The hottest places in the nation to build a barndominium might surprise you! You could be living in a barndominium hotspot and not even realize it. I’ve done a little market research to see where in the United States barndominiums are trending at the highest rates, and I was somewhat shocked myself. It seems like from the rough data that barndominiums are trending all over the US in high numbers but the highest are consistently seen in states such as  Wyoming, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, & New Mexico states with wide expansive geography and massive rural landscapes. The barndominium trend seems very strong in the west and the midwest going into 2022. The southern United States has also seen an incredible uptick in barndominium builds, with Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama leading the pack down south as far as houses on the ground. When choosing the right place to build it comes down to personal preference and what is best suited for your family’s needs, the barndominium itself is suited for just about any environment no matter if you decide to build with steel, wood, or insulated concrete forms as your building material, it will perform as any other house would. Some areas may require additional insulation or heated flooring options if the cold is too extreme in the winter. 

The hottest places in the United States to build a barndominium has to begin with Austin Texas. the artistic scene in Austin is booming, as it has been for the last 10 yrs. Austin Texas provides you with the support and the freedom to create something unique to you. Having an artistic kind of outlook and mindset on a build undoubtedly allows for a lifestyle that encourages the cultivation of novel ideas and that’s not only important to your build but also to your overall health and wellbeing. People often tend to build their barndominiums near a body of water. Fishing creeks are plentiful all over the state of texas and snake all across the southland. I’ve seen barndominiums built along the shores of a lake, small flowing brooks, rivers, even right on the coast with the ocean as your backyard! whatever you like, the best water is probably the most popular geographical feature people gravitate towards when building their barndominium. The sounds of the water can be ultra-relaxing and therapeutic, especially after a long day at work. Allowing yourself to unwind on your porch with the sound of water in the background is very satisfying. I can totally understand the attraction to the water.

If views are more your thing then our next trend will sweep you away, I’m talking about Mountain views, colorado has some of the best most spectacular views of the Rockies and people have been building there for centuries just for the views provided by this unique landscape. I just returned from a holiday vacation in the great smoky mountains. One thing I noticed with the recent developments in the area was obviously way more barndominiums. More than I’ve ever seen in the area before. Having mountain views can increase the resale value of your home, especially if you take the view into account from day one of the builds and build your barndominium around the environment giving you the best views you can get out of your property. We have amazing mountains in the united states from the Eastern Appalachian mountains that stretch from Georgia all the way up through Virginia and all the way into Maine. Then you have the rocky mountains out west in Colorado that stretch into Canada. The superstition mountains down in the southwest United States sit in the arid climate of Arizona, as well as plenty smaller mountain ranges up north and throughout the midwest, with a healthy amount of populated towns mixed in with rural backcountry seriously spectacular places to build barndominiums. 

Over the past few years, and especially since the pandemic has kicked in full force, there has been a major migration of families leaving major cities and looking to settle in more rural areas of the country. Space and personal freedom is becoming more and more important to young families, with more and more companies now offering work from home positions it has made it possible to leave some of these big cities in search of a simpler slower paced lifestyle by building the perfect barndominium far away from skyscrapers and constant noise.

Many people are traveling in RVs and campers with their work-at-home jobs, but eventually, those people will want to find a place to settle down and stay. Building a small economical barndominium can be a great option for work-at-home travelers who wander upon the perfect place to put down roots and start a life. There are many small beautiful tracts of land to be bought bordering many national and state forests. This will allow you to have the beauty and resources of the national forest right in your backyard. Many times Ranchers will purchase hundreds of acres around national parks for their cattle to graze throughout the year, if you get in contact with some of these owners of large swaths of farmland they will sometimes be willing to sell you a 10-acre plot to build on, you can buy certain apps for your phone like (O X hunt) and others that will allow you to see on an interactive map exactly who owns what property in a given area, allowing you to gain contact information for landowners fairly easy if you know how to go about it, this can be an invaluable tool even if your not looking at buying property, you can gain a lot of information on the area your building just by seeing who owns the property and where the property lines begin and end.

Rural developments can be tricky depending on how rural the good thing is generally speaking you will have much less restrictions and codes to watch out for during your build in rural areas, you won’t have to worry about hitting a gas line digging, in some cases you won’t need any special permits to even dig or start building. It all depends on how rural the county is and what kind of building codes they have in place this is all easy information to find at the local city hall, court house, building office, planning and zoning maybe. To what extent you will have to comply will all depend on the resources put in place by the county government of whatever area you plan on building in. My advice would be to take your time, don’t make any rash decisions and pick a place that everyone in the family loves, maybe even go as far as to rent a place to stay in the area for a few weeks to get a solid feel of the town, geography, weather, animals and anything else you may have missed on your shorter visits.  

Just about everyone I talk to wants their barndominium now, and I assume you’re probably no different than the rest of us. The sad hard truth of the matter is that about 99% of people who want to build a barndominium have no idea where to begin or the first step in building their own home, and there’s absolutely no shame in not having the knowledge. In response, a very large majority of the customers I’m working with on a daily basis have made the decision to build their barndominium as a complete steel barndominium kit and eliminate the guesswork from the equation entirely. Because Buildmax works directly with one of the fastest producing steel home kit companies in the United States we are able to quote out your entire steel package on the first phone call in many instances all we need is which house plan on our website you are wanting to construct, add any changes if there needs to be any adjustments or modifications made to the original house plan design and within a matter of minutes we can generate a list and breakdown of every nut, bolt, and beam it would take to build your dream barndominium once we have the quote for the steel package the project is essentially ready to be submitted for development. What is so great about a steel barndominium kit anyway and why wouldn’t you just frame up your house with wood as most people do?

The actual Steel Barndominium kits we provide to our customers is cold-formed steel, this method uses thinner gauge steel but is formed and crafted in such a way that it is extremely rigid and strong when connected and bolted together. The steel frames are rated up to hurricane-force winds, steel homes are super popular in areas with a high concentration of tornadoes and storms as well as all up and down the coastline from east to west you can find amazing steel framed barndominiums popping up. There seems to be a mass exodus going on with families moving out of the cities and out into the suburbs in search of a more rural and free landscape. The best part of the cold-formed steel kits is that in a pinch a few strong men can actually lift and bolt the steel pieces into place without any super-specialized skills, if you are handy and you’re used to building things or have some construction knowledge you will be blown away by how fast these buildings can go up. We like to think of the steel kits just like the old erector sets we played with as kids, they really are just about that easy. this is not to be confused with Red Iron steel which is something different than cold-formed steel, red iron is without a doubt more expensive & much heavier steel frame option it will also take months longer to produce the kit for delivery to the building site, I’ve personally seen quotes for red iron steel kits taking up to 6mo to produce and deliver. Our cold-form steel kits can be manufactured in a much quicker way allowing for some truly phenomenal turnover rates. It’s not unusual for us to see a customer buy one of our stock un-modified house plans off our website Buildmax.com  and decide they want a steel package after the quote came back either cheaper or close to the same price as lumber is,  manufactured and delivered in around 4-6 weeks flat depending on the location of the build, 4 weeks for a complete steel building package for a barndominium is unbelievable, it almost sounds too good to be true but It is true, you can have the materials to frame up your entire barndominium delivered in 4 weeks.

Something else that could potentially save you some considerable time and money on your build and Depending on what state you happen to be building your barndominium in,  Buildmax may have a crew of skilled laborers on standby in your local area that for a price will drive out to your build site and erect your steel frame. These men are experienced crews of multi-faceted craftsmen that could in a matter of a weekend possibly, erect an entire 5500 sqft barndominium frame. The erecting crews we work with are very familiar with and have tons of experience with erecting this particular brand of a cold-formed steel building as well as the building method itself, as it is a very unique product that can do some pretty amazing things for the price. As long as the designs aren’t too wild and intricate with 12 different roof lines or something crazy. These guys are honestly the best fit for the job, especially if you are interested in getting it done fast and correctly. Just something to consider and factor into your budget to see what may work for you and your steel barndominium.

Steel prices right now are almost in line with the price of lumber It’s a really good time to buy steel before the prices start to increase but as of today steel prices are still a tad bit higher than lumber, With the price of steel tied directly to the stock market don’t be surprised to see it fluctuate in some pretty dramatic ways depending on whats going on in the world politically, socially, religiously even. Many builders will do some serious market research to evaluate the possibility of getting a steel package at an amazing discount by spotting trends in the market to determine when the right time to buy is based on the current value and as soon as the stock prices dip down considerably, that will be the ideal time to buy a steel package will be. Not everyone cares about the stock market and how it can affect the prices of steel many people just want a steel package at a price they can afford and in a timely manner and they are willing and eager to pay the market value and that ok too. The main goal was that you get your steel package for a price that you’re happy with then everyone wins. 

I hope that you would consider a steel barndominium kit as a framing option for your next barndominium so that you too can experience the peace of mind in knowing you can sleep well at night knowing your house is more than structurally sound and that your home was built with the highest quality Cold-formed steel manufactured right here in the best country on earth, America! If a Steel frame barndominium seems like it’s everything you want and more give Buildmax a call today! @ 270-495-3250

Spray foam insulation has become a premium building material in today’s barndominium and shop house arena. Not only is it more efficient in keeping the heat in your home, but it’s also much more convenient to install over that traditional itchy & messy fiberglass insulation that you have to carefully unroll and install each roll by hand trying hard not to get the fiberglass all over you, because if you do it’s an extremely unpleasant experience and unfortunately just takes time to resolve the irritation. Spray-in foam, on the other hand, doesn’t have the itchy problem of traditional insulation. Yes, it’s still a messy job but seriously worth the effort when you understand the benefits. With 2 main types of spray in foam insulation open cell foam insulation is softer, fluffier, and provides an overall lighter material whereas closed-cell foam insulation takes on a stiffer consistency as it dries making the material more compacted together making it more difficult for any air to pass through creating a vapor barrier as well. When the liquid Polyurethane base is added with foaming agents and ultimately a chemical that allows the foamed up slurry to harden and set in place for permanent insulation that oozes into and seals shut every crack and crevice providing airtight insulation and efficiency that has remained unmatched to this day. It can be a messy installation process because of the nature of the slurry, but like with any job, there will be a healthy amount of clean-up involved.

Saving money is on every aspect of your build and anywhere you are able to be super important to most people when building, everyone wants the best deal they can get. Spray-in Foam insulation won’t let you down when it comes to savings, whether you’re trying to cool your house in the summer or heat it in the winter the big difference comes down to the foam as it’s drying and creating a sea of air bubbles trapped within the foam material that blocks drafts, air or anything from escaping through the walls, it creates a seal of its own. Most houses use fiberglass insulation and it works ok but you just can’t cover every crack crevice or gap with cotton candy-textured fiberglass rolls, and it’s absolutely not going to create an airtight seal of any kind, so you can put that idea to bed early. On the topic of saving money, you can also get a tax break for using energy-efficient materials. 

If a fire breaks out in a home, it only takes 2min for the smoke and fire to become fatal, and under 5min the whole house can be engulfed in smoke and flames. Some spray foam insulation can be combustible the same way the wood is combustible; however, other companies are using fire retardant materials like Icynene® spray foam insulation. Their foam gives you better odds of escaping your home safely in the instance of a fire. The fire retardant foam provides an important barrier between you and the smoke and even protects you from the flames because of the way the foam seals each room individually, saving you the time you desperately need to think clearly and escape the home.

Because of the way the insulation keeps moisture out of the home it cuts down on potential mold growth due to the lack of moisture, this cuts way down on indoor allergens like dust and mold spores, when traditional insulation gets wet it gets soggy and has to be replaced, no matter how wet your foam insulation gets it’s never going to soak up water like traditional fiberglass insulation will and it will always retain its structure even in the worst conditions. In case you need a few more reasons, foam insulation is amazing as well as keeping you dry. warm and comfortable. It’s environmentally friendly and foam insulation will never lose its effectiveness like fiberglass can over long periods of time.

Spray foam’s rise to popularity hasn’t always been easy the formulation of chemicals used in creating the foaming agents used in the insulation was changed up early on in the use of foam insulations when it was discovered that the production of spray foam insulations caused and created complex chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that are harmful to the environment and aren’t easily broken down in nature. Other health concerns that if the smoke was inhaled from these chemicals they could have potential carcinogenic effects, this was never definitely confirmed; however, the potential for cancer is enough to scare many people away. Don’t let that scare you, there are many products in our homes that if burned or combusted, the smoke from those chemicals could be very harmful to our health but we don’t swear off those products just because of that potential. Let’s use a little common sense here. You’re not planning on inhaling any smoke from foam insulation and it was never intended to be combusted in the first place. I wanted to bring up the controversy involved with spray foam insulation, even though I see it as trivial myself but I also understand some people may have a different view of the situation, so I felt it important to include. I would recommend spray foam insulation for any barndominium built over traditional insulation options. Steel frame barndominiums need the spray-on insulation to attach to the steel beams and really insulate like nothing else can.  

There aren’t many products you can buy for your home that will improve the overall air quality, cut down on airborne contaminants and allergens, retain heat in the winter, and help insulate the AC in the summertime. Not to mention it’s going to last upwards of 80 years, so pretty much a lifetime product. With popularity still on the rise, the cost is going to be more than traditional insulation installs, but when you take a look at what you get for the extra money, it’s a no-brainer. Use your brain and spray in some foam insulation to your barndominium build.   

With the huge rise in popularity, barndominiums are being built all across America at an unprecedented rate, especially in the last few years with more barndominiums being built last year than ever before. People are often confused by the terminology as well choosing to believe a barndominium can only be one thing, it’s not just a metal building, it’s not just a pole barn. A barndominium is a custom-built home with a barn style theme or design elements incorporated into it, it’s a common misconception that a barndominium must be made out of steel, this just isn’t the case. Many barndominiums are made traditionally with wood or a hybrid wood and steel-framed structure. How you build it and what you build it with is completely your choice. It’s still a barndominium no matter what you build it out of the styling and design elements make the structure a barndominium. Granted the strongest & most stunning barndominiums have been all-steel construction allowing for grand open floor plans that are difficult to achieve otherwise. 

The possibilities are literally endless with the potential that a custom-built barndominium provides. You essentially have full creative control over your build, you have a blank slate to build off of that you’re planning on living in for the foreseeable future so you have great incentive to over-engineer every aspect of the whole build so it will last you a lifetime. That’s a huge task to complete, not to mention the responsibility attached to a job like that. If you’re anything like me that’s an exciting concept, yes I’m sure there will be stressful times and it won’t be easy, the payoff will be hands down worth every minute of work put in.  With full creative control, you can design a home around your lifestyle. Imagine you are outdoor-oriented and you live your life in a way that enhances your passion for the outdoors, wouldn’t you design your home in a way that fits into that lifestyle. Maybe build near hiking trails, on a lake with a dock possibly. If fitness is your focus, make it a goal to design a gym somewhere within your barndominium plans. A barndominium can be a lifestyle.

A barndominium can be your studio or your office space, with so many people working from home nowadays having a home office is essential for most people. You may need a bigger office space than you need living space in your home. Maybe your barndominium is primarily your workplace and a home second there’s nothing wrong with a setup like that. What if I told you that Your barndominium can be art, think about it, it can be an expression of anything you like, you can design, build, paint and shape your home into existence. That’s a pretty cool concept for any artist, the opportunity to design and create your own custom home from scratch is an intriguing idea even for someone who isn’t artistically gifted. 

A barndominium can be a business. A headquarters, a Homebase. Sometimes it’s good to think outside the box, having a business at home can be awesome, especially if you have a designated space just for your business. I have an aunt who runs a very successful candle business out of her home with a dedicated space just for her workshop. It’s amazing the things you can do if you put your mind to it. You can use your creativeness to make a one-of-a-kind home that people will love. It’s easy to turn your barndominium building into a hobby. I’ve seen many people start out not considering they may enjoy building a home, I’ve personally seen couples continue to add on and do projects, D.I.Y landscaping, and so on, just because they love it so much.  

Your Barndominium can be an S-house (shophouse) or a Garage style barndominium with a loft complete with vehicle lifts, toolboxes, workbenches, and anything else you would need in a shop on the ground level, many people plan for extra space down the road in case they decide to buy boats, recreational vehicles, four-wheelers and of course lawn mowers and lawn equipment. I’ve seen barndominiums where the lower level is an actual functioning barn complete with a fenced-in front yard with hay bales and the whole bit. The best part about building a barndominium that you design is that It can be anything you want it to be. With the flexibility of a barndominium coupled with your creativity and the desire to build the options are endless, your barndominium has boundless potential and could accrue some serious equity in the process, the more work and time you put into making your build special and unique making sure to pay special attention to those small details because in the end that will make the difference. 

Your barndominium can be a vacation home in the mountains or on the beach that can generate another stream of income as a short term rental such as an AIRBNB property does, you still have the benefit of owning a beautiful barndominium and while your not enjoying it yourself someone else gets to enjoy the space at the same time allowing for the upkeep and maintenance to be paid for easily as well as adding extra revenue to your pocket. As you can see a barndominium doesn’t always have to cost you money it can also be a wise investment if done in the correct styling and taste for the correct area and demographic. Marketing a vacation barndominium is another article for another day but take my word that it’s a definite possibility.

Barndominiums are different things to different people. It really does simply come down to what you’re going to use the space for and how much space you require. You can turn a barndominium into just about anything with enough drive, determination, and money. What do you want out of your barndominium build? Who do you plan on sharing the space with if anyone? What’s its primary function? These questions will get you started on what your barndominium could be. 

Don’t laugh too hard at the title, you may find yourself in a similar situation someday where you’d be thankful to have such wonderful accommodations. If you find your options limited and a mother-in-law suite seems like a potential solution to all your problems, just take a few minutes to explore some additional options that are along the same lines. Enough of the talk, let’s take a look at some alternatives to adding a mother-in-law Suite modification to your house plans.

Guesthouses are an old concept and have fallen out of favor with builders since the 80’s probably on account of the size of homes today being built large enough that a guest house was just old news and there was little need for a guest house anymore. However with the recent uptick in barndominiums, cottages, and steel frame homes going up across America and the trend in houses being smaller in stature than previous generations of homes coupled with the ease of customizing or modifying your house plans being as easy as a phone call conversation with the house plan company, the movement has really brought the Guesthouse back from the Ashes in a fabulous kind of fashion. A Guesthouse is essentially a tiny home in your backyard, back in the ’60s the term tiny home hadn’t been coined yet so the Guesthouse was adapted. Most guest houses are equipped with all the amenities of a standard home, usually, one or two bedrooms is common or sometimes just a loft and in some cases, a breezeway or short path will connect the guest house and main house together as the guest house was never meant to be far from the main home. A Guesthouse will also add value to your property when it’s finished giving you added incentive to build an addition onto your existing home or consider adding a guest house modification to your existing house plans instead.

I ran across the term Granny flat or Granny pods and giggled the first time I read it. However it turns out it’s really a thing, these elderly widows are buying small one-bedroom cottage-style dwellings or building them rather in many cases but the concept is utterly simple it is essentially a tiny home that looks like a small home. Everything inside is set up for ease of use from the position of the cabinets to the height of the windows, everything is customized with an elderly woman’s stature in mind. A tailor-made tiny home designed especially for a mother-in-law. Brilliant! 

Park model homes are amazing little mobile homes that are brand new and have everything included that a standard home would have and they come in any color and configuration you can imagine, some of the luxury park models are absolutely stunning and will leave your jaw dropped. They honestly look like miniature custom homes and what better option for a mother-in-law than something like a park model, The only issue would be once she moves in she’s there to stay because I personally wouldn’t move out of something that nice. Many park models come equipped with wrap-around porches and decks on top of the roof to serve as a sun deck. Where you place the park model can make or break it, along a lakeshore or next to a pond would be ideal to complement the tiny size. If a park model piques your interest I would encourage you to go do a walkthrough you may fall in love with one of these little homes.

Tiny homes are another option. Being a broader term gives you a little bit more wiggle room to determine what’s a tiny home and what isn’t, I typically say anything under 600sqft is pretty small of a house and considered a tiny home in most books. There are pull-behind camper-style tiny homes that have become popular in the last few years, and also Texas-style tiny homes that are built on a foundation of your choosing. There are many styles to pick from and for a single person, it’s more than enough to call home. 

Additions are historically the most popular option when incorporating a mother-in-law suite into your barndominium you can add an addition to an already completed home or add an addition to any house plan before breaking ground. Any home plan company that does modifications can add any size addition you like to your plans. Buildmax.com can modify any plan on their site to accommodate a mother-in-law suite and is as easy as a phone call as Buildmax works every day with customers on their custom barndominium plans to adjust and tweak the plans to the customer’s satisfaction. Many standard additions include a full bath, kitchen, living room, and single bedroom essentially you are designing and building a home within a home and this is common and can be done easily with the correct planning.

With so many choices on the market nowadays it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know what direction to go, if you planning on building my first call would be to a custom house plan company like Buildmax they can take your ideas and put them all out on paper in a way that the builder can follow to construct your dream barndominium. The professional architectural designers working with Buildmax have years and years of experience designing barndominiums for their customers, their prices are very reasonable for custom house plans, they have stock barndominium house plans on their site as well and those can be purchased without a phone call if you happen to see a barndominium that you fall head over heels in love with and you want it just like it’s shown or even with a simple addition for your mother-in-law it can all be put on paper with ease. 

Designing your own barndominium can be an exciting process but nothing in comparison to when the building process begins, each day is nothing short of exhilarating just knowing your design is becoming reality really brings some powerful emotions and feelings to the surface it’s an amazing process and I hope everyone who’s dream it is to build gets the opportunity sometime in their life.

7 Ways to Get Your Building Materials Cheap or Free

If you are trying to cut building costs, one of the smartest places to look is your materials budget. The good news is that there are legitimate ways to find building materials cheap or even free. The bad news is that not every “deal” is actually a good deal once you factor in quality, transportation, missing pieces, or wasted time.

That is where a lot of people go wrong.

They get excited about free or heavily discounted materials without thinking about whether those materials are actually worth using in a real home build. A cheap stack of warped lumber, mismatched windows, or damaged roofing panels is not saving you money if it creates problems later.

The better strategy is to know where to look, what is worth buying used, what is usually not worth the risk, and how to match bargain hunting to the stage of your build.

In this guide, we will break down seven practical ways to get building materials cheap or free, plus a few rules that will help you avoid expensive mistakes.

The Short Answer: Can You Really Get Building Materials Cheap or Free?

Yes — sometimes.

BuildMax’s current article already points readers toward places like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, resale and reuse centers, construction and demolition sites, estate sales, yard sales, and social media posts. Those are still legitimate sources. The real question is not whether you can find materials cheap or free. It is whether the materials are useful, safe, and worth the effort. See the current BuildMax article.

That means bargain hunting works best when you are targeting the right categories of materials and staying realistic about quality.

When Cheap Building Materials Actually Make Sense

Cheap or free materials make the most sense when you are buying items that are:

• easy to inspect in person
• not critical to the structural integrity of the home
• easy to clean, refinish, or repurpose
• available in enough quantity to actually help the project
• worth the transportation and labor involved

For example, it can make a lot of sense to save money on:

• doors
• lighting
• cabinets
• sinks and plumbing fixtures
• flooring in good condition
• barn wood or reclaimed lumber for accent use
• shelving, sawhorses, and shop tools

It is usually a lot riskier to “go cheap” on:

• critical structural materials
• engineered components
• damaged roofing or siding
• questionable concrete or foundation materials
• anything that is badly warped, rotted, or incomplete

If you are building a full home, the smartest path is usually to save money strategically, not randomly. That is one reason it helps to start with a clear plan first. BuildMax’s barndominium house plans page is a better starting point than collecting materials without a real design target.

1. Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist

This is still one of the best first stops, and BuildMax’s current article is right to put it near the top. Marketplace and Craigslist are often where you will find leftover materials from recent jobs, teardown material, unused bundles, discounted fixtures, surplus doors, or someone simply trying to clear out a project fast. Current article reference.

What makes these platforms work:

• local pickup saves on shipping
• new listings appear constantly
• leftover project materials can be deeply discounted
• some people just want things hauled away quickly

Best things to look for:

• windows and doors in matching sets
• unused flooring or tile
• cabinets and vanities
• tools and jobsite equipment
• surplus siding or roofing in usable quantities
• reclaimed wood for non-structural use

Best practice: set alerts for keywords, act fast, and inspect carefully before hauling anything home.

2. eBay and Online Auction Sites

Online auctions can work well when you already know exactly what you are looking at. That matches BuildMax’s current advice, which points out that success here depends heavily on understanding the item’s value and knowing when to stop bidding. Current article reference.

Online auctions are best for:

• specialty fixtures
• lighting
• tools
• hardware lots
• surplus or overstock materials

They are less ideal for heavy, bulky materials unless shipping is local or pickup is realistic.

If you use auction sites, go in with a hard ceiling. Cheap building materials are only cheap if you do not turn the bidding war into a retail-price mistake.

3. Building Material Resale and Reuse Centers

This is one of the most overlooked options, and it can be one of the best.

BuildMax’s current article describes these stores as the “goodwill of hardware stores,” which is a fair way to think about them. Reuse centers and resale warehouses often carry:

• returned items
• overstock materials
• blemished but usable products
• salvaged cabinets, sinks, flooring, and doors
• discounted hardware and trim

These places can be especially strong for finish-stage savings because many of the items are easy to inspect in person. A blemished vanity, returned light fixture, or discontinued flooring batch can save real money if the quantity and condition fit your project.

4. Construction Sites and Demolition Projects

This is one of the more aggressive ways to source materials, but it can work if you handle it professionally.

BuildMax’s current article points out that construction jobs and demolition listings can produce materials like brick, wood, metal, aluminum, and other reusable items if you are willing to haul them away. Current article reference.

This can be useful for:

• reclaimed lumber
• brick
• corrugated metal
• fencing material
• shop or outbuilding components

But there is a rule here: always ask first. Do not assume a pile is free just because it looks like debris. The right way is to talk to the owner, contractor, or foreman and make it easy for them to say yes.

This route is often better for accent materials, shop use, storage buildings, and non-structural secondary projects than for core house construction.

5. Estate Sales

Estate sales are underrated because they often include more than furniture. They can also include:

• tools
• trim
• columns
• old doors
• lighting
• outbuildings
• porch swings
• fencing components
• leftover building supplies

BuildMax’s current article is right that estate sales can be especially useful when you are willing to stay late, make offers, or haul things away after the main rush. Current article reference.

These are best for buyers who are willing to be patient and opportunistic rather than needing everything on a strict construction schedule.

6. Yard Sales and Garage Sales

Yard sales are not where you should expect to source an entire barndominium package. But they can still be excellent for picking up useful low-cost items like:

• hand tools
• fasteners
• sawhorses
• ladders
• leftover shingles
• small hardware
• shop storage items

This is more of a steady drip of useful finds than a primary sourcing strategy. But if you are doing DIY work, setting up a shop, or collecting tools for a self-build path, those savings can add up.

7. Ask for Leftover Materials Through Social Media and Local Networks

This is one of the cheapest ways to source materials because it costs almost nothing to try.

BuildMax’s current article suggests making a direct social media post asking for leftover building materials, donations, or items from previous projects. That still makes sense. Many people do have useful leftovers sitting around, especially after remodels, roofing jobs, fencing projects, and shop cleanouts. Current article reference.

You can also expand beyond your personal feed by asking in:

• local community groups
• contractor groups
• homesteading groups
• rural property groups
• buy/sell/trade groups

The key is to be specific. “Any building materials?” is too vague. “Looking for leftover metal roofing, interior doors, cabinets, or usable shop shelving” will get better responses.

What Building Materials Are Usually Best Bought New?

If you want to save money without hurting the build, this section matters.

In many cases, the best things to buy new are the items where quality, code compliance, or performance matter most. That often includes:

• core engineered components
• critical structural materials
• major system components with uncertain condition
• materials that must match exactly and completely
• anything that would be expensive to replace after installation

This is also why BuildMax’s barndominium kits page is an important internal reference. A good kit can help reduce waste, simplify sourcing, and make the structural side of the build more predictable, while bargain hunting can be used more strategically on finishes and secondary materials.

How to Save Money on Building Materials Without Wasting Time

The goal is not just to find cheap stuff. The goal is to make smart decisions that move the project forward.

Here are the best ways to do that:

Know your plan first

Do not buy random materials without a clear idea of what your build needs.

Shop by category

Target items that are easiest to inspect and easiest to save money on.

Buy in useful quantities

A great deal is not helpful if you only find half of what you need.

Factor in transport and storage

Free materials are not really free if moving or storing them becomes a project of its own.

Do not force bad materials into a good build

This is where many “cheap” deals become expensive.

If you are building on a tight budget, you should also compare this strategy with the broader budgeting logic in What Size Barndominium Can You Build with a $100K Budget?.

Should You Try to Source Every Material Cheap or Free?

No — and this is one of the most important mindset shifts.

The smartest builders do not try to get everything cheap. They try to get the right things cheap.

That usually means:

• save aggressively on tools, fixtures, and salvage-friendly items
• shop carefully on finish materials
• be more cautious with structural and critical components
• use stock plans or kits to control the bigger cost picture

That combination is far more effective than chasing freebies for every category of the build.

Final Thoughts

There really are good ways to get building materials cheap or free. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, online auctions, resale centers, construction and demolition opportunities, estate sales, yard sales, and social media outreach can all help you save money if you use them wisely.

But the real win is not just finding a cheap material. The real win is matching the right material source to the right part of your project.

If you start with a solid plan, know what is worth buying secondhand, and stay selective, you can cut real costs without making the build harder on yourself later.

Related BuildMax Resources

• Barndominium House Plans
• Barndominium Kits
• What Size Barndominium Can You Build with a $100K Budget?

Hello sweet friends, 
I have a question for all my sweet peeps out there. Do you like having the traditional Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter every year? I’m becoming a “break all the traditions” kind of gal these days.  

This morning as I was getting ready for work, I looked out my bedroom window, and the wind was blowing the colorful fall leaves back and forth on the trees and most were hanging on for dear life, not wanting to let go. Which then made me realize I am like one of those leaves, holding on to things some good some bad not really wanting to let go. You see tradition is a big thing in most families, and that is fine, but why do we do it? Because our parents did it, so we did it and now our kids do it and on and down through the generations. So, with that said, I quickly realized my favorite holidays are approaching very soon. And like other families, we have had a lot of losses these past few years. Holidays will never be the same for many families around the globe. It got me thinking about transitional traditions. It is not that hard, to slowly transition from traditional Turkey for Thanksgiving to something else like Pumpkin Lasagna for example. Yes! I did make that… yes it was more different than anything else I had ever made before. But we all still remember it. We are not forgetting the memories in these traditions. We are just making the memories better. If you allow yourself to change things up a bit it can get interesting, and if nothing else it can give your family something different to talk about at dinner.  

Out With the old and in with the new 

Losing some old traditions but adding in a few new ones can be fun, you can put your own spin on it. This year instead of using the same ornament on your Christmas tree, use something more personal, something that reflects a place you have been that was fun and exciting. Or something you like to do, there are so many options.

 In years past I lived in a beautiful Queen Ann Victorian house on the Ohio river, for about 15 years and we had a lot of things we collected over those years. It was so hard leaving my beautiful house, and I have found that all the things I fell in love with, in my other homes, I was able to incorporate into my current home, when we sat down to design our farmhouse floor plan, I had the ability to add all those ideas and details to make my current home the best one yet. That made the transitional part way easier than I thought it would. That is when I realized that I could switch out some traditions as well.

  Try it this year and see where it takes you. It may be the best thing you ever did.  

Blessings