What Is a Barndominium? A Design Style, Not a Building System

A barndominium is a home designed to look and live like a barn. Think simple gable rooflines, metal or board and batten exteriors, big open rooms with tall ceilings, deep porches, and very often a shop or garage under the same roof. The name is a mashup of "barn" and "condominium."

The part most people get wrong is assuming a barndo is one specific kind of building. It isn't. A barndominium is a design style. Underneath it, the house can be framed three different ways, and that choice affects your budget, your floor plan, your permits, and how the house performs for decades.

Where the word came from

The word has been around longer than most people think. It shows up in print by at least 1989, when the New York Times wrote about "barndominiums" built around horse living, where the barn and the house were one and the same. For a long time it described exactly that: living quarters inside a working barn.

That changed in 2016 when HGTV's Fixer Upper featured a barndominium and introduced the idea to a national audience. Since then the word has stretched to cover a whole style of rural home, from a simple metal building with a finished living side to a fully custom farmhouse that just happens to share a roofline with a four bay shop.

What actually makes a house a barndo

There is no building code definition for a barndominium. You won't find the word in the International Residential Code, and your county permit office will treat it as a single family home like any other. What makes it a barndo is a recognizable set of design traits. Most barndos have several of these:

• A simple, rectangular footprint. Long walls, few corners, one main roof.
• A gable roof, usually metal. Steel roofing is the signature look, though shingles show up too.
• Barn-inspired exteriors. Metal panels, board and batten, or a mix, often with wainscot along the bottom.
• Big open living space. The kitchen, dining, and living areas usually share one room with tall or vaulted ceilings.
• Exposed structure as a design feature. Visible trusses, beams, or posts inside.
• Deep porches and overhangs. Front porches, back porches, wraparounds.
• A shop, garage, or flex space under the same roof. This is the one that sells most people.

A house doesn't need every item on the list. A board and batten farmhouse with a metal roof and an attached shop reads as a barndo. A metal building with a brick veneer and a hip roof probably doesn't.

The three ways a barndominium is built

This is the decision that matters most, and it happens early. The look can be nearly identical across all three. What changes is how the building stands up, how wide the rooms can be, and how the house gets insulated, wired, and finished.

Post frame

Post frame (sometimes called pole barn construction) uses large laminated wood columns set in the ground or anchored to concrete, spaced several feet apart. Horizontal boards called girts tie the columns together, and engineered trusses span from wall to wall. Because the columns carry the load, interior walls don't have to hold anything up. That gives you wide clear spans and lets you lay out rooms almost anywhere.

Post frame is one of the most common ways barndos are built, and it is the system we expect a lot of our homes to use. It is efficient to put up, it handles the long, wide shapes barndos are known for, and it suits homes that combine living space with a large shop.

The tradeoffs: walls are built differently from a conventional house, so insulation, vapor control, and running wire take more planning. Not every builder knows post frame well, so you want one who builds them regularly.

Steel frame

Steel frame barndos use red iron columns and rafters, the same kind of rigid frame you see on commercial metal buildings. Steel can span very wide distances, it resists termites and rot, and it holds its shape well over time.

The tradeoffs: steel moves heat, so insulation and condensation control need careful design. Steel framing usually requires specialized crews and equipment for erection, and interior finishes have to be attached to a secondary framing system.

Stick built

A stick built barndo uses conventional wood stud walls and roof framing, the same way most American houses are built, with barndo design on the outside and inside. Every builder knows how to frame it, every inspector knows how to inspect it, and it insulates and finishes like any other house.

The tradeoffs: clear spans are more limited without engineered beams, and a large attached shop may need its own structural approach.

For a deeper side by side on all three, see Post Frame, Steel or Stick Built on American Barndos.

Why people choose a barndominium

Open space that feels big. Tall ceilings and wide rooms make a modest footprint feel generous. Families who live in the kitchen and great room get a lot of usable space where they actually spend time.

The shop is part of the house. For people with equipment, vehicles, a trade, livestock gear, or a hobby that needs room, putting the shop under the same roof as the house is the whole point. You walk from the mudroom into the shop without going outside.

A simple shape is simpler to build. Fewer corners, fewer roof valleys, and a rectangular footprint mean fewer complicated details. Simple doesn't automatically mean cheap. Your land, your finishes, and your site work move the number more than the shape does. It does mean fewer places for things to go wrong.

Flexibility over time. Because many barndos rely on the exterior frame, not interior walls, rooms can be reworked later with less structural surgery. A shop can become living space down the road.

It fits rural land. Barndos look right on acreage. They fit homesteads, small farms, and families who want room for gardens, animals, and outdoor work.

The honest tradeoffs

Barndos are a great fit for a lot of people. They also come with a few hurdles that show up later than they should. Better to know them now.

Zoning and deed restrictions. Some counties and subdivisions restrict metal exteriors, building types, or the ratio of shop to living space. Land can be zoned residential and still not allow the house you're picturing. Check before you buy. Zoning for post frame homes covers the details.

Appraisals. Appraisers compare your home to similar homes that recently sold nearby. In areas with few barndos, there may be few comparable sales, which can affect financing. This varies a lot by region and is getting better as barndos become more common.

Insurance. Many carriers will insure a barndo as a home, but questions about the framing system, the shop, and what's stored in it can come up. Shop around early.

Energy performance depends on the details. A barndo can be very efficient or very drafty. The difference is in the insulation strategy, vapor control, and HVAC design, which are different for metal skins and post frame walls than for a standard house.

Not every builder is a barndo builder. A great conventional builder may have never built post frame. Ask specifically how many homes they've built with the framing system you're considering.

Is a barndominium right for you?

A barndo tends to be a great fit if:

• You own land, or plan to buy rural land, with room for a larger footprint.
• You want a shop, garage, or workspace connected to the house.
• You like open living with tall ceilings more than lots of separate rooms.
• You want a simple, durable exterior that doesn't need much upkeep.

It may be a harder fit if:

• Your land is in a subdivision with strict architectural rules.
• You want a home with lots of rooflines, corners, and traditional room separation.
• You're building in an area where barndos are rare and you haven't checked with local lenders and insurers.

How to start

Most people start by scrolling floor plans. That's fun, but it's backwards. The order that saves money is:

1. Your land. Setbacks, easements, septic and well locations, utilities, slope, flood zones, and zoning decide where a house can go and what shape it can be. Your lot lines are not your building site, and that surprises a lot of people.
2. Your plan. Once you know what the land allows, choose or customize a design that fits it and fits how you live.
3. Your builder. A real plan lets builders give real numbers. Without one, every bid is a guess.
4. Your money. Lenders want a plan and a builder before they finalize anything.

That's why every custom plan at National Barndos starts with the land. If you'd like help working through it, our Homesite and Design Consultation studies your parcel, lays your house out on it to scale, and gives you a clear path to a custom plan set.

Frequently asked questions

Is a barndominium the same as a pole barn?

Not quite. A pole barn is a post frame building, usually for storage, animals, or equipment. Many barndominiums are built with post frame construction, so they share the same structural system, but a barndo is designed, insulated, and finished as a full time home that meets residential code.

Are all barndominiums made of metal?

No. Many have metal roofs or siding because it's durable and fits the look, but a barndo can have board and batten, wood, fiber cement, stone, or a mix. The framing can be wood or steel. "Barndo" describes the style, not the materials.

Can you build a barndominium anywhere?

You can build one in most rural areas, but local zoning, subdivision covenants, and building codes decide what is allowed on a specific parcel. Some areas restrict metal exteriors or require a minimum amount of living space. Check your county and any deed restrictions before you buy land or buy a plan.

Can you finance a barndominium?

Generally yes. Barndos are typically financed like other custom homes, often with a construction loan that converts to a mortgage. The main wrinkle is the appraisal, which depends on comparable sales in your area. Talk with lenders who have financed barndos locally before you commit to a design.

Is a barndominium energy efficient?

It can be very efficient, but it doesn't happen automatically. Metal skins and post frame walls need a deliberate insulation and vapor control plan and an HVAC system sized for the open, tall rooms barndos are known for. Design it in at the plan stage, not after the shell is up.

Is a barndominium a good investment?

It depends on your market. In areas where barndos are common, they sell like other rural homes. In areas where they're rare, the buyer pool can be smaller. If resale matters to you, design for broad appeal: a strong living side, a sensible shop size, and finishes that fit the area.