than publish a price list, because the cost of the frame depends on the plan, any changes you make, whether it's made up or flat-packed, and how far it's going. Quotes are free. The frame is one part of the total build, so ask your builder to price the foundations, cladding, roofing, windows, doors, linings and labour as well.

If the cabin will be a home, its structural and weathertightness work is restricted building work, so it must be done or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner. The frames arrive labelled with detailed assembly plans, and we can recommend installers.

Light gauge steel is roll-formed to exact lengths, so the frames arrive straight and won't shrink, twist or rot once they're up. Steel is non-combustible and can't be eaten by borer, and the frames come cut, labelled and pre-punched for services, which helps your builder stand them quickly and accurately.

Most quotes are sent within one business day. Once the drawings are signed off, frames are typically delivered in 10 to 15 working days, depending on workload. We deliver across New Zealand, and delivery is quoted separately based on your location.