Texas Trendsetters and the Origins Barndominium Kits
Price a Texas Barndo for Your Locale
What is a Barndominium?
A Barndominium, or barndo, is a barn that has been transformed into a home and it is one of the fastest-growing trends in housing. Some barndos are just homes, while others are part home and part barn, with the livestock living in the same building, just in their own separate part of it. With these types of barndos, often the living area is on a second story of the building, and the main floor of it is still the barn, but this does not have to be the case; these homes are customizable, and the floor plans can be easily adapted to fit whatever you need.
When the Barndominium trend first emerged, it was barns being renovated into living quarters, but as the trend grew, people began building them new.
Travis McCain – VP Marketing, General Steel
Metal barndominium buildings can feature wood accents. This allows the owner to gain all of the benefits a steel building provides while also maintaining a traditional barn look and feel.
Why Are Barndominiums So Popular?
One of the reasons barndominiums are so popular is because of the cost savings. They cost less than a traditional home and are faster to build. Barndominiums also have next to no exterior maintenance requirements and tend to have cheaper insurance costs and taxes; barndo owners often report paying much less for utilities as well.
This barndominium kit is a good example of a mixed-use space. The 30′ x 60′ space provides 1,800 square feet of living area while 30′ x 40′ area can be used to store livestock or farming equipment. This kit is essentially two separate metal buildings which can be built at the same time or the owner can choose to add the flex space later.
Top 5 Barndominium Kits
While General Steel can custom design any size barndominum, these are our most popular.
30x40 Barndominium
Popular Use: 2 Bedroom
A 30x40 barndominium building kit from General Steel is an efficient option for future homeowners...
When planning your barndominium project, you need to account for the cost of the kit as well as a concrete pad, building erection and interior finishings.
Building System$12-$18 per SQFT
Concrete Foundation$6-$10 per SQFT
Building Erection$10-16 per SQFT
Interior Finish$50-$140 per SQFT
Barndominium Questions and Answers
Our pre-engineering process allows you to design a barndominium that you’ve always envisioned. The design flexibility of our steel kits is a major advantage over traditional materials.
“Our electric bill is 30 percent to 50 percent less than a conventional house, and I think that’s a conservative estimate,” says Tim Thomas, a barndominium owner in Texas, who owned a conventional home before moving into his barndo.
These are also a good alternative to a traditional home if buying the land you wanted to build on took away some of your house budget. Instead of waiting with this empty property, it can be quicker and easier to build a barndo. You can always add the actual house later, or you may find that you like the barndo better than a traditional home and keep it.
This barndominium features a monitor style roof which is an additional cost compared to a standard gable roof.
Popularity of Barndominium Kits by Region
The barndominium concept originated in Texas and according to Google Trends, the Lone Star State continues to be the region with the most interest in barndominium kits. This combined living and livestock plan was created by Texas ranchers who were tired of going out in bad weather to check on their horses. Essentially, they were created so that ranchers could tend to their animals without leaving
From Texas to Mainstream
The barndominium design trend became widely known across America when the popular television show Fixer Upper renovated a barn into a home. Since most barndominium enthusiasts do not have access to an abandoned barn to renovate, many are turning to companies like General Steel who can design and deliver a custom barndominium kit to be constructed anywhere.
“We don’t have a grand lifestyle, so why do we need a grand house?” Kay says. “There is a freedom in living simply.”
Wayne Young, a rural appraiser, in Texas mentions in the article above that the majority of barndominiums are now used as weekend retreats. The owners live in the city and need a small place to stay during their weekends. However, as this popularity grows, the number of people who live in their barndos in Texas full-time is increasing.
More Barndominium Resources
Discover why steel buildings are the preferred building system.
Visit our help center to find answers to commonly asked questions about steel building construction and other barndominium related topics. If you are ready to price your barndo kit, check out our simple 3 step price your building form.
