Frequently Asked Castle Building Questions (2024)

1. How long does it take to build a castle?
2. How much does it cost to build a castle?
3. Can you build a castle anywhere?
4. Will you build a castle for us?
5. Why build a castle?
6. How thick are the castle walls?
7. Can I have windows in the castle?
8. How do you build a castle?
9. How many people does it take to build a castle?
10. What castle construction method do you use?
11. Are castles cold and damp?
12. Do you have examples of castle plans for sale?
13. How do I go about building a castle? What is the first step?
14. How much does it cost to heat your castles?
15. How much land do you need for a castle?
16. Do you build castles outside of your own state?
17. Do you customize some of your designs?
18. What kind of stone do you use?
19. Can you build a moat around our castle?
20. Can you build secret passages for our castle?
21. Can we have solar power for our castle?

Average castle building time is two years. Fastest built solid stone tower was two weeks. Fastest built solid stone real castle was 15 months.
Many factors influence the time it takes to build a castle. The most important factor may be the site where the castle is to be built. Since castles are usually built on unique land, it may be difficult to transport materials and labor to the site. Local building regulations can delay the start of a castle or even prevent the building of a castle. It is wise to check out the local planning office and ask a ton of questions beforepurchasing castle land. How much of the work do you want to do yourself? While you can save money as your own labor, you must have sufficient free time on your hands. Local seasonal weather trends influence castle building. A climate too cold can requireboxing in the castle construction or working only in the summer months. Too hot weather can wear out the work crew or require shading of the construction site. Best to enclose the section of castle under construction to allow an unhinderedconstruction pace. Heavy rain can wash away or damage the looks of mortar. A sudden freeze can ruin mortar and your days stonework. The size of your castle is directly proportional to the time it takes to build your castle. The amount of labor and money that you use is inversely proportional to the time it takes to build. Since today's castle building techniques still contain much of the hand crafting of the old days, you should plan to allow more time to build a castle than a traditional modern building. There are many more factors that affect building time, but the previously mentioned factors seem to pop up most often.

Plan to spend twice as long building a castle when compared to building a common structure. For a small or medium sized castle, you should allow one to two years. For a large castle with inner and outer curtain walls, you should allow five years or increase the amount of labor and funds used. On the bright side, your castle will last for generations and increase in value over time.

As with the time it takes to build a castle, most of the same factors can affect the cost of a castle. The remoteness of the site, the weather, the supply and cost of materials and labor, the cost and time for building permits, and the selection of materials used can all affect the cost of your castle. For 2023, new castle construction costs ranged from $525/sq ft to $700/sq ft for a complete finished castle.
During the past 49 years, we have observed government regulations on building escalate from simple fees and helpful inspections to one as a big source of revenue for local and state governments. This can now have a dramatic effect on the cost of your castle. If you are on a tight budget, head for one of the few remaining locations where government fees are lowest.

Good question. Castle architecture does not fit into all building zones. You must select a site and then check with local building and/or planning officials to see if there are any restrictions on castle building in their zone. Some places will allow you to build as you please, others may charge permit fees, set height restrictions, or maybe even just say no. Always ask before buying potential castle land.

Your castle's architecture should be compatible with the site and your neighbors. A castle's site is often a very important part of the architectural effect. Your neighbors, if you have any, may object to your remarkable castle, or their buildings may clash with your architecture. However, a castle in the neighborhood may add value to adjacent properties.

Castle site selection can be a fun, but sometimes tiring, process. Castles like to be located in remote or inaccessible sites. Hilltops, forests, bluffs, rivers, lakes, and even swamps can be some of the best sites. Sometimes the best castle site is one that nobody else wants, so you can obtain the land at a bargain price and have it fit a castle perfectly.

You must have a unique site worthy of a castle and the funds to go medieval. A small island with bedrock, a rocky ocean bluff, a magic site only accessible if we add bridge or scary cliff hanging road or trail, a faerie meadow or forest, a hidden treasure, etc.
A site inspection by us is required before placing a castle order.

We recommend a minimum of 7 feet at the base of outside castle walls.
Interior walls may be one to two feet thick.

Yes, then you will have a castle palace or fantasy castle instead of a fortress for defense.
If you want a real castle, you must locate the windows in areas that are not prone to attack. Such as inside the castles defense walls, courtyard, or high on a tower. If you must have view windows, pick a site on a bluff with a slight slope so that inside the perimeter walls you may have a structure with windows that overlooks the lower perimeter walls and view.

It feels good to back to the old trusted and strong building methods of the past.

Today's modern architecture and construction are now based on reverse building. As an example, today a home builder most often builds the house to the roof first and then glues imitation stone onto the building to attempt to give the illusion that the structure is strong as stone. However, the real and correct method is to stack the stones first and then build the house or roof on top of the strong base. Adding imitation stone work after the house is built or framed weakens and puts stress on the structure instead of adding strength.

One stone at a time. Best method is to use real stone to achieve an authentic look and a castle that lasts through time. Modern steel reinforcing should be added inside of the stone walls to make the new castle stronger than old real castles. Select your castle site based on your wish list and on the ability of the ground to hold the weight of a castle.

On average three masons for a small castle keep, five for a medium sized castle, and ten or more for a large castle.
Our modern infrastructure can take an immense load off of castle building as compared to the old days. With the aid of local and distant suppliers, a single person can build a castle in a fraction of the time it used to take to build a castle. However, the more workers, the faster the construction still goes. Instead of quarrying your own stone, you simply make a phone call to the quarry of your choice and all of the stone you could ever dream of is delivered to your site in a few weeks. The same goes for such supplies as lumber, roofing, structural steel, etc. You may be able to do your own plumbing and electrical, or just hire out to local contractors. What this means is that with the aid of modern communications and suppliers, you don't needa hundred people at the castle site itself. With all the materials easily delivered, what is still needed is the hard hand labor to assemble the castle at the site.

We combine the strength of the old solid stone & timber castles with modern engineering to produce a lasting and healthy structure.
Our castle construction techniques are derived from a variety of sources, both ancient and modern.Our use of double stone walls as permanent formwork for concrete is a method which was used by the Romans in the early years of their Empire. The added tensile strength of reinforcing steel bars originates from modern concrete bridge construction. The use of modern cellular glass fireproof insulation inside the core of the double walls originates from classical heat transfer physics. The layout of timber trusses follows medieval timber structures. The use of pointed arch windows originated from seventh century Arabs and later adapted by Gothic master builders.

Ours are toasty warm and dry in the snowy winters and cool in the summer's heat.
Since medieval standards of hygiene, lighting, and heating were far below those of even ancient Rome, we have incorporated modern science and technology into what appears to be a medieval castle inside and out. Our unique use of a hidden insulation core between the double layers of interior and exterior wall stones in our castle walls is what makes our new castles warm and dry inside The use of radiant hot water floor heat evenly and quietly distributes hidden heat throughout every room. Modern plumbing pipes and electrical conduits are hidden inside of the castle walls. The result is a medieval castle with modern day conveniences and hygiene standards.

Buy land, buy stone, start stacking!
First find your magical castle land, draw your plans, engineer your plans, obtain a permit, and start digging in at your castle site. Obtaining your local building permit can be an easy visit or a series of visits to various departments. How easy it is to obtain a permit will depend on where you are building. Over the years we have seen the permit process take 10 minutes and $25 and have seen it take one and a half years and thousands of dollars. Often those areas that are still as they were thousands of years ago may have a reasonable permit process and lower costs along with a medieval style setting.

Same as any modern building
One of the most important notes about our castles is that they are toasty warm inside and can be heated like any other home. The secret is the hidden rigid waterproof insulation tucked between the double layers of stone in the castle walls. With this method, the heating bill can be the same as or less than a conventional home of a similar size. Add as much insulation desired between the double stone layers to make the castle as energy efficient as you want or what the local building codes require. Double pane windows became standard for new home construction in the 1970's in the US. Our goal now is complete the step and use double walls and double insulated roofs in addition to double pane windows. It is possible to supersede the insulation requirements using our double wall and double roof system and allow you to go back to clear view single pane and still have superior insulating results compared to the average modern home. We can also use any of our non-insulation related tricks to lower heating costs in our castles. Suchas solar electric, micro-hydro, passive solar, massive masonry heater stone fireplaces, and so much more!

Just enough to fit your castle or more if you prefer. There is no minimum land requirement unless the local building zoning department has set a minimum land size for residential homes in your area. Check zoning or CC&Rs for height restrictions. Look for perfect land with large trees, meadows, rocky bluffs or bedrock, water, privacy, good soil, and a friendly environment. Trees are needed to harvest for lumber for your castle. Look for trees with a diameter of 18" to 30". Fir, cedar, walnut, oak, pine, and more are all good. Look for a healthy forest free of bugs. If the trees are straight and full of growing needles or leaves, that is good. If the trees look as if they are struggling to survive and have crooked shapes or lumps, probably not so good. Meadows can be great for horses or crops. A rocky bluff jutting out of a forest or a solid lump of bedrock can be ideal for mounting and supporting the weight of a castle. Be sure there is still good deep soil around the rocky site for crops, trenching utilities, drilling wells, and backfill. Make sure there is water. You will need water for domestic use and for making mortar. Talk to the neighbors and see how far they had to drill for water. Best is a stream or river running downhill through the property to generate hydropower for the castle. Ideal is a waterfall with the more fall being the more power. A good environment for a castle should be free of poisonous insects and snakes. Can you defend the site? Will the site look as if it stood still for all time?

Yes, we travel in search of the best castle sites and best people to build for. There may be an additional cost for building out of our home state due to the cost of your local government fees and insurance.

Yes, all castle designs may be created using your own ideas, our ideas, existing castles, our sample plans, or any combination of. The castle site itself often has the most effect on the creation of the castle design for each castle built.
Castle plans are unique for almost every castle built. Your actual plan should be designed to fit the site in a manner to provide protection from an attack. Both the terrain of the site and the castle design can be used as an advantage against intruders. Today, this design process is also used to take advantage of the stunning views that comes with an ideal castle site. Modern castles often take advantage of architectural features that used to be only for a battle or defense purpose. Battlements, arrow loops, a portcullis entrance, tall gate towers, a drawbridge, a moat, a courtyard surrounded by a castle wall, and more all give a modern castle that special ticket back to a time long since past. Best of all, if you build solid stone castle walls, you can be assured of owning a structure that will stand the tests of time and appreciate with age.

Granite, quartzite, and sandstone are some of the most common stones used in our castles. There are many many choices of stones available form stone quarries all over the world. Our first step when choosing a stone will be to start local from the castle site as we search for stone. This is because the closer the stone source, the less the shipping cost. It is important to select stone based on quality rather than price, so often we will truck the stone in from thousands of miles away if we need to do so to obtain the best stone. The better the stone, the faster the castle will be built and the longer the castle will survive time. Often, an expensive stone will turn out to be lower in cost in the long run when compared to ordering cheap stone based on purchase price only.

Yes. Moats can be used for defense, fish ponds, fountains, and/or swimming pools. One of the best uses of a castle moat is to have it be a real swimming pool with a secret underwater entrance to a pool inside the castle walls.

Yes. Secret entrances/exits, tunnels, bookcase doors, moving walls and panels, hidden staircases, slides, hidden rooms/vaults.

Yes. Solar, wind, and hydro will be a pleasure for off the grid castles. Alternative energy sources and electric vehicles powered by your home or castle will be common in the not so distant future.