Hi Pat,
Thank you for the detailed reply. You were not too late to be helpful! I've not decided on exactly which way I'm going to go yet. I'm looking at several different options for our house that I must first decide before deciding whether to go a for a fixed bid or a cost plus. We like the Lindal homes and also real log homes. Since this will be our retirement home and it is on a piece of land that we love, I need to make sure we know what we are getting. Finding out about building a log home is a big job by itself. We're looking at a couple of the log home manufacturers out of British Columbia and their homes look beautiful, but I'm still struggling to understand how to get a good estimate for the total cost since they only sell the shell that doesn't include foundation, roof, flooring, electrical, plumbing, or any finish work.
Anyway thank you again for your help. I will definitely be re-reading your response again as I get to the point where we enter real negotiations.