Is a Barndominium right for me?

[30th t/a]

Hello, I am new to this forum. I joined because I would like to find out if building a Barndimium is right for my family and would like to hear from people that have experience with them.

A few reasons I'm considering a barndominium. My wife is extremely sensitive to mold. So eliminating a basement where dampness and mold could occur would be a plus. Being built out of steel would also help. From what I've been reading, the cost is much easier on the wallet.

I live in Pennsylvania so is there anything special with heating and cooling I should be aware of?

We were thinking something like 4 bedrooms, at least 2 baths. 3 stall garage. 2500-3000 square feet.

Please let.me know what other questions I need to be asking to help answer my question, if a barndominium is right for me.

I'm brand new to all of all of this so I appreciate any advice you can give me.

 

[billconner]

I think barndominiums can work for anyone. But I have seen a lot of wood, I've even seen one with a basement.

So, you can build a pretty conventionsl looking and functioning house with a steel frame on a slab on ground.

But there's a lot of ways to avoid mold and allergens. Just need to find the right designers and be vigilant in construction.

 

[dcg9381]

A pretty active group for barndo builds (nationwide): https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildingbarndominiums
Comments:

• Basements do not have to be damp/moldy. There are ways to deal with this, especially when building a new structure. And there are often substantial thermal benefits to using basements.
• Steel doesn't hold moisture, but modern building envelops (stick and brick) don't have moisture issues either. Barndos can be wood or steel.
• Barndo cost does not seem to be very far off stick and brick. The main way a barndo gets to be less expensive is if you can quickly get an insulated "shell" up and finish the inside yourself. Prices I'm seeing for "turn key" barndo are right up there with custom home.
• Penn is cold - there are "recommended" insulation requirements and you're probably looking at not-heat-pump heat, pretty standard for the area. There are geothermal options, pellet stove options, all sorts of options that are consistent with custom homes.
• They can be tricky to finance in some areas, as most financing depends on comparable sales for "similar structures" - I've seen barndos that were turned down for conventional financing as there was not enough sales data.

Like others here, I think barndos are perfect for everyone. The problem is that not everyone agrees.

 

[BombShelter]

Welcome! I don't know anything about barndominiums but if you want some water protection on a new construction project use bentonite membranes, personally I like CETCO's Swelltite for the walls and Volclay for under concrete slabs. Everything is overlapped so no water will penetrate the concrete if installed correctly. It's not like spray on asphalt that doesn't bridge cracks and flakes off over time, it should last the lifetime of the foundation.

If mold is a concern, even laying Volclay under the slab on grade can help stop any moisture from moving through the floor. CETCO's Website will have much more information.

 

[MushCreek]

Do you have the land yet? The first question is always whether or not what you plan is allowed by the local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction). This could be the county or city zoning or building department.

As for basements- Our basement here in hot humid SC does not get moldy. But- it is ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) so it is well insulated. The moisture in basements usually results from warm moist air hitting the relatively cool concrete walls and condensing. It also helps to have the basement really well waterproofed, with sealers, drain board, and a drain system to carry the moisture away before it ever gets to the foundation walls.

 

[Showkey]

Metal building used in typical barndominiums by their construction, material choices and insulation techniques have their own issues with moisture and dampness control so barndominiums are no exception moisture.

 

[inphx]

Well i got schooled by the photo examples on the facebook page - I didn't know what a barndominium was.

 

[tez929rr]

Upsides: steel buildings (can) go up a lot faster. My experience has been that they are cheaper than equivalent stick construction but that may have changed. As someone noted, you can get the shell up fast and do the inside yourself. We did that a few years ago and the result exceeded our expectations.
Downsides: not allowed everywhere and there are lots of lots of mediocre or bad steel building erectors, and it can be hard to find a good one. Like any growth industry, opportunity attracts lots of dodgy people.

Pics of ours here: Barracks

 

[yeldogt]

First, you have to define what it is. When I first encountered the term it referred to an industrial style building that combined both a large work or hobby space and living space built within one structure. The hobby/ work area was primary .. the building looked industrial .... typically metal w/ metal siding.

Today it seems what I would call a modern material barn .. can be classified as one .... with little work space.

The problems were and still are local land use restrictions and resale value. Many places do not allow large industrial looking buildings --- next ........ who will want to purchase a large building with that configuration. The latter is often a problem with getting finance ..... banks don't want to lend money to projects they can't properly value or think may have a resale problem.

I recently went to two projects that a local builder is doing .... one was a huge Texas farm house w/ barn (that they called a barndominium) --- the other was just called a barndominium ... IMO not named correctly. One was just a large structure that sort of matched a barn with modern materials ... the utility space was nothing more than a three car garage. The Texas farmhouse barn held a 3 car garage party room and guest suit ...

 

[billconner]

If you like the houses based on post frame or timber frame barns, check out the Quonset hut houses.

 

[dcg9381]

If you like the houses based on post frame or timber frame barns, check out the Quonset hut houses.

We had land with a Quonset hut probably built a little after WWII. Why don't we see these structures much anymore?

 

[billconner]

There's a couple of manufacturers that seem very busy. https://www.steelmasterusa.com/ is one.

I was imaging a very large radius - 30+' -room for three levels - but reasonably short - like 30' - and mostly glass in ends.

 

[karoc]

Get on YouTube and search rr buildings he has ton videos on process of building post frame barns/ house and barndominiums. The attraction of these is high ceiling and wide open space without columns.

 

[tdkkart]

Personal opinion and experience:
Assuming the "barn" portion of your building would be a "working" space, IE automotive/fabricating/painting, or woodworking/painting/staining, or maybe even an actual barn space with animals and equipment. I'll say this:

I don't want any kind of working space attached to my house, I don't even really care for just the daily driver parking/storage
garage space attached to my living quarters. My experience is that it's just too hard to keep the associated odors, chemicals, noise etc
out of the living space. I don't do anything in my attached garage other than store a couple cars, a motorcycle and a few lawn items and the garbage, and there's still stuff that gets in the house.

I just don't like it, and prefer to keep them separate if at all possible.

 

[rayra]

OP check out the RR Buildings youtube channel. They've been doing more upscale 'Barndo' builds lately. Nothing inexpensive about the materials they are using. But they are a great education in quality workmanship, good base materials and building techniques.

Seconding the statement above about moisture / mold, nothing special about a Barndo in that regard. It matters how you build it and how you control water ingress, no matter the structure.

And very much check your local building codes. Most urban / suburban areas won' tallow a Barndo. They're chiefly a rural design.

 

[clutchee]

We built ours here in Texas. These are pics below being built.

Thing is the efficieny of metal house!

Walls are 6” thick, open cell foam filled. The roof with I beams is 10” open cell foam filled.
Now it’s 100+ here and our attic is 80F, just changed air filter up there.

All LED lighting, on demand Hot water.

By adding porch around, we have no sunlight directly on windows adding heat.


One thing to consider, the heat and AC, you will need fresh air flow, you can’t make it so tight air doesn’t flow and it’s raining in your house. Our AC guy knew this.

 

[30th t/a]

A pretty active group for barndo builds (nationwide): https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildingbarndominiums
Comments:

• Basements do not have to be damp/moldy. There are ways to deal with this, especially when building a new structure. And there are often substantial thermal benefits to using basements.
• Steel doesn't hold moisture, but modern building envelops (stick and brick) don't have moisture issues either. Barndos can be wood or steel.
• Barndo cost does not seem to be very far off stick and brick. The main way a barndo gets to be less expensive is if you can quickly get an insulated "shell" up and finish the inside yourself. Prices I'm seeing for "turn key" barndo are right up there with custom home.
• Penn is cold - there are "recommended" insulation requirements and you're probably looking at not-heat-pump heat, pretty standard for the area. There are geothermal options, pellet stove options, all sorts of options that are consistent with custom homes.
• They can be tricky to finance in some areas, as most financing depends on comparable sales for "similar structures" - I've seen barndos that were turned down for conventional financing as there was not enough sales data.

Like others here, I think barndos are perfect for everyone. The problem is that not everyone agrees.

 

[30th t/a]

I do not have land yet. I found a piece that I'm interested in though. I already contacted the township and they said there is no resctrictions for building a Barndimium.

We will not building any of the barndimium ourself. I'll leave that to the professionals. I know that will make the cost a lot higher.

 

[Rc_Guy]

This is ours, built in 2016. About 1600 sqft in the house. Garage is 40' wide by 48' deep, 10'X10' doors, in floor heat with gas boiler for the floors, Mini split for a/c in the house

 

[30th t/a]

This is ours, built in 2016. About 1600 sqft in the house. Garage is 40' wide by 48' deep, 10'X10' doors, in floor heat with gas boiler for the floors, Mini split for a/c in the house

That looks very nice. How much did that cost all said n done? And did you do any of the work?

 

[Rc_Guy]

That looks very nice. How much did that cost all said n done? And did you do any of the work?

In 2016 it was right around 200,000 but we already owned the land, bought it about six months earlier.

Was planning on doing some of the work myself but as soon as we put our house for sale I slipped on the ice and broke my wrist and wrecked my rotator cuff at work so I was on light duty for a year

 

[30th t/a]

In 2016 it was right around 200,000 but we already owned the land, bought it about six months earlier.

Was planning on doing some of the work myself but as soon as we put our house for sale I slipped on the ice and broke my wrist and wrecked my rotator cuff at work so I was on light duty for

In 2016 it was right around 200,000 but we already owned the land, bought it about six months earlier.

Was planning on doing some of the work myself but as soon as we put our house for sale I slipped on the ice and broke my wrist and wrecked my rotator cuff at work so I was on light duty for a year

Thanks for that info. Would you be able to post the floor plans? Or would I be able to find them online? I'd like to see the layout. What state are you located in? I'm in PA and if I go this route, I'm going to need to find a good trust worthy builder. This is all new to me. Thanks

 

[Rc_Guy]

Thanks for that info. Would you be able to post the floor plans? Or would I be able to find them online? I'd like to see the layout. What state are you located in? I'm in PA and if I go this route, I'm going to need to find a good trust worthy builder. This is all new to me. Thanks

No floor plans online. I drew it myself and the architect went from there. 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom.

 

[Zeke]

Well i got schooled by the photo examples on the facebook page - I didn't know what a barndominium was.

Me neither. It is certainly a big country.

 

[anomm701]

I do not have land yet. I found a piece that I'm interested in though. I already contacted the township and they said there is no resctrictions for building a Barndimium.

We will not building any of the barndimium ourself. I'll leave that to the professionals. I know that will make the cost a lot higher.

Might wanna ask about set backs and whatnot from the road that might interfere with the size of your building. Also call the city auditor ask them what the seller bought that parcel (have parcel#) of land for and use that when negotiating. You'll get a better deal

I bought my 5 acres for 15k when they were asking 40k

 

[billconner]

Now here's a barndomium I could go for:

A Quonset home with a luxurious, open-concept living space is on the market in Texas for $3.9 million. Take a look inside.

The owners decided on the Quonset design for efficiency, low maintenance, and functionality, one of the listing agents told Insider.

www.insider.com

 

[yeldogt]

Now here's a barndomium I could go for:

A Quonset home with a luxurious, open-concept living space is on the market in Texas for $3.9 million. Take a look inside.

The owners decided on the Quonset design for efficiency, low maintenance, and functionality, one of the listing agents told Insider.

www.insider.com

Interesting ...

Have rehabbed a bunch of odd structures (fire house/ 2 churches / loft industrial) and built some odd vacation houses. I like seeing what others come up with ... can't say I love this execution ... but, it is interesting. Wonder what it cost to build? .. for the size of the structure the bedroom and kitchen are dumb IMO. Ditto on the bath.

Looking at the guest house it looks as if that was the original house for the 64 acres. I wonder why they put the new structures so close to the original house and the old barn .....?

 

[Digital Spaceport]

I recently saw a barndo that was around 120 by 60. I would guess the garage was 40" of that attached. They had a highly functionally useful 80 x 60 2 story interior finished out like a nice house. Inside there one would have no idea it was steel framed. Above normal grade finished. They had a pretty large amount of acreage. I was impressed and asked how much it all was, expecting it to be "cheaper". In 2008 they spent 260k on it all. I guess they could have gotten ripped off but in that area 260k in 2008 I don't think they got any "savings" on the cost per SQ ft of the finished space vs trad stick built. I guess they got a banging garage for a savings/free though out of it and a 60 x 40 garage isn't "cheap".

 

[rayra]

Well that's the thing it seems with higher end Barndos, they aren't any cheaper by the square foot than traditional homes.
Their potential savings is in large combined workshop / home setups, large families, or for someone that can a majority of the interior trades work themselves.

We were planning a Barndo homestead / 'retirement' home in E. TX, before Covid happened and skewed everything. The Barndo plan I worked up wasn't really a forever home, but art of a multi-stage plan to get on a semi-rural property. By an single / farmhouse, with all utilities in place, house in any condition. Built the big workshop with 'guest quarters' and live in it while the existing home was completely re-worked or even replaced. Idea being a multi-use property, multiple small revenue streams, self-employed, truck farm, etc etc etc.

If I was planning a 'forever' home in one, the 'home' portion would be all one story, off one end, similar to Rc_guy's picture.

Most of my early design ideas were more like large barns / workshops with the living quarters an afterthought. Wanted a 'proper' house that could work as a B&B ,with 'public' spaces and a private quarter in the back. And also create some sort of outdoor wedding venue with the public part of the house for wedding party use and the guests in some outdoor settings. So the Barndo quarters were rudimentary.

 

[Digital Spaceport]

Well that's the thing it seems with higher end Barndos, they aren't any cheaper by the square foot than traditional homes.
Their potential savings is in large combined workshop / home setups, large families, or for someone that can a majority of the interior trades work themselves.

We were planning a Barndo homestead / 'retirement' home in E. TX, before Covid happened and skewed everything. The Barndo plan I worked up wasn't really a forever home, but art of a multi-stage plan to get on a semi-rural property. By an single / farmhouse, with all utilities in place, house in any condition. Built the big workshop with 'guest quarters' and live in it while the existing home was completely re-worked or even replaced. Idea being a multi-use property, multiple small revenue streams, self-employed, truck farm, etc etc etc.

If I was planning a 'forever' home in one, the 'home' portion would be all one story, off one end, similar to Rc_guy's picture.

Most of my early design ideas were more like large barns / workshops with the living quarters an afterthought. Wanted a 'proper' house that could work as a B&B ,with 'public' spaces and a private quarter in the back. And also create some sort of outdoor wedding venue with the public part of the house for wedding party use and the guests in some outdoor settings. So the Barndo quarters were rudimentary.

That's a pretty solid plan on the barndo income streams. Question since ya looked into this pretty deep. Do these get good resale? Around the hill country I almost never see them listed so no idea. Maybe people love them so much they just never sell um.

 

[billconner]

Google "barndominiums for sale (your state)" and quite a few pop up. None seem real low price.

 

[rayra]

That's a pretty solid plan on the barndo income streams. Question since ya looked into this pretty deep. Do these get good resale? Around the hill country I almost never see them listed so no idea. Maybe people love them so much they just never sell um.

That's pretty much my assessment. Most of the time they seem to be a 'forever' / semi retirement home, so not a lot of turnover. Most comments I saw about resale were about lack of comps, nonstandard construction making mortgage financiers shy away. But I really can't say for sure. Resale wasn't a concern for me (either) so I didn't look deep. Most of my plan was about financing the building of the shell so I could get it erected quickly. Then finish it out myself. But it will pretty much be a cash deal for us when the time comes. If it ever does.

 

[Rc_Guy]

I recently saw a barndo that was around 120 by 60. I would guess the garage was 40" of that attached. They had a highly functionally useful 80 x 60 2 story interior finished out like a nice house. Inside there one would have no idea it was steel framed. Above normal grade finished. They had a pretty large amount of acreage. I was impressed and asked how much it all was, expecting it to be "cheaper". In 2008 they spent 260k on it all. I guess they could have gotten ripped off but in that area 260k in 2008 I don't think they got any "savings" on the cost per SQ ft of the finished space vs trad stick built. I guess they got a banging garage for a savings/free though out of it and a 60 x 40 garage isn't "cheap".

Even ours the builder said it was only about 15% less than a stick built home, we did not do it to save money we did it because we wanted a huge garage and all one level living

 

[Fueler]

Here is one that you can see how it's built start to finish.

 

[Digital Spaceport]

Google "barndominiums for sale (your state)" and quite a few pop up. None seem real low price.

They seem really expensive on the niche sites I was using, but Texas is huge and that can add up to a hell of a commute pretty quick . I think I figured out why they didn't show up in my area browsing on Zillow also. FSBO, many look like outright sellers. Also there is a keyword modifier in the "type" and adding in barndominium. 3 "near" me. All 1+ M and on "lots" of land. Seems like getting land cheap, which it's totally not happening around here anymore, was a key part of their probable future windfall.

 

[mikedodge]

Basements don't create dampness and mold. You're more likely to have that problem in a building without a basement if it wasn't built or ventilated properly. Among other things it also comes down to drainage.
I prefer having a basement because it gives you extra space but not having to do that digging and extra foundation work saves on construction cost.

I'm building at some point but I don't know when and with the way our city keeps finding new ways **** money out of people and penalize home owners i might end up selling my property and start somewhere else.

 

[yeldogt]

This gets back to the pole vs stick argument around here ... the question is what do you want when finished.

Both metal and wood pole buildings give you a lot of bang for the buck ..... My friend put up a nice wood clad pole w/ interior conditioned office space for a price not possible going stick. The more you want to take the pole to a fully finished interior and exterior product -- the closer it's going to cost what a stick would have been. You save the foundation cost w/ pole.

Bardominium becomes a design consideration. There is a guy I know who makes wood working tools and built one -- he stuck with the whole look and construction level. Part of the building is not conditioned for supplies and vehicles -- part is his shop and the final is a interesting living space. He retired early and they have a small summer place as well.