Barndominium Kits in Indiana

Barndominium kits are often the first thing people price, so it helps to know what one is. A kit is a package of framing, roof and wall panels, trim and fasteners for a building shell. It is not a finished house. HomeGuide puts shell kits at about $20 to $35 per square foot for materials. Assembly, the foundation, utilities and the entire interior are extra.

Sized for Indiana loads

A kit designed for a southern state may not be right for northern Indiana. The 2020 Indiana Residential Code assigns each county a ground snow load of 20 or 30 pounds per square foot and a 115 mph design wind speed, with wind exposure judged at the site. Before you order, we check that the kit's drawings show your county's values and that truss and purlin spacing match.

The slab and footings come first

Kit packages rarely include concrete. Footings must reach 24, 30 or 36 inches below grade depending on the county, so a post frame kit's embedded posts or a steel kit's anchor bolts need a foundation planned for that depth. We pour the slab or piers to the kit's anchor layout.

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Where kits save money, and where they do not

Kits shorten design time and can speed up the shell. They do not shorten septic permitting, well drilling, insulation, plumbing, electrical, drywall or cabinets, and that interior work is usually the bigger cost. HomeGuide estimates interior and exterior finishing at about 40 percent of a barndominium's total cost. We price the kit, the assembly and the finish-out separately so you see the full number.

Kits in the north versus the south

The same 40x60 kit can need different trusses, purlin spacing and roof underlayment depending on where it lands. Noble County in the northeast is rated at 30 psf ground snow with 36-inch footings and ice shield underlayment. Southwest counties such as Vanderburgh and Posey need only 24-inch footings. A supplier that ships nationwide may quote a generic package, so we make sure the order matches the county before it is placed.

Doors, windows and insulation are often extras

Read the inclusion list closely. Many kits leave out overhead doors, entry doors, windows, gutters and insulation, or list them as options. Those items change the shell price and must be framed into the walls at the right size. We review the list with you and fill the gaps so nothing surprises you mid-build.