The most common questions about Barndominiums:
–How Much does it Cost to Build a Barndominium?
--Is a barndominium cheaper than a traditional home?
--Who sells Barndominium Kits?
--Can I buy a Barndominium Shell and finish it or sub it out?
--Are Two Story Barndominiums cheaper to build than a single story Barndo?
--Can I have a Crawl Space or a basem*nt under a barndominium?
–Sketch and Design Tips for designing plans for your barndo.
--How much does it cost to build a barndominium?
The cost to build a barndominium varies depending on the 4 W’s: Where, When, What, and Who.
WHO will do the construction? If you outsource it all to a General Contractor $125, a square foot for the living area of your barndominium is a good starting place. You can spend more depending on your finishings.
WHERE are you going to build your barndominium?
Costs for labor and materials vary for different locations. Will you need to remove rock to pour your foundation? If barndominiums are common in your area, then usually they are cheaper because the builders are familiar with building them. Prices can vary a lot, and in some places, you will pay more to build a Barndominium than a traditional home.
WHAT are you planning for your barndominium? Are you going with high-end finishes such as granite and custom cabinets and tile throughout, or are you going with stained concrete and stock cabinets?
WHEN are you going to build affects the pricing for materials and labor. Costs for materials were 30%+ lower a couple of years ago. The Pandemic has increased costs. Summer of 2022 the cost of lumber has decreased 50% from the high.
For a Barndominium Cost Breakdown list and a simple Barndominium Cost Calculator, see our Barndominium Cost Calculator on our website www.BarndominiumFloorPlans.com
--Design tips for laying out your floor plan
You will have less space than you think once you take away space for the interior and exterior walls.
Interior walls take up 4.5 inches of space when using 2×4 lumber and two sheets of half-inch sheet rock. To be on the safe side, assume 5 inches for interior walls.
Exterior walls for a barndominium can range from 5 inches to 20 inches depending on building style. If you have a 40×40 living area and 12-inch thick walls, your interior space is 38×38.
Furniture – Think about your furniture size, placement, and how you will walk around it. For example, where will you put your TV, and do you have room for your couch, coffee table, and end tables?
What size rooms do you want? Start by measuring your current rooms or rooms of houses you like for comparison.
What direction is North for your plans? Where is the front of the house? Do you want certain rooms to be on the east wall for morning sun light or the west wall for afternoon sunlight?
When using graph paper, pick a scale for each square – 6 inches to 2 feet per square will work based on the detail you want to show. You can print a page with graph paper squares from our website.
You can use multiple pieces of paper to cover your entire home. (Living area on one sheet with the garage/shop on another, and another sheet for the Barndominium Loft or 2nd Story, and another sheet at a 6-inch scale for a detailed layout of rooms like the kitchen and bathrooms).
Sometimes you will have one sheet at a 2-foot scale to show the overall Barndominium Dimensions and then a sheet at 6 inches or 1 foot for the barndo living area.
You can copy a sheet and then mark it with different colors for electrical, water spigots, outdoor lighting, RV connections, and special electrical plugs (welder, etc.).
How will you use porches? The best depth for your porch depends on its use. If you plan to have a table and chairs, you need 10 feet or more of depth. For comparison, consider the size of a dining room with a table and chairs on both sides.
For more Sketch and Design Tips for your Custom Barndominium Design, See this page on our website: https://barndominiumfloorplans.com/custom-sketch-tips/
--Is a barndominium cheaper than a traditional home? Some times.
Like the price to build a barndominium, this depends a lot on the 4 W’s.
In addition, the size of the home and the size of the shop/garage greatly influence which home type is cheaper. The more oversized the shop/garage, the more likely a barndominium is a more affordable home for the total square footage.
The complexity of the roof line for a traditional home can also make it more expensive if it has multiple faces.
The availability of builders with experience building barndominiums also plays a part in which is cheaper. Builders with no experience are likely to give you a higher bid.
We have found that some people are building what looks like a barndominium with metal sides but using 2×4 or 2×6 lumber for the structure, just like a traditional build. The advantage is you get a roof for $10 to $15 a sq. ft. and can layout the interior any way you want without supporting the roof.
--Who sells Barndominium Kits?
We’ve yet to find many Barndominium Kits in the sense of buying everything for your home.
We have found most people want to customize plans for their home.
You will often find kits for the building structure, not the structure and materials for the interior buildout.
You want the building/barn to be designed for a home with the proper wind load, snow load, etc.
Unlike barns, a home should be sealed to keep the elements and critters out. Insulation all around and closure strips down low can help.
The interior components are usually custom (cabinets, flooring, trim, and doors) and thus would not be included with a kit. Lumber companies will look at your floor plans and estimate the lumber needed for the interior build-out of your barndo.
All metal building kits are not suitable for a home structure. Some places will require an engineered building.
Some structures will have lots of small columns to support the roof and walls, limiting where you can have exterior doors and windows. It is more common for barndominiums to have 10’ or more space between the columns.
Other commercial metal buildings will have large columns you need to frame around. And if the columns taper and you don't want to see them, you may end up with a thick exterior wall or a creative framer to encase them.
--Can I buy a Barndominium Shell and finish it or sub it out?
Many barn builders will be more than happy to build your structure for you to finish. Like a Barn kit, you will want to ensure you get a building that will seal out the elements and be strong and sturdy for your home.
Consider upgraded doors (with wind struts) and windows, ensuring they are flashed properly and home grade for operation and insulated. Many shells will not come with door and window frame-outs which can be pricey. If you think you will DIY some of the framings of windows and doors, consider a wood-framed barn instead of a barn framed in metal.
Once the structure is built, framing the inside is like a typical home.
--Are Two Story Barndominiums cheaper to build than a single story Barndo?
First, ask yourself "Do you want to be climbing stairs in 10 or 20 years?" - if your answer is Yes, consider the following.
Many people think a two-story barndominium will per cheaper per sq. ft. BUT there are a lot of complexities to consider when you build a second story.
There is not any easy answer to the 2-story vs. 1-story barndominium. You save some expense for the cost of the concrete if you compare the volume of the concrete pads. And you have less attic or roof to insulate.
But other costs are higher because you are building a two-story.
Higher costs for a two-story Barndominium Include:
-You may pay more for your slab because it may have more structure (rebar, piers) to support the taller columns for the barn and some of the load-bearing walls for the 2nd floor.
-Your ceilings and walls for the 1st floor are now load-bearing and will require more lumber or steel to support the 2nd floor.
-You may pay more for the building itself because of the extra material needed to support a taller building (Building skeleton: Columns, Girts, Purlin). Think about the wind load on a taller building needing to be stronger.
-Construction costs for the metal building can also be more for taller buildings because different equipment is needed to erect the building. (Taller lifts to reach 20’ feet to attach the trusses, more time to attach 20’+ panels to the walls).
-HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical trades often charge more for their services because they use more material, and it takes longer to route through and around the 1st and 2nd floors. (Imagine having an open attic to route HVAC ducts, electrical wires, and water lines where little to no cutting is required versus a subfloor where you have a 2×8 or 2×10 piece of lumber every 12 inches.)
--Can I have a Crawl Space or a basem*nt under a barndominium?
We have had several clients for barndominium plans, including a basem*nt or crawlspace.
We have seen Barndominiums around Lubbock,Texas built with a basem*nt. Your builder and barn supplier will need to coordinate for your basem*nt. Not all building erectors will be willing to build over a basem*nt, and not all engineered buildings will come with foundation plans for a basem*nt.
Most barn builders have not built over a basem*nt since most past barns didn’t have them. They will need to consider what additional equipment they will need to build above a basem*nt – much like a 2-story barndominium; they will need different equipment for the extra height.
For more information and ideas for floor plans visit our website.
