Barndominium Floor Plans in Indiana

Barndominium floor plans are a natural place to start an Indiana barndo. A rectangle is simple to frame, but the layout inside it and where it sits on the land decide how the home lives and what it costs.

Start with the site, not the picture

On rural Indiana land without sewer, the county health department must approve a septic system under the state's residential onsite rule before a home can go forward. The soil evaluation shows where an absorption field can go, and the house, driveway and well must work around it. We sketch the plan only after we know that spot.

Clear spans give freedom

Because trusses or steel rafters carry the roof across the whole width, interior walls in a barndominium are usually not load-bearing. That makes open great rooms, tall ceilings and lofts easy to plan. Plumbing still has to be laid out before the slab is poured, so kitchens, baths and laundry need to be settled early.

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Common Indiana footprints

Popular shells run from 30x40 (1,200 square feet) to 40x60 (2,400 square feet) and up to 60x80. HomeGuide prices a 40x60 kit and assembly at about $72,000 to $120,000 before foundation and finish. Many owners split that footprint into a living side and a shop side, or add a porch along the long wall for shade and a covered entry.

Thinking about the shop early

If any part of the building will be a shop or garage, its door height decides the sidewall height for the whole structure, and sidewall height affects the trusses, siding and cost. A 10-foot overhead door needs more wall than an 8-foot one. Decide what you will park inside before you settle on the outside dimensions.

Orientation on the land

On open Indiana farm ground, wind and sun matter. A long porch on the south or west side shades the windows in summer, and keeping big overhead doors out of the prevailing winter wind helps the shop stay warm. We look at these on the site visit before setting the footprint.

Plans meet the code

Every plan is checked against the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, which is based on the 2018 IRC. That includes life-safety items such as bedroom windows, loft stairs and smoke alarms, plus the county footing depth and snow load that set the structure.