We were asked to evaluate a 50-year-old A-frame cabin in Midway, Utah. The home is perched on short 6×6 stilts, roughly two feet tall, but the supports are badly off plumb—leaning nearly six inches. At some point, braces were added in an attempt to correct the problem, but they were installed in the wrong direction and offer no real support. The left ridge cap shows heavy storm damage, and both decks—the upper completely disconnected and the lower in shambles—are unsafe.
This is not a structure that might fail in the future; it already has. The stilts were poorly installed, footing depths are unknown, and the lumber in the A-frame shows widespread damage. Portions have been patched or sistered, but much remains untreated. The roof is patched and failing, leaving the interior vulnerable.
One possible resolution is to install structural piers in place of the stilts, though this alone is estimated at around $50,000 and would not address the many other repairs needed. Given the condition of the framing, decks, and roof, the property may be best served by demolition and rebuilding. For a buyer, the structure itself offers little, but the lot may still hold value.
