Published
Who runs this site
Kjel Jones
Kjel is first an independent researcher of Island Park building — the county's ordinances and checklists, the health district's septic rules, the market's real numbers, and the working map of who actually builds here. He is based in Rexburg and works the Rexburg–St. Anthony–Ashton–Island Park corridor this site covers. This site's job is giving people who are planning an Island Park cabin the researched, sourced answers that did not exist anywhere locally — and pointing serious projects toward the area's independent builders.
He is also a licensed Idaho real estate agent with LPT Realty. That matters two ways: it is why the land, access, and value research on this site runs deep — and it means that if you want him to represent you directly in buying or selling Island Park land or a cabin, that service exists, on one clearly marked page: buy or sell with Kjel. It stays a side note on purpose, so the research stays research.
To be explicit about what he is not: Kjel is not a contractor. Building services come from the independent builders you choose to hire. What this site contributes is local research — ordinances, market data, permitting reality, and a working map of who actually builds here — plus a straight answer when you call.
Why this site exists
The facts that decide an Island Park build were scattered across county PDFs, hearsay, and websites a hundred miles away. The single most consequential one is a one-line county rule most people only discover after buying land:
Snow Load shall be 170 PSF for the Island Park District.
— Fremont County, Idaho, Ordinance 2005-02 (Planning & Building)
That one line — confirmed independently by the University of Idaho's 2015 ground snow load study, which measured Island Park at about 175 psf at 6,280 feet — reshapes roof engineering, build season, and budget. Meanwhile the market data people quote is volatile: Redfin's Island Park median sale price printed $615,000 (trailing 3 months, August 2026) only months after printing $1.2M, because a market with a handful of monthly sales swings hard. A guide that names its sources and dates beats hearsay in both directions. That is the whole editorial policy:
- Primary sources first — ordinances, agency rules, public records.
- Every statistic dated and attributed; when facts change, pages change and their visible dates change with them.
- Builders covered because research surfaced them, never because they paid.
Talk to a person
Call or text (208) 656-1438. If a call goes to voicemail, leave your name and what you're planning — you will hear back, usually the same day. Or use the form on the home page and choose how you want to be contacted.
Common questions
Who writes this site?
Kjel Jones, an independent Island Park building researcher based in Rexburg — about 45 minutes down the corridor — who is also a licensed Idaho real estate agent with LPT Realty. He researches, writes, and answers the phone for this site personally.
Is this site owned by a builder?
No. No builder owns it, funds it, or pays to appear on it as of the page date above. If a paid relationship with any builder ever begins, the how-this-site-is-paid page will say so by name.
Is Kjel a contractor?
No, and the site never pretends otherwise. Kjel is a researcher and a licensed Idaho real estate agent (LPT Realty), not a builder. Construction services come from the independent builders you choose to hire; this site contributes local research and straight answers.
Why should a real estate agent write about cabin construction?
Because the questions overlap almost completely: land, access, septic, county jurisdiction, market value, and what a property is actually worth once built. On this site Kjel works as a researcher — the construction-specific facts come from primary sources, like Fremont County's ordinance setting the Island Park snow load at 170 pounds per square foot — and his real estate license (Idaho, LPT Realty) is disclosed wherever it appears.
What sources does this site use?
Primary and named ones: Fremont County ordinances, the University of Idaho's 2015 ground snow load study, named market data such as Redfin's Island Park series (retrieved August 2026), and public records on the builders covered. Every statistic carries its source and date.
Does Kjel benefit if I pick one builder over another?
No. No builder pays this site today, and if that ever changes it will be disclosed in plain language. The comparisons stay factual and identical for everyone either way — that commitment is written on the how-this-site-is-paid page.
What happens when I call?
You reach Kjel directly at (208) 656-1438, or his voicemail — recorded so your call can be returned, usually the same day. No call center, no script, no obligation.
Where does the real estate side fit in?
As a clearly marked side note. If you want Kjel to represent you directly in buying or selling Island Park land or a cabin — as a licensed Idaho agent with LPT Realty — that lives on the buy-or-sell page, and nothing on this site quietly signs you up for anything. The research, the builder comparisons, and the free phone line stay independent either way.