[contour5]

I'm actually a finish carpenter and cabinetmaker- I worked on a couple of house moving projects in the past, but have no real clue as to the cost breakdown. If I understand the process correctly, they're going to slide some beams under the chalet, jack the building up, push some logs underneath and winch it away from the river using come alongs tied down to trees or rocks. They'll have to build a new foundation to set it on. Sounds like the plan is to take it a short distance to a "Temporary" location, thus ensuring further lucrative future contracts. This will certainly take 6 people a few days, at minimum. With luck, the structure won't collapse during this process. Hopefully the building will move as planned, instead of simply ripping out the anchoring trees or rocks. Or crushing the building into a pile of rotting sticks... As to cost- the contractor offered to do it for free, using volunteer labor. The helicopter needed to carry in the beams and other heavy items is already paid for...right? Seems like a no-brainer to haul the tools and supplies in on the same flights, and take them out the same way. But there's talk of mules. Somebody who knows somebody has some mules... and man are they expensive! Or maybe the volunteers are actually employees of the contractor... who's getting $124,000 for what he says is 3 days work... Sorry- not enough info to do a cost breakdown. Perhaps the contractor will post a nice spreadsheet and enlighten us all...

[Logbear]

Apparently this job did not go out for bid. July 29th News Tribune Park officials did announce Tuesday they were moving ahead with the intent to award a sole-source contract to Monroe House Movers. The project is expected to cost $40,000-$100,000, according to Park Service documents. “With August just around the corner, there is simply not enough time to conduct our normal solicitation and contracting process,” superintendent Sarah Creachbuam said in a news release.

[cairn builder]

How long until we need to have it moved again?

[cairn builder]

And $124,000 is a lot of free. Smells fishy.

[Logbear]

[treeswarper]

The helicopter may already be "paid for" but this project may be a different budget item, which did not have any money allocated to it. The bean counters must do things by the book. So additional funding might have been needed for that specific job.

[Logbear]

[contour5]

Hard to say what dimensions the steel will be, or how many beams they'll use, but the I-Beams are likely going to run $1,000 apiece, or more. Then there's the logs that they're going to use to roll the building on... I'm really hoping that the Forest Service isn't paying multiple thousands of dollars apiece for logs...

[RodF]

[FailsToMeetExpectations]

Awesome! Thanks for jumping in. As to the art of moving rickety old buildings, it is sort of like a pilot: most of the time a monkey could do the job; however when you need them they are worth every penny that they cost. Knowing what not to do in this situation falls into that category.

[RodF]

The Chalet is most certainly not "rickety". The fact that it stands there with one of its major walls entirely unsupported, and two of them only partially supported, is testament to that. It's almost balanced on its center beam, and it was never designed to be supported through its floor joist logs. But it's just hell for stout. It's situation is certainly precarious, though. If WW had more than a dozen members capable of hiking 13 miles, they could push it over into the river. Or better, all line up inside along that wall hanging out over the river, and tip it! The reason the contract cost has grown is that the contract has grown. Jeff isn't simply fabricating the steel, providing the equipment and tools, and moving the building, he's now required to provide all the packing services, including food and a cook for catered meals for four NPS employees who are supervising this. Jeff wants nothing out of this, just the opportunity to save the Chalet. As do all who are on his team, and 91% of the public who commented on the EA. Some of the comments above remind me so strongly of a situation 14 years ago, when:

[Chico]

[Jeff's House]

Not allowed to volunteer, not allowed to donate any equipment left under chalet, not allowed to fly anything that mules can pack. Etc etc. I could go on. There is two weeks of mule packing for three days of actual move time, plus two days to fly with the copter. I'm trying to get this done with the "minimal tool" requirement under the wilderness act, very difficult.

[Ancient Ambler]

Thanks to RodF for enlightening us on the cost aspects of this contract and thanks very much to Jeff's House for being willing to take this project on despite its many complications.

[RodF]

Jeff strongly reminds me of another person I am proud to call a friend, Sam. Sam volunteers to spend a month every year in Médecins Sans Frontières, quietly treating quite everyday but often life-threatening illness and injuries in Bhutan. He's on call to hike in to our Park Wilderness whenever a hiker breaks a leg, and help stabilize them until they can be evacuated. After spending a career here in town in general and surgical practice, he now picks up a pulaski, loppers or drawknife to clear trails and build bridges. All for no monetary reward. Sam is the kind of guy who simply can't help himself. When he sees a patient, he sees a fellow human being whose suffering can be alleviated. Sam has a lifetime of expertise and just can't stand idly by and not use it. There are cynics here who would ask "What's he trying to prove, anyway?" They simply can't believe there are humanitarians and volunteers in this world. Jeff exhibits exactly the same mindset as Dr. Sam. His tools aren't scalpels or hypodermics, they are I-beams and hydraulic jacks. His patients aren't people, they are endangered historic buildings like the Chalet. But there are cynics here who just can't understand that.