Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on size, finishes, foundation, and whether you need a well and septic. Our service pages list typical ranges from published cost guides, with the source for each, and the Barndominium Homes and Custom Barndominiums pages cover full builds. Your price is the written, line-item estimate we give after seeing the land.

Yes. Indiana builds homes under the 2020 Indiana Residential Code no matter what the walls are made of, and a barndominium that meets it is a house. What varies is local zoning, subdivision covenants and deed restrictions. Some neighborhoods limit metal siding or require a certain look, so we check the parcel's zoning and any covenants before design.

A home needs local permits wherever a county or town runs a building department. You will also need a septic permit from the county health department if the land is not on sewer, and often a driveway permit. We research the requirements for your county as part of planning.

The Indiana Residential Code sets the minimum footing depth by county at 24, 30 or 36 inches below finished grade. Northern counties such as Lake, LaPorte and Noble are at 36 inches, and southwest counties such as Vanderburgh and Posey are at 24.

Indiana's code lists a ground snow load of 20 or 30 pounds per square foot depending on the county. Hamilton County is at 20 and DeKalb and Noble Counties are at 30. Trusses and purlins must be designed for at least the county value.

Both can meet the Indiana code. Post frame, with wood posts and trusses, is common across the state and makes it easy to hang drywall and run wiring. Red iron steel frames suit very wide clear spans and big shop doors. We help you choose based on the span you need, the shop use and the budget.

It depends on permits, septic approval, kit delivery times and finishes. The order of work is the same everywhere: soil evaluation and permits, site prep, slab, shell, dry-in, rough-ins and inspections, insulation, then finish-out. We give you a schedule with the estimate.

Many buyers use a construction loan that converts to a mortgage once the home is finished. Lenders and appraisers look for comparable sales, and barndominium comps can be thin in some rural areas. Talk to a lender early. We provide the detailed plans and line-item estimate a lender usually asks for. We do not offer financing ourselves.

Usually the frame, roof and wall panels, trim, fasteners and sometimes doors and windows. Concrete, insulation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and interior finishes are almost never included. Read the inclusion list line by line.

Some owners do, but the home still needs local permits where they apply, inspections, and a septic permit from the county health department. Many owners hire out the slab and shell and do interior work themselves.

A 40x60 footprint is 2,400 square feet. Some people use it all for living space, and others split it between a home and a shop. Decide how much is heated living space and how much is shop before choosing the kit.

Only if it is designed for your county's values. Indiana counties are rated at 20 or 30 psf ground snow load and a 115 mph design wind speed. Ask the supplier for drawings that state these loads.

Shell kits generally run about $20 to $35 per square foot for materials, according to HomeGuide and an Indianapolis estimate from HomeBlue. Assembly, foundation and finish-out add much more. Your written estimate is the actual price.

Footprints from 30x40 to 40x60 are common because they frame efficiently. A 40x60 gives 2,400 square feet, which can be all living space or split with a shop.

Usually, as a starting point. It must be adjusted for your county's footing depth and snow load, your site, and the septic location before it can be permitted and built.

The county health department reviews and permits the septic design under Indiana's residential onsite rule, 410 IAC 6-8.3. Settle your bedroom and bath count before the design is submitted, and the health department will tell you what the site and plan require.

Requirements vary by local building department and by design. Ask any kit supplier what structural drawings come with the package. We find out what your county wants as part of planning.

Yes, though it adds cost. HomeGuide lists basement foundations at about $35 to $50 or more per square foot, compared with $6 to $14 for a slab. Most barndominiums are built on slabs.

Yes, the terms are used for the same system: wood posts and trusses carrying the roof, with walls hung between. As a home it is built to the Indiana Residential Code with insulation, mechanicals and finishes like any house.

The shell can go up quickly with fewer pieces, but interior finishes cost about the same in either system. HomeGuide puts finishing at about 40 percent of a barndominium's cost, so the savings depend on your choices.

Posts can be set in the ground with treated wood, or set on concrete piers with brackets so the wood stays above grade. We go over both options for your site.

It can, but it adds cost and complexity. Most Indiana post frame homes sit on a slab poured inside the post line, with footings at the county frost depth.

Control moisture at the roof. Closed-cell spray foam on the underside of the steel or an insulated, vented roof assembly with a proper vapor retarder are common approaches. We specify one in your estimate.

A kit is a predesigned shell package. A custom barndominium is designed around your site and needs, and can still use a kit or engineered frame underneath. The interior and exterior are built to your plan.

Yes. Stone wainscot, board-and-batten and lap siding are all common. Heavy masonry may need foundation and framing changes, so decide early.

On sloped land, such as parts of southern Indiana, a walkout is possible. HomeGuide puts basement foundations at about $35 to $50 or more per square foot, well above a slab.

Appraisals rely on comparable sales, and some rural Indiana areas have few barndominium comps. Quality finishes and a conventional layout help. Talk to your lender before finalizing the design.

After a site visit, we prepare a written estimate with separate lines for site work, foundation, shell, insulation, mechanicals and finishes. That estimate is the price.

It is a barndominium or post frame home with a large shop or garage under the same roof or attached to it. It is common on rural Indiana land where people keep equipment, vehicles or a home business.

Measure what you will park and work on, then add room to walk around and open doors. Common splits put a 30 to 40-foot-deep shop on one end of a 40 to 60-foot-wide building.

Plan on a fire-rated separation between an attached shop and the house. We confirm the wall and door requirements with your local building department and build them into the plan.

That depends on local zoning. Some rural zones allow home occupations and others limit them. Check with your county planning office before you plan customer traffic or signage.

Generally, yes. ICC valuation data cited by Hansen Pole Buildings puts attached shops over 1,000 square feet at about $83.50 per square foot, compared with $165.67 for post frame living space.

The builder handles everything from site prep to final finishes, and you get a home ready to move into. Land, and usually furniture, are not included.

HomeBlue estimates $76 to $126 per square foot in Indianapolis, or about $152,000 to $253,000 for 2,000 square feet, before land and site work. Well, septic and long drives add more. Your written estimate is the price.

The local county health department issues residential septic permits under Indiana's rule 410 IAC 6-8.3, after a soil evaluation of the site.

Value depends on location, finish quality and comparable sales. Appraisers in some rural areas have few barndominium comps, so a lender may ask for extra detail. Well-finished homes on good land generally appraise like other rural homes.

A bare steel roof over open space can be noisy. In a finished home, the insulation, the ceiling and the attic space between you and the steel soften rain noise a great deal.