2. Barndominium Basics: Why we are Jumping on the Bandwagon

So, what provoked all this pack-up-and-move business? A TikTok. Yes, that is right, stumbling across a single video set off a chain of events which has us desperate to sell our home and embark on what is likely to be the most stressful project I will ever take on. It sounds borderline psychotic, I know.

On the evening of June 3rd, I was scrolling through TikTok when the owner of Back Forty Buildings piqued my curiosity. The video was taken inside of a beautiful open-concept barn home, and it showed kids riding bikes around the living room and then out to the driveway through a unique overhead door on the exterior wall of the house. I clicked on the hashtag #barndominium to explore further and was quickly hooked on the entire “barndo” trend: high ceilings, attached oversized shops, open floorplans, and beautifully finished interiors!

We weren’t even considering building a new home prior to this exposure. However, after the initial research, it seemed like this new idea could bring a custom home within reach due to potential cost savings and ability to DIY certain parts of the construction. Ashley had always talked about wanting a big house where we could entertain large groups and host the family during holidays. After seeing a few videos and pictures of completed barndos, she was nervous, but all-in.

The name “barndominium” dates back as early as the 1980s and has gained popularity since 2016 when a barn conversion was featured on the popular HGTV show, Fixer Upper.

This building concept has been called names like barndo, barn home, and shouse (shop-house). If you’ve never heard of a barndominium, here is a summary of features and advantages:

Simplicity: barndos are often built as a shell with simple interior framing.

• The main frame of the building is typically constructed in one of two ways:

  • 6x6 wood posts or laminated wood columns which stand vertically to support engineered wood trusses. Exterior wall and roof framing uses 2x6 studs in between posts and trusses (similar to a stick built home). For reference, imagine a pole barn typically built for agricultural purposes, horse barns, etc.

  • A pre-engineered metal building which is welded/fabricated in a factory and then erected at the building site. This design consists of I-beam or web steel columns and rafters which have the potential for massive clear spans. Exterior framing uses metal purlins and girts. 2-by wooden wall studs are installed between the metal framing members for insulation cavities and to attach interior drywall. For reference, this type of building would be found in commercial shop/warehouse applications.

• Both construction methods use corrugated sheet metal for the exterior siding and roof.

• It is common for floors to be stained/sealed concrete with no additional coverings. However, some owners opt to install hardwood, tile, laminate, LVP, or carpet directly over the concrete floor. For added energy efficiency and comfort, concrete floors can include radiant in-floor heating systems.

Construction Time: The popular metal shell construction goes up quickly.

• Because the typical barndo is a simple rectangular shape and uses basic building materials, the exterior shell can be completed much faster than a traditional stick built home. A building can be “dried-in” in as few as 5 days leaving the interior work environment dry and out of the elements.

• While barndominiums look like metal barns on the outside, on the inside they are framed and finished to look like traditional homes.

• Thanks to clear span building frames, most barndos feature an expansive, open concept living room with high vaulted ceilings. Without load-bearing walls, barndominium floor plans can be customized to the designers exact liking.

• With prefabricated metal parts, it is fast and easy to build a metal barndominium. As such, it also is more cost-effective than putting up a wood structure.

Durability: metal barndos withstand the elements and have a longer life than most standard home-building materials.

• Steel buildings are much more fire-resistant than an all-wood design. For this reason, homeowner’s insurance is typically lower than a traditional home.

• Most steel roof assemblies will last a lifetime, no need to replace asphalt shingles every 20-25 years. Steel siding panels have a 40-year paint warranty which means the home will probably never need to be repainted.

• The strong steel shell can stand up to severe weather conditions such as heavy rain and snow, hail, wind and seismic events. Unlike wood, steel will not rot or warp and is not susceptible to damage from termites and other insects.

Flexibility: barndominiums can be configured as multi-functional living spaces with large, attached shops, garages, barns, arenas, etc.

• With the strength of steel framing, enjoy column-free spaces up to 150ft. With the reduced need for structural walls and columns, the interior layout of your barndominium can be partitioned to fit a family’s needs.

• There are several options to consider when finishing off interior walls. Depending on aesthetic preferences, a designer can opt for the more industrial look of exposed metal beams and panels, or they can finish the metal framed walls with drywall or other traditional materials.

• The barn style building can be designed to fit many architectural styles and can use many different exterior materials including exterior stone, brick, and wood.

• High ceilings and an open-plan design give these buildings an interrupted flow of light, the perfect alternative to cramped and stuffy traditional homes.

Cost: generally speaking, barndominiums appear to cost less to construct than traditional stick-frame construction.

• According to Barndominiumfloorplans.com:

  • Using a general contractor, a barndominium will cost $100-130 per sq. ft. for living area and $20-40 per sq. ft. for garage space.

  • Conventional custom home costs are around $200 per sq. ft.

• According to backfortybuildings.com:

  • Doing some of the work as DIY rather than using subcontractors will cost $100-140 per sq. ft. for living area. $25-35 per sq. ft. is a good estimate for shop space.

• According to a user on reddit in June 2021:

  • Received a quote for traditional home @ $176 per sq. ft. does not include well or septic or permits, all builder-grade. Location unknown.

  • Quote for turn-key barndo @ $143 per sq. ft. for living quarters and $60 per sq. ft. for garage, includes permitting and engineering.

• According to bardonminiumlife.com:

  • Cost for turn-key barndo will be $95-125 per sq. ft.

• I found at least 2 owner-builders who have completed construction in 2020 and they documented that their barndo builds costed less than $350,000 for approx. 2600 sq. ft. of living quarters and 2400 sq. ft. of garage/shop space.

Even with those solid references stating that the cost to build a barndominium is slightly cheaper than a traditional home, I’ve also come across several articles where folks have claimed that to be a myth. I can certainly see how this construction type could be cheaper to construct, but I also realize that much of it is dependent upon a ton of variables – many of which are outside of our control, i.e., rapidly increasing cost of steel.

As you can see, there are a lot of advantages to building a custom steel frame home. We really like the idea and I think it will fit our family’s lifestyle well. On a side note, can you just imagine a 15-foot-tall Christmas tree in a 2-story great room? Goals!

Check out these awesome inspiration photos: