Metal Barndominium Kits: Floor Plans, Cost Savings & Design Options (2024)

FAQs

How big of a barndominium can I build for 100k? ›

Crafting a Barndominium on a $100k Budget

To answer the title right out of the gate, A small one, With a budget of only $100k assuming you have property cleared prepped and ready you would most likely be looking at a 1000sqft barndominium or depending on the material you use maybe a sub 1000sqft dwelling.

Pros of barndominiums include a cheaper cost, fully customizable space, and lower maintenance. They're also highly durable with lots of extra room and are a more eco-friendly housing option. Meanwhile, cons include higher upfront costs, difficulties finding financing, and not all cities allow them.

On the high end, barndominiums have an average cost of $150 per square foot. At that price, you can estimate a building of around 1,333 square feet for $200,000. That is the cost of doing it yourself.

Featuring approximately 1,872 square feet, this lovely barndominium under 250K has three bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as a spacious kitchen and living area to be enjoyed. There are 39+ steps that must be taken before groundbreaking. Learn them all in this FREE checklist, available for immediate download.

Cost Savings

Complete barndominium kits can be purchased for $50-$90 per square foot. This is far less than the $100-$200 or more per square foot it usually costs to custom build a traditional house. This cost advantage allows more square footage and customization for your budget.

The most common estimate asserts that a new barndominium with basic amenities will cost about $30 to $40 per square foot to build, compared to the cost of building a traditional home is around $100 to $200 per square foot.

A large prefabricated metal barndominium, like 2,000 to 3,000 square feet, will be less expensive than building a traditional house. Barndominiums can take half the time to construct—and time is money. Less construction time translates to less labor and fewer material needs.

Barndominiums usually take less time to build than traditional homes, but the answer is still tricky to pin down. Most builders provide a ballpark estimate of 6 months for building a barndominium from the ground up.

How long does it take to build a 3000 sq ft barndominium? ›

Building Timeline Overview

For a DIY-inclined owner with sufficient time and adequate skillset, constructing a basic 3000 sq ft barndominium yourself using pre-fabricated steel building components could conceivably only require around 5 months from breaking ground to securing an occupancy permit.

40x60 (2400 square foot)

Many USDA lenders are unfamiliar with these structures and may be reluctant to finance their purchase. Borrowers may also experience added difficulty when seeking a USDA construction loan to build a new barndominium, as some USDA lenders, including Neighbors Bank, do not offer this loan type.

Insurance can be complicated for barndominium homes. According to Barndominium.org, not all insurers cover barndos, especially if they're mixed-use instead of residential only, and those that do might have barndo-specific policies.

Conventional mortgages won't likely be an option.

According to some new barndominium owners around the country, a major drawback is just how limited your financial options may be. Technically, barndos are not classified as houses. As such, getting conventional mortgage loans can prove difficult, if not impossible.

Square Footage

Small homes will range from 150 square feet all the way to 1,000 square feet. Although costs per square feet are typically higher in a larger construction project, the fact that there is less space means you will spend less.

You save money: The most recognisable benefit of building a house for under 100k is the money you save in construction costs. Either because you have a low budget to spend or because you prefer to invest the money in other aspects of the house, such as the furniture, paying less for construction is definitely a plus.

Just like a traditional home, a barndominium floor plan can be made to be any size and customized to your specifications. However, there are sizes that are more common for barndos: 40x30 (1200 square foot) 40x60 (2400 square foot)

A 2000 sq ft barndominium offers 2000 square feet of floor space, which is about the size of the average traditional house. With a 2000 sq ft barndominium, the 2000 sq ft of floor space is just the beginning.