Anyone have any first hand experience with a barndoium? Thinking of relocating and not finding much on the market that we care for. Not wanting to deal with building departments, but mite have to force fully have to go that direction. Seen plenty of open floor plans of these barn - o on the internet and I think of a last home, it would be great. Thanks
Thinking Barn/house
- Thread starter Sturgeon
- Start date
zkdiesel
Well-known member
Brother in law built one last year.
Not impressed by it at all. Still had inspections, had problems with lending, Doesn’t hold conventional value for mortgage
I wouldn’t use the “shop half” for real work like I do but for most it would be fine
Not impressed by it at all. Still had inspections, had problems with lending, Doesn’t hold conventional value for mortgage
I wouldn’t use the “shop half” for real work like I do but for most it would be fine
I believe where you see the issue is with posts in the ground. Using perm columns or a concrete stem wall with brackets would probably suit your lender.
Re: mortgage; they are considered a unique improvement; likely most lenders would lend; but it depends if the appraiser can find good comparables. Lenders and appraisal reviewers don’t want to see all cookie cutter conventionally framed comps to value a different type product (different typical buyer, different typical cost and price). It was harder when they were first becoming a thing. The more prevalent they are in your area the more likely there won’t be a problem.
tez929rr
Well-known member
There are a bunch around here. We have two red steel buildings and one has a fully furnished apartment inside. It’s very nice and surprisingly cheap to heat and cool. If we were moving out here again from scratch, we would probably have built a big steel building or two instead of buying an existing home. Combining the shop and living area might work OK but generally it seems like wanting more space is always an issue, so I would look at a design that allows for expansion. When we built our second building Mueller prepared drawings and spec sheets based on our specifications, so talk to the steel building companies in your area.
The Metric System
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2025
- Messages
- 268
I do not own a barndominium but have very closely examined the concept as an option several times.
Every time I did this, I concluded that (in my area/scope) it would cost about the same to build a conventional ~3br/2ba house with a very large shop as it would to build a barndo on the same land.
The conventional house offers several advantages:
As far as I can tell, the barndo concept is a good fit in a couple of situations:
I'm willing to bend/break a lot of rules, but not when it comes to my home.
Every time I did this, I concluded that (in my area/scope) it would cost about the same to build a conventional ~3br/2ba house with a very large shop as it would to build a barndo on the same land.
The conventional house offers several advantages:
- Generally easier zoning/lending because it fits neatly in the categories that the planning/banking folks think in
- Better resale value, because there are way more buyers looking for something like this
- Easier resale, for the same reason
- More flexibility for guests or unexpected changes in life situation
- The living area is more isolated from the noise/dust/smell of the shop area
As far as I can tell, the barndo concept is a good fit in a couple of situations:
- You want to live in your shop from a lifestyle/aesthetic perspective. This is totally valid, IMO no different than somebody who just wants to live at the beach or in Paris or whatever.
- You have a specific practical constraint that is best resolved with a barndo. Could be zoning, plot layout, preexisting structure, historical area, etc. I expect these situations are fairly rare.
I'm willing to bend/break a lot of rules, but not when it comes to my home.
tez929rr
Well-known member
Every state, county, and municipality are different. Here if it’s an unincorporated area you can do whatever you want. There is no way for anyone to answer your question without knowing the rules where you want to build.
Codyboy
Well-known member
There's a lot of them around here.
I don't know about the building dept's and not dealing with them. Depends on where you build.
I see them no different than a house with a garage attached.
There are barndos and there are steel built houses like we're doing.
Shop and house connected with a porter cochere.
House will be built with welded red iron, metal siding and metal roof.
I think its a lot stronger structure personally.
I see no issue of getting financing either.
I don't know about the building dept's and not dealing with them. Depends on where you build.
I see them no different than a house with a garage attached.
There are barndos and there are steel built houses like we're doing.
Shop and house connected with a porter cochere.
House will be built with welded red iron, metal siding and metal roof.
I think its a lot stronger structure personally.
I see no issue of getting financing either.
Good read Metric, all legitimate concerns, especially the chain around one's neck concerning resale. Pretty sure though that this would be my last hooray.
This is the answer.
If you really want to live in a barn, and think you will enjoy this more than a house, then go ahead.
But if you are doing this to save money, then it probably makes more sense to look a little longer for the right existing house to come along, or consider buying a house and building a shop. We are on our second 'forever' house, and out neighbors are on their third, while re-sale value is not the only concern it is risky to ignore it.
The actual living experience/architecture of barndos tends to be subpar - limiting your building footprint to a big metal box heavy on interior volume really impacts where you can put windows and doors. Most of the ones I have seen tend to be dark and awkward. Now I am sure there are some really well done examples (which people will post) but if you are doing this for cost reasons, that is unlikely to be you.
The Metric System
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2025
- Messages
- 268
I didn't get into this in my previous reply, but you are absolutely correct. It is certainly possible to build a barndo type structure that is as comfortable and pleasant as a traditional house, but it will be comparatively difficult and expensive to do so.
There is a reason that homes are built the way they are. Things like exterior walls, natural light, human scale spaces, and truly residential vibes/flow/finishes are the things that make most people feel at home and comfortable in a structure. Even people with the budgets to build whatever they want tend to end up with something that feels like a traditional house, albeit an enormous one.
An individual homeowner could reasonably decide that they don't care about these things, or even that they prefer the sort of living space that results from a barndo layout. However, they should be realistic about this being a very uncommon perspective and that if they (or their inheritors) ever sell the place most potential buyers will not be interested.
Personally, I don't want to go through all the expense and effort of building a new place just to wind up with a white elephant - especially when a more comfortable/functional option is readily available for about the same cost.
This varies widely with your specific zoning/building regs, but generally the answer is "No, an engineer's stamp is not sufficient for what you are trying to do".
Consider that a structure that can be built is different from one that can legally be occupied as a residence.
Example: I have a prefab shed in my back yard, the drawing plans are stamped by engineers from several states including the one where I reside. Despite this, I cannot live in my shed because it lacks the features required of a habitable structure. Even though everybody agrees that it is structurally sound and won't fall down, it would still need things like plumbing, insulation, and multiple means of emergency egress before somebody could sleep there.
I encourage you to really research and understand the codes that apply where you are planning to build; there are very few habitable areas where there are truly no rules around this sort of thing.
I very much want my house to be absolutely bulletproof from a permitting/zoning/code perspective, IMO the stakes are too high to just build a noncompliant (or even arguably noncompliant) structure and hope nobody ever notices.
My Old Tools
Well-known member
I did one 30 years ago. Built a 30x80x10 red steel building. Took 38x30 for a 2 bedroom apartment. I framed it all with 2x4 on 24". It was just like a conventional build except where it hit the steel. I recessed the 2x4 exterior walls so it was flush with the I-beams and wall girts. The building had roll insulation applied when it was built, and I used 4" bats in the stud cavities as well. Made a very tight and quiet apartment. I used 2x6 ceiling joists with enough interior partitions to keep the spans reasonable. Sheetrocked it myself after I did all the wiring and plumbing myself. I paid a guy to tape, bed, and paint. I acid stained the concrete floors myself. Except for the shell I did it all out of pocket. Even built the kitchen cabinets. I lived in it 10 years and let my BIL live in it a few more. Sold it for about triple what I had invested. Local banks had no problem loaning on it. No inspections outside the city limits in our area. They are far more common now than they were then. Lots of high end homes are steel framed these days.
We built a 30×96×14 pole building and it will have about 1,200 sq ft of living space (barndo-style). It’s already used for our business, and the near-future plan is to build a separate house. That’ll just mean we can live right next to the shop/barndo… or in it, if my wife ever kicks me out. 
I love the barndos, but ours is in addition to a house... Which is obviously different than a lot of people.
Here are some pics of my brothers barndo. He's happy with it! This is 46x106x20
The build out was done by him so it did take some time but I think the finished product looks amazing
Good luck on your decision!!
I love the barndos, but ours is in addition to a house... Which is obviously different than a lot of people.
Here are some pics of my brothers barndo. He's happy with it! This is 46x106x20
The build out was done by him so it did take some time but I think the finished product looks amazing
Good luck on your decision!!
Last edited:
This is a very good write up. I just want to add some reasons as to why it might make sense to you and yours.
* retired couple that snowbirds from Northern state to Florida/Arizona. . . big enough garage for a RV/camper to be parked and only lived in 4-6 months a year.
* single bachelor that needs to get out of parents house with a motorsport hobby and works long hours. . . AKA bachelor pad.
* young couple starting out with no kids that can DIY. Have a contractor build the shell and finish interior as they go. Live in it a few years and build the forever home in a few years (decade) later. This become an en-suite for parents or In-Laws in the future or a place for out of town family & friends.
All this being said, if the barndo was a temp residence and a future forever build coming soon, I build accordingly. Build walls that could be easily removed. Kitchen/bathroom that would remain but set up back to back for plumbing and the rest of the living quarters converts to shop space.
sjvicker
Well-known member
I’m building a pole barn house in the next few years and from my research, it doesn’t seem any cheaper than a similar style stick build if a contractor is doing it. The key words there are “similar style” as it’s not really fair to compare a barndo to a complex, multi roof standard build. A barndo is more like a colonial. It might also be difficult to find a builder who’s skilled and willing to blend building styles.
As a self builder a barndo is appealing because I can dry it in quickly over a summer and take my time on the inside.
As a self builder a barndo is appealing because I can dry it in quickly over a summer and take my time on the inside.
41plym
Well-known member
To each his own, but I want my house and my shop to be separate structures.
Appreciate all the thoughts, set's a person back a tad. But then you see a all inspiring picture as above and game on. As I see it, the dust and smells would be the worst negatives. Pretty sure those could be marginalized to a decent level. So anyway thanks everyone for there mput. Happy new year.
krapie
Well-known member
I spent several months planning my build, costs, what I could do myself, etc. I paid someone to build the shell, I then worked weekends to finish the inside. Built the interior walls, wiring, set cabinets, plumbing, doors, trim, paint…. had someone do HVAC and drywall. That is the only way I could make the math work to be cheaper. If I had paid someone to build it and they built with same type/quality finishes, I do not believe it would be much less per sq ft than a similar style conventional home.
Financing, not an issue. Spoke to a few local lenders all said it would fall under “nonconventional” housing, same as log, A-frame, earthern, etc. homes would. Resale value, I really do not care as I have no plans on leaving, but over the years I have had a few appraisals done and sq ft cost is equal or a little higher than ranch style homes in my area.
Odors, dust, etc. no different than work completed in an garage that is attached to your house. If I was running a business out of the shop it might be different depending upon the type of business.
I built in 2001 at the age of 39, approx. 10,000 sq ft under roof, 2,600 is ”house”. 3 bedroom, 3 baths, wide doors, 5 foot wide hallway down the center, planned for walker/wheelchair access as we get older.
Financing, not an issue. Spoke to a few local lenders all said it would fall under “nonconventional” housing, same as log, A-frame, earthern, etc. homes would. Resale value, I really do not care as I have no plans on leaving, but over the years I have had a few appraisals done and sq ft cost is equal or a little higher than ranch style homes in my area.
Odors, dust, etc. no different than work completed in an garage that is attached to your house. If I was running a business out of the shop it might be different depending upon the type of business.
I built in 2001 at the age of 39, approx. 10,000 sq ft under roof, 2,600 is ”house”. 3 bedroom, 3 baths, wide doors, 5 foot wide hallway down the center, planned for walker/wheelchair access as we get older.
Last edited:
ericm
Well-known member
Resale may not matter to you but it can to the lender. The lender for our construction loan wanted the amount we were spending on the house to be reasonably close to what they expected the house to be worth when completed. I assume it's so if they end up owning it they can get their money back.
My wife was an emphatic "no" to a barndo. Only with a four letter word in front of "no". And to be honest most of barndo living spaces that I have seen pics of have had way too few windows for me, but I'm an outlier in that regard.
@krapie that looks like an awesome space!
My wife was an emphatic "no" to a barndo. Only with a four letter word in front of "no". And to be honest most of barndo living spaces that I have seen pics of have had way too few windows for me, but I'm an outlier in that regard.
@krapie that looks like an awesome space!
dcg9381
Well-known member
I have a few friends that live in "barndos". The biggest problem with lenders is that unless there is a "community" of them, lenders can't "comp" them on value and won't lend on them because they have little to no sales history compared to conventional homes. One was built with cash, owner has never moved. Other required a "private lender" (above market rate) and then was a big pain in the *** to sell because the owner needed a cash buyer.
These are "steel" buildings though, not pole barn style.. City required that they were "bolt up" engineered which costs more here than weld-up, that was the only real "construction" problem.
If they are well built, I like them depending on layout... They are becoming more common. But "niche" market, so they may be difficult to sell.
My Old Tools
Well-known member
Not true in Texas. When I sold mine, there were plenty of comps and no problem for the buyer to get a loan. That was 8 years ago and they only get more popular.
krapie
Well-known member
Lol. The parcel of land is oddly shaped but a total of 22 acres. Three seperate areas are crops, each about five acres, the house/shop and surrounding yard take up three acres.
My original plan, the shop was 40 feet shorter. My dad asked if I had room to store his bass boat and a few antique tractors, so back to the builder to see about expanding. Shop is pole construction with poles every 8 feet, depth is 48 feet. Cost to add an additional 8x48 foot section (poles, siding, roof, 6 inches of concrete) was $2,000. Dad handed me a check for $10,000 and we added another 40 feet to the west end of the building.
cvairwerks
Well-known member
Besides looking at barndo specific stuff, venture into hangar homes. That's been a style of living for lots of years that is quite well accepted in the finance world. Not unusual for a typical hangar home to have a 50x50 or larger hangar, with 1500 to 5000 square feet of living area within the hangar and/or attached to it. We have several airports close by to me with them, and you aren't going to even be close to buying one for under about a half million bucks.
Codyboy
Well-known member
Yeah every time I see barndos come up , people talk about lenders and resale.
I think some are just passing along hearsay and really have no clue.
A house whether framed with wood and covered in hardie, stone whatever is no different than a steel frame , steel siding and roof, stone whatever.
It's all the same on the inside. Wood trim, sheet rock, wood floors, tile floors, etc . Everything a standard built house has.
Last edited:
tez929rr
Well-known member
Aside from the drop ceiling, you can’t tell you are inside a red steel building. Ours came out way better than we expected.
krapie
Well-known member
Neighbor up the road completed this one a few months ago. He and his brother are third generation owners of a local post frame building company. 