Unless you happen to be an actual builder yourself or you lucked out and you are best friends with a builder. I mean really best friends with a builder, not I work with a guy every other year on a crab boat and his uncle can fly a crew in and build a barndominium in a weekend in any state in the US. Let’s be honest you probably wouldn’t be interested in reading my informative article on how to find a reputable barndominium builder if that was the case. For the average guy or girl that’s building their first ever barndominium even if you’re interested in doing some of the less labor-intensive aspects of the build yourself like finishing out the basement, building the decks on your own to save some extra money, maybe you’re a whizz at drywall and you can knock it out in a few days versus waiting for a crew of people to finish up their other 2 jobs just to get around to doing it. Things like these are great ideas if you are able to do the work, What if you are too busy with life to do all that D.I.Y money-saving jazz and you just want a guy who can take charge, who knows his stuff, and can build your barndominium to spec and do it quickly. Isn’t that what we all want and it rarely works out that way. Especially in 2022 with crews walking off of jobsites never finishing to job, overcharging for the minimal amount of work it’s all out there, and through the years I’ve managed to pick up a few tips and tricks along the way so hopefully you can avoid some of the craziness that I didn’t see right out the gate.

References shouldn’t be hard to come by if you are a well-known builder of quality barndominium homes, you should have customers who can vouch for your work going back to the first week of operation you would think. If you picture references falling outa their pockets you’d be surprised I think. You wouldn’t imagine how many jobs are started without seeing any kind of proof of concept. At the very least ask for a simple portfolio of up-to-date current jobs that you could maybe drive by, and take a look at some actual handy work before you commit to a builder. Not everyone out there is trying to scam you but keep your guard up when hiring a builder because there are crooks out there looking for their next sucker. A lot of it starts with where you find the builder, to begin with, craigslist for instance might net results but they just may not be the results your after. Aside from asking for solid references my second word of advice is going to really serve you well if you take it to heart. 

Finding Quality builders locally can be extremely difficult depending on the area of the country you are building your barndominium in, one thing you can generally bet on is having a least one if not more solid lumber yards in a relatively short driving distance, Home Depot, Lowes, local yards the types of places that Barndominium contractors are going to buy their lumber and maintain accounts. First of all, let me get this out of the way early on, do NOT! go and hound the workers at lumber yards for contact information that’s not what I’m proposing. However, if you approach the situation in the right way you can probably walk away with more than enough information to get you started on the right path. Many times it’s all in how you treat people and approach a conversation that determines the outcome of that conversation, just a little extra tidbit to think about. I would approach the conversation like explain what you’re trying to do and simply ask if they can provide you with a phone # to a reliable builder who always pays their bills and keeps their account in good standing your goal is to come out with a couple of contacts, if you happen to ask 6 different workers odds are you will find at least one or two through the course of a few hours that honestly do have solid reputations for building custom homes. Then you can rest easy at night knowing you did your diligence and your build will be better off because of it.

Bardominium Kits can be a fantastic option, look at it like an all-inclusive kind of deal, many people find they can get everything they want and more out of a barndominium kit, it’s almost like the buffet option you can customize your build a little more precise, you will usually pay a set price for the material package, delivery, and a crew to setup the shell everything is wrapped up in a nice package for a nice price. Typically you would hire contractors to come in later & finish up after the initial framing is complete depending on the style of framing, traditional wood or stronger longer lasting cold form steel. Companies like Buildmax have some amazing barndominium house plans online you can purchase, they also have kit offerings through a cold form steel company so any barndominium on the Buildmax website can be framed up in rigid steel with a package shipped straight to your build site on a flatbed and erected in a matter of days not weeks, it really is an amazing process to witness if you’ve never seen it happen. It’s nothing short of spectacular to watch something go from an empty graded lot to a framed up barndominium practically overnight with only a 4-man crew versus a wood frame barndo along with 10 guys swinging hammers around, dropping nails everywhere, holding boards up over and over, all while trying to yell over one another trying to get the next instructions out.

Google believe it or not can be a great resource when searching for a builder near you. Google has a feature where it will automatically search local business listings for whatever is closest to your search query for instance if I was looking for a builder in or around Atlanta Georgia I’d type Barndominium builders near me, the beauty of it is you can be anywhere in the country and it will find the listings based upon your IP address so if your happen to run a VPN you may have to enter your actual city. Results that show up towards the top are going to be the companies that are paying the most in advertising and potentially have the best ranking for what you’re looking for. I always look at the comments and evaluate others’ experiences you can weed out a lot of unreliable crews simply by taking the extra time to read through some reviews from previous dealings the public has had with a specific builder or company if nothing more than to gain a little more insight, you can’t always trust reviews either there are a lot of super picky customers out there who you can never truly satisfy.at the end of the day trust your gut and take your time searching out a company that you trust.   

Hello friends, I wanted to talk today about something that hits extremely close to home and very close to my heart in a lot of ways. I live in Northern Kentucky and the news in my neck of the woods has been following the terrible flooding that has been ravaging the eastern half of our state what is historically known as Appalachia or the Appalachian mountains and historically one of the more poverty-stricken areas in the state. It’s amazing how they build homes up in the hills, if you’ve never seen it I urge you to take a look sometime, it’s simply amazing. Floods can come out of nowhere and nobody knows how bad the damage will be until it’s over and the flood waters start to reside. There are some important things we can do as homeowners or future homeowners to minimize the damage to our barndominiums if the big flood hits and that’s what I want to discuss. 

Being prepared by installing a sump pump on the basement floor, if you break a water pipe in your home or if your getting water coming in from outside gravity is going to pull that water down and down and it’s finally going to end up in the lowest point of your home. If you have a basement especially but even if you only have a ground floor make sure you are pumping the water out far enough away from your barndominium and into a drainpipe somewhere outside of the home that it doesn’t cause more problems for you. It may be a good time to invest in a very large shop vac or three just to have on standby because believe me you’ll be glad you bought them early like you did because if a flood or excessive rains do occur you won’t find many in stores unless your one of the first to get to them. Prepare and buy some nice shop vacs as well as save all of your old towels, they may one day come in handy as well. If a flood ever does happen after the storm and rain quits air your home out by opening the doors and windows and running some good strong fans, I’ve found box fans work nicely for circulating larger amounts of air. This is going to not only help things dry out quicker but it’s going to help prevent mold and mildew from forming or at least keep it to a minimum the drier that you can get the conditions in the room.  

When designing your home if you live near a creek or brook or even a drainage area it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to just build your barndominium up off the ground on stilts. This is a popular style of home in Louisiana in the marshland as well as in Florida along the beaches many homes even affluent homes are built on stilts in case of hurricanes or general flooding from the beach. I figured it would be a bit too far to include treehouses in my article but many people are seeking alternative style houses these days.

Make sure your yard isn’t at the bottom of your yard angled in such a way that when it rains heavy or at all the rainwater naturally drains toward your home if this is the case you will need to get someone that can bring a dozer over to knock the grade of your yard down and work the earth so that the end result allows for you to divert that water around your home and any outbuildings that you don’t want to wash down the hill during the next big rain storm. This is a very common thing for heavy equipment operators who specialize in moving dirt for residential developments, you can find one in your local yellow pages online, google would be my first stop in locating someone local,  the actual work and time on-site may only take them a half hour or so to finish the job it really depends on the extent as each job is different and with its own set of challenges. So now that we have prevented a river running through your build site, or Barndominium maybe just some property in general. 

Electricity and water don’t mix I’m no einstein but even I have some common sense when it comes to electricity I’ve been around the building since I was young and have grown up helping out on build sites so maybe what is common sense to me isn’t necessarily common sense for everyone. For instance, I know if you build near a large body of water or there’s a possibility for flooding I install appliances like washers & dryers, Electric stoves. Anything that plugs into the wall and sits on the floor needs to be sitting on small blocks allowing for water to flow under or moved to higher ground if possible. If it’s not possible to lift or put on blocks your best option is to unplug it immediately before the water reaches any internal circuit boards while plugged into the wall socket that’s the best you can do at that point. If flood waters reach within 1ft of outlets or switches it’s best to cut the electricity to avoid damage to the home or anyone due to electrical shock. Having sandbags filled and located somewhere on the property where you can stack them to prevent water from coming in is another great strategy if you’re dealing with an emergency and fighting to save your home from flood waters.  

(https://blushieldsconstruction.com/ )

Generally speaking, I like any excuse to climb up on my roof. I have made a habit of getting up there at least once a year to poke and prod around with my sealant/ caulking gun just to make it look like I’m doing something important, I do ensure the winter ice and wind hadn’t stripped any sealant off. If any spots look old I may put down a few new beads but for the most part, it holds up well after the first application. On every other inspection I’m looking for cracks near any skylights, or cracks in the actual roof, they don’t last forever and sometimes need repair, less frequent if you maintain it as you should. The other place I go is under the house which is actually my least favorite place in the world and I avoid it at all costs, however, that’s, where my water shut-off valve for the entire barndominium is found. I have installed check valves on my water pipes so I can narrow down the problem if a pipe bursts inside my barndo, I have that shut-off valve that cuts the water coming into my house from the county water line at the road. This is a must-have valve in an emergency situation where you have no idea where the water is coming from. 

There are many more simple things you can do to help prevent flooding or prepare for a flood it’s best to be ready for the worst and not need it then need it someday and not have the essentials to protect your barndominium. For barndominium house plans built up off the ground check out Buildmax.com, they have some awesome Barndominium plans from small to multi-family home plans. If you don’t see what you’re looking for reach out you’ll be surprised at what they can design.  

A back deck is a special place! Many people wake up in the morning, take their coffee out on their deck and watch the sunrise and listen to the birds wake up. Those same people will likely end up back on the deck as the sun goes down in the evenings. It is considered a tradition in the south, where I was raised up from, to “porch sit.” The decks attached to our homes are gathering places; areas to entertain guests, host neighborhood cook-outs, and in many cases a venue to help our communities grow closer. Decks can come in any shape or size that your home could possibly work with. Here I will talk about the several types of desks you might consider adding to your barndominium house plans when it becomes design time. 

Wraparound Barndominium porch:

My all-time favorite style is going to be the wraparound deck and by a long shot. I love a nice wide wrap-around deck with plenty of walking room, you see I like to pace when I’m on the phone and many of my homes have had wrap-around porches and I must say, that I certainly used them a lot and much prefer a wide wraparound that I have plenty to view as well. I’ve grown up in the south my whole life where large wrap-around porches are king, almost every old farmhouse had some style of a large wrapping porch. When it came to the most beautiful wrap-around style victorian era homes are known for their ornate spindles and intricately cut decorated posts, I find the workmanship fascinating. Back to actual porches I think having the extra wide space to move and enough room to have a little stroll the extra space is worth every penny that it might cost. With large wraparounds and even smaller ones You can still choose to sit anywhere you want, never getting tired of the view and always having a different one right around the bend. Maybe you would enjoy a swing on one side, rocking chairs on the front with a nice cozy relaxing nook area in the back with seating and pillows. Wood is the preferred decking material for a wraparound porch, but I always have my eyes on innovative technologies and new materials that rise to the forefront of the market. One of those materials that have become pretty popular in recent years, is composite decking. Composite decking is an extremely durable, flexible, and very long-lasting material that happens to be made from recycled plastics such as milk jugs and water bottles. As the “Go Green” movement is gaining traction, more people are looking for environmentally friendly, building materials.

Attached Porch:

An attached deck is standard on almost everything from shop houses, barndominiums, cabins, and even newly constructed dream homes. This type of deck is what your gonna find in most homes, it’s a go-to decking option for many Americans and it’s a great option to choose. With all the different decking materials on the market to pick from it’s no wonder most people go for the most simple straightforward option you have, it’s simply a deck anchored to the house. Some attached decks are designed with a little more spice, adding additions and pool houses, the porch can be anything you want it to be. A covered roof or screened-in deck allows it to be used year-round as an extra entertaining space, or a playroom for kids, With all that extra room I’m sure you can find a fantastic use for it, everyone has their own special hobbies and family activities. One of the attached porches on my personal home I have dedicated solely to cooking, so this is a space that holds things such as my grill and my big barrel smoker, those things being on their own mini porch was a nice idea that I’m glad I did, when I’m cooking on the grill or the smoker for my guests it’s nice to have the smoke far enough away on a different deck to not choke my friends and family to death before their meal. Simple design features like that can really make living in your barndominium a pleasure. making things easier by placing rooms and features in logically thought out places during the design process can save you headaches later once you move in and start to use things on a daily basis, you can take this same concept of simplistic design straight to your deck as well.    

(Barndominium blog-Composite decking)

Detached deck area:

A detached deck is a nice area for an outside fireplace or swing. A raised patio area is also considered a detached entertainment space. My mother had a raised covered patio area when I was a child. She placed a nice glider swing right in the center of the detached deck with flower beds that surrounded the perimeter. We would convert it into an entertainment area when guests would come to visit, complete with a small fire pit. Remember a detached deck is way more suited for a fireplace or fire pit since it should be a safe distance from any structure. Be cautious when considering if your entertainment area is a safe distance from your home and also when considering the materials used for construction.

2-story/ multi-level:

This can be complicated as a DIY project, it’s a job more suited for a specialist. There are a bunch of different ways to do multi-level decks. You can have stairs that span from bottom to top, or you can have entry to the deck only from the home with no external stairs at all. I’ve seen many barndominiums built on the sides of hills with three separate levels of decks allowing for some spectacular views.

(blog on decking and railings)

No matter what type of deck you decide to build with your barndominium build, BuildMax can help your dreams become a reality. Your vision will be sketched out, put into a computer program, and come to life right before your eyes. If you are interested in starting your barndominium house plans today, contact us at BuildMax.com

When your kids first move off to college or finally get married off to that high-school sweetheart, many if not most parents will quickly find themselves in a state of inner turmoil and panic, not knowing what to do. Trying to adjust to the new changes in their lives, things as simple as being in a large empty house all day can trigger some mild panic, and just overall general irritability, and can lead to depression even in some people. but eventually, you will grow accustomed to the quiet house and you’ll find ways to comfort yourself while home alone, maybe with a  loud radio or even something as easy as the TV turned on simply for background noise can make you feel like you are not alone. I’d like to talk to you about a more long-term application for empty nesters, Something like downsizing from your current home into a beautiful barndominium that you and your partner can design together. Downsizing can save money as well, Since you don’t need that larger home anymore as a primary residence maybe you can take it and generate revenue from it by renting it as a short-term rental property depending on the area you live in of course, and what kind of nearby attractions could draw guests in. If your property isn’t suited well for short-term rental you can always no matter where you are in the country right now generate a healthy income from renting out a long-term rental property. You can use that monthly income to live your empty nester dream and build your own barndominium just the size you need with nothing to waste you can take your time and customize things exactly to your specifications. 

Empty nesters were made for the barndominium lifestyle, after years of growing and raising a family now is your time to relax and enjoy your golden years with your partner in a cozy home that you’ve built together, that storybook-sounding plan can actually begin today @ Buildmax.com. You see Buildmax is a house plan company first and foremost but we will help you in many more ways than simply just selling you a floor plan. Buildmax can help you obtain a material package for the house plans we sell. Not only that we can even arrange for a crew to come to frame everything out to get you well on your way to your dream. That’s quite a bit more than just selling house plans. You can take any of our stock house plans and we can make simple modifications all the way up to at some point depending on certain factors it will become a full custom design and that will be in a price bracket all to itself but it is absolutely available. 

What all come with an order? You get a full set of engineered plans with all the elevations and cross section schematics that the builders will need to precisely construct your home, think of the plans as instructions for the builder.

-Pier Foundation Detail  -Crawl Space Plan  -Ground Floor Plan  -Second Floor Plan  -Optional Second Floor Plan  -Front Elevation  -Rear Elevation  -Left Elevation  -Right Elevation  -Cross Section  -Roof Rafter Plan

Each individual page will be approved by an engineer before you ever see it.

I have some very close friends who said they knew exactly what they wanted to do when their son moved out, They had planned to do a major remodel as well as finish their basement that was only framed in with no drywall. They started work the day after their son moved out. I didn’t expect much out of my friends, I had never seen them do a D.I.Y project in all the years I’ve known them. I was thoroughly shocked and surprised to find when I visited about 5mo later for a cookout and they had a fully converted basement that allows for them to entertain larger groups of people than simply a dinner party, the kitchen, and dining area had also received a total facelift and the space was more open and useable after the renovation. Maybe This is the perfect time to review your own options, I think you would really be surprised at what you can actually afford when it comes to a barndominium. You could go as small as you like by doing a custom design but if your looking for something simple and functional with a country feel I urge you to browse Buildmax’s one-of-a-kind Floor plans and Barndominium designs. Buildmax has just released their Eco-Barndo or plan BM1440 and it’s just absolutely perfect for two. With the real estate market going absolutely insane right now selling a home, regardless of the square footage or the school district, the house will sell within days of listing it on the market so you do have some options even on your first day as an empty nester.

Just because you’re living in a big house alone doesn’t mean you can’t take that big house, sell it and turn that profit into a beautiful new barndominium Nest for you and your partner to spend the rest of your days in. Come see us at Buildmax.com for larger designs and many more floorplans to choose from. We have barndominium plans to fit almost any family.   

It’s no secret that barndominium house plans are hot right now. They are all over facebook groups, & Instagram is flooded with amazing pictures & designs. Most designs incorporate wide open floor plans giving you ample space to entertain, as well as plenty of storage space, with that country farm feel with a dash of modern amenities. A barndominium can be many different things to many different people. It’s such a broad term nowadays and is being used for a wide range of designs and plans, a barndominium can be any custom design barn-style home that you like. Traditionally built as a wood structure,  steel has dethroned the traditional stick built barndominium and taken it’s place at the top. The interior is finished as you would any other standard construction. At Buildmax we like to think bigger than just a metal building. To us a barndominium can be built with wood, metal, or any way you see fit, the styling and unique design is what makes the home in our humble opinion.  

A metal roof is one of the things that really gives you the entire barndominium experience, theres nothing like having a metal roof on a rainy day, when you can grab a coffee and a book it’s time to relax on your porch and read, enjoying the benefits of your metal barndominium roof. There are obviously alternatives to using metal but you won’t get the amazing sound of rain on a tin roof with traditional shingles like your neighbors and theirs too, dare to be different.

 Here’s one of our barndominium floor plans we really love, it’s not our most popular plan that we sell but This Barndominium has a very convinient two-car garage that can double as a shop and we love that it’s attached for those cold winter days. Popular in recent months is the additional accessory dwelling or shed or a freestanding studio that has been adapted for a guest house she shed or kids play house that you can build along side your home or simply add later as an afterthought. You’ll love the open floor plans in our house plans, we have designed the kitchens to have extra storage and islands to update any kitchen into the modern era. We like to use walk in closets and large cubbards in our designs, you never realize how important storage is until your actually living in the home daily.

Classic country styling and open floor plans, rockets this barn-inspired farmhouse design right to the top of our customers wish list. The kitchen gives you a big island that overlooks the great room, easy access to the rear porch (with outdoor kitchen), and a generous walk-in pantry. Need to stay organized? Check out the handy mudroom (with bench) and the large master suite, which includes an island in the walk-in closet.

With around 2,500 square feet, this design ties together a modern flair with some classic farmhouse vibes , this coupled with a metal roof, ultra wide porch, and our ever present open floor plan you really can’t go wrong with this design.  Can’t forget the huge island in the kitchen. The master suite invites you to relax in your private spa-like bathroom, which features a soaking tub, sliding barn door, walk-in shower, and spacious closet. Head out to the covered rear  porch to relax when the weather is favorable.

We are swooning over this new modern farmhouse plan. It gives you standout curb appeal and barn-inspired style with a gable roof and board-and-batten siding. The interior is just as dreamy. An open floor plan delivers modern convenience, while the island kitchen makes it easy to cook up something good. The master suite invites you to kick back and relax in its spa-like bathroom. Don’t miss the walk-in pantry or the cool outdoor kitchen on the rear porch!

Stylish curb appeal meets a relaxing, modern layout in this standout barndominium floor plan. The master suite is easy to reach on the main floor and gives you a generous walk-in closet, soaking tub, and access to the patio space. A large island in the kitchen overlooks both the great room and the open dining area, while each bedroom features a walk-in closet. Special amenities include a home office area on the second level.

it’s all about outdoor living with this cool barndominium floor plan. The great room shares a two-sided fireplace with a screened porch, so you can stay toasty indoors or out, in any season. The extra bedroom on the main floor connects to a full bathroom, making it versatile as a guest suite for your in-laws (at a nice distance from other bedrooms upstairs). With its ultra-open floor plan, this house design feels nice and contemporary.

Timeless meets modern house design in this country house design. With an open layout between the main living spaces, this home was designed for everyday comfort and casual living. Like to relax after a long day of work? A rear lanai gives you plenty of room to stretch out for post-work hangs. The large family room features a cozy fireplace and easy connections to the rear porch via sliding glass doors.

The main-level master suite offers a spacious walk-in closet, dual sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and access to the outdoor living space. Upstairs, two bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bath, while a bonus space can be used in a variety of ways (like a home office or game room).

Clean and open, this barndominium floor plan feels contemporary and fresh. The efficient layout gives you a large kitchen island that opens to the great room and dining area, while tons of cabinets keep things organized and tidy. 

Nice weather? Deep porches run the length of the house on two sides for easy indoor-outdoor living. Don’t miss the loft-office over the kitchen island.

With a wrap around front porch and a large rear porch, this modern farmhouse plan feels welcoming and neighborly. Storage abounds inside, with walk-in closets for all the bedrooms and tons of food storage too. The great room flows into the kitchen, where a prep sink on the island makes it easy to prep meals. Two sets of French doors lead out to the back porch, which also connects to the hallway near the master suite (don’t miss its deluxe bathroom). Check out the bonus room above the two-car garage.

Barndominiums are still a hot trend on the market, even a couple of years after I first started to seriously notice them around. I began to pay attention when I noticed a substantial uptick in these uniquely styled custom metal buildings that had recently started popping up in my area, so many in the first year that it began to feel like a game of wack-a-mole. I live in a fairly rural county in Kentucky my family and friends have always considered the state as a part of the southern United States, it’s a very close-knit kind of community, the type where neighbors help each other out, so when something out of the norm is going on, or a new trend really decides to take hold and spread, then it tends to get noticed fairly quickly. Things go unchanged around here for many years and that is generally the way people like it, so when all of a sudden there are building projects going up left and right people take notice and get interested and intrigued themselves, especially once they understand the process and savings and potential applications these barndominiums can have everyone wanted to build one. If not to live in as a primary home I’ve heard of individuals building barndominiums for Anything from vacation homes, short-term rental investments, long-term Investment rentals, office buildings, automotive garages, duplex style barndominiums, and just recently I have been told of an amazing old rural school house that is being replaced by a barn style school house that will fit right in among the farming community that populates the area. The options are literally endless,  barndominiums are still making a splash because of how affordable in versatile they are. 

If you are open to the idea of using metal to frame the barndominium you can in some cases construct the house for a fraction of what it would cost to build it traditionally, that’s not always the case with prices of materials fluctuating so wildly lately but it’s generally not going to cost you more than building a barndominium traditionally with a wood frame. When you couple that with the ability to get the structure built in half the time with cold form steel framing the barndominium goes up like an erector set and only takes a crew of 4-5 guys saving a ton of time and money in the process. There really are many ways to build barndominiums these days and each way has its own advantages and disadvantages in the end it’s really all about what materials you have at your disposal in the area and what kinda price you can get those materials for compared to other options, the idea is to get the best material you can for the best price. 

You can build different ways and it’s up to you to choose which is right for you, with so many options and the simplicity of the barndominium floor plans that is another reason why we are seeing Barndominiums popping up Nationwide, people are attracted to simplistic designs that actually work. A large majority of people get interested in barndominiums because they think barndominiums are so much cheaper than building a traditional stick-built home but once they do their own research the truth of the matter is that they are much closer to the same price than anyone might imagine. If you do it right you can source much of the material and do much of the work yourself this can make all the difference in price. You might think with the price of steel rising across the country, even a steel frame barndominium which was once much cheaper to construct than a traditional wood frame barndominium is now about the same price. However, what you get for that price really makes the difference. You’re going to get a stronger structure that lasts much longer with less maintenance in between. A barndominium is a pretty timeless-looking home to build just about anywhere but most families that are moving out of this city want something that looks and feels country and quaint in appearance to match the rural atmosphere. Moving into a barndominium in rural America will have plenty of open space as designed, and rural America has plenty of property Just waiting for families to come to build on. Buildmax is a company helping to push this process forward, with the noticeable influx of families interested in building barndominiums in Rural America and families noticing they’re paying way too much money in rent to live in cramped accommodations within the city when they can afford a large barndominium in the country for the same price. companies like build max are here to help those families make their barndominium dreams come true.

Buildmax helps by providing barndominium floorplans and designs. Buildmax has a number of high-quality floor plans to choose from, no matter the size of your family or your specific needs, we are confident you’ll find a barndominium that suits your family perfectly. Buildmax can also help in customizing the floorplan to accommodate your specific needs so you can get the plan in your hands so can start building on your dream home sooner than later. Having a row in building your own home is important for many people there are many individuals to have the necessary skills to do a lot of the work themselves realizing this could save a tremendous amount of money along with obtaining your own floor plans from Buildmax you can begin to see the appeal and attraction to building your own barndominium, and how an individual could build a dream barndominium for a relatively reasonable amount of money in comparison to buying a home already on the market( which right now is like a battle in the roman colosseum, or akin to pulling your own teeth ), even if the price is equivalent to buying a home on the market, you’re still getting a newer, custom designed, stronger, more curb appeal, and just better product overall with a barndominium floorplan from Buildmax. When the interest rates go up see difficult to buy a home on the market people become Thrifty and April signed away to get what they want for the price they can afford. this is why we are seeing so many barndominium homes popping up in Rural America. Price barndominiums just look awesome there are so many different designs now with more people getting bit by the barndominium bug it has blown up into a building Revolution with people from every background and walk of life imaginable pitching in helping design new barndominium homes with new styling end trends daily interest Facebook and even National Publications like Dwell magazine. I have seen New Age looking Barnes Classic Barns solid white bones solid black phones barndominiums made with reclaimed wood from vintage barns people are very creative when it comes to doing the decor of their barndominium interior and exterior. Just because you’re building a barndominium doesn’t mean it has to look like a barn on the interior I have seen barndominiums that are built with more technology and gadgets as well as heated flooring, heated driveways for the winter, inset lighting throughout,  the interior has all the modern equivalence of a modern custom luxury designed home in a gated community somewhere, yet it’s in a field full of wild green clover in Rural Kentucky picturesque like it was dropped onto the landscape from above.

Barndominiums are still making a splash because of how affordable, versatile and customizable they are not to mention the unique styling that sets them apart from just about every other home being built today. Buildmax wants to motivate & jump-start your plans to build your dream barndominium by putting quality barndominium floor plans in your hands immediately. Because Buildmax does all of their super-skilled work remotely you are able to purchase your plans and immediately receive a digital copy that is ready to print right then and there. Don’t put off what you could go ahead and do, with a set of plans you are able to take those plans to any builders to look at and give you quotes based on your set of plans. Simply having a full set of plans printed off and accessible can make a world of difference when it comes to researching and studying the plan to determine if any modifications will be made and exactly where to, making accurate modifications is impossible to do without a set of plans in front of you. Next to finding and buying your property your house plans are the first big step to getting you into the barndominium you’ve been dreaming of.

Everyone who decides to build a barndominium wants to build it as economically as possible, essentially your first big purchase on your journey to build your own barndominium is going to be floor plans. You literally can’t even begin the process until you have a game plan and know what you are about to set off building. House plans are your instructions to build with. Now there are a few different routes you can take when your first searching for home plans, your most expensive option is to design a custom floorplan from the ground up if you are not an architect I’m going to assume that you don’t have the skills to do this personally, this means you must hire and work with an architectural firm to design every aspect of the home, which let me tell you is a whole lot more work and time than you realize. Remember you will most likely be put into a queue until the architects can get to your specific project. So if your looking for a quick option a custom-designed floorplan may not be the route for you. 

Another option for barndominium house plans is to simply alter an existing plan, Buildmax works with customers on a daily basis doing just that. Buildmax has a number of stock house plans on their website to pick from and the price is reflected by the number of customizations made to an existing plan. Maybe you want a larger garage, or add a room to the 2nd floor, or re-design the layout of the kitchen. These are simple customizations that our specialized team at Buildmax can help you accomplish. Sometimes families have specific needs and this can be another reason for customizing a house plan, for instance, a home that is handicap accessible may need hallways that are wide enough to easily maneuver a wheelchair these are the types of projects that we really enjoy. Buildmax uses simple straightforward open designs in all of their house plans that really put on display the spaciousness of their barndominiums. Browse through some of Buildmax’s most popular stock house plans to find the design that best fits your family’s style and needs. 

Stock plans are my favorite choice out of any option that is available to customers motivated to build their own barndominium, A stock plan is a proven floorplan that has been previously used in that exact configuration, Buildmax has plenty of stock plans on their site to browse and explore the most amazing part about that is you can buy a stock plan today and have it printed out tomorrow. If you discover a stock plan that you love just the way that it sits and you wouldn’t change a single thing about it then that’s just better for everyone involved. I personally prefer to buy my floorplans exactly how they were intended to be built and not go altering much of the original design if any at all. Maybe you would like to buy your barndominium plans right now to study and research, you can always modify the floor plans later if you realize there’s something that you need or simply want an addition. All of Buildmax’s house plans are engineered plans so everything has been gone over meticulously by certified architects to make sure there aren’t any surprises when it comes to measurements and placement, they ensure everything in the plans is spot on.  

What exactly comes with the stock plans when you place an order with Buildmax? All the stock barndominium floor plans come in a common PDF format that is easily read by any desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone being used today. The included sections of the floor plan are broken down into pages those pages are in order and as follows: Cover page, Main floor plan, Loft floor plan, Roof plan, Front & Rear elevations, Right & left elevations, Main floor electrical plan, Loft electrical plan, Main floor plumbing plan, Loft plumbing plan, Main floor HVAC plan, Loft HVAC plan, Foundation plan, Roof framing plan. As you can see Buildmax’s barndominium floor plans are actually full-size plans that are incredibly detailed the same quality you would expect from any respectable architectural firm 

The big selling point for purchasing stock plans to use on your barndominium is the overall simplicity of the entire process, simple in the fact that you receive the plans so quickly that you can buy the plans and have them in the builder’s hands on the same day. This is absolutely unheard of if your going through an architect because they do all the designing manually and this as you can imagine is extremely tedious work and takes a lot of time and focus to complete, not to mention the hours of planning and conversations between the designers and the customer to get all the details from the customer added into the floor plan just right. Everything must be up to code and meet certain specifications and guidelines that are determined and set by the municipality in which you are building, this makes the process of designing a custom floor plan that much more tricky. People generally underestimate the work that goes into a completed Barndominium floor plan design or they are just simply unaware of the sheer amount of work and attention to detail that it requires to get you a set of quality floor plans in your builder’s hand and ready to work off of.

The major factor that pushed me to go with a stock floorplan and it didn’t take much pushing either was ultimately the price. Once you understand that any modification big or small just costs you extra money straight out of your pocket at a time when you’re trying to find ways to Save around every corner, to get your barndominium built at a reasonable price. Believe it or not, all those little tweaks start to add up fast and before you know it you’ve racked up enough “tweaks” or customizations that your semi-stock floorplan has transformed into a fully custom layout or your dream barndominium floorplan, and there’s nothing wrong with that but just know that each tweak you make ultimately cost money and also each change you make depending on what that is can have an effect on the overall square footage of the barndominium so be aware of that as well. Be prepared to give and take a little with the design process, for instance, If you decide you want a larger bathroom shower or larger bathroom in general you may have to make a compromise somewhere else to make that possible such as making a walk-in closet smaller to make room for the shower on the other side of the wall. Figuring out where and specifically how to accommodate customer requests and requirements into a particular floor plan is an expertise that I personally don’t possess, lucky for me Buildmax does this for their customers every day for any one of their many Stock floorplan designs. 

I still prefer a stock plan or a lightly modified floorplan for its simplicity which is one reason so many people gravitate toward barndominiums, the open floor plan design coupled with simple interior and exterior layouts make Buildmax a fantastic place to find that dream Barndominium floorplan literally today! Why not Buy it now and modify it later if you choose to go that route? Maybe find a comfortable space to work in and take your time to do some careful planning over your newly printed set of stock floor plans to determine if and where any modifications are even necessary. Browse the floor plan designs on Buildmax’s website and even do a virtual walkthrough on some of their most popular Barndominium designs.   

Barndominium styling comes in every taste and theme that you can imagine, every person has their own personal styles and decor that they prefer over others. However, One style that almost everyone can agree on is the rustic reclaimed Barnwood style of barndominiums that have really taken off on their own with the popularity lately. Families are eating up the shiplap, the tongue and groove, and especially the one-of-a-kind custom reclaimed wood flooring. I’ve seen the prices people are paying these middlemen and 3rd party companies that buy the materials from the source only to then jack that price up for the customer. Just about any company that you can find online these days selling reclaimed Barnwood (if they even have any in stock) you can bet your bottom dollar they are charging out the wazoo for every piece of wood they sell because of the competition for the stuff is just so stiff right now they can’t afford to cut deals. Some of your more expensive pieces are going to be the large hand-hewn beams that resemble a railroad tie,  folks are using these beautiful exposed support beams to hold the roof up and add a ton of character to your already special barndominium, these huge beams are knotty and have tons of style to them, they have the ability to change the entire look of the interior depending on how it’s done.  Any reclaimed wood that you buy is going to cost a lot of money just because of how labor intensive it is to reclaim the wood in the first place not to mention the reconditioning and planning that will be required to prep the wood and deliver it, so there is a reason for the sometimes outrageous prices you see being attached to some more rare and obscure vintage reclaimed pieces. 

If you are anything like myself then you are always on the hunt for the best possible deal and the next neat interesting addition to add to my evergrowing decor, even if that means doing a little more work or doing things the hard way around just to get exactly what I want, whatever it takes if the savings is right, that’s kinda my motto when I’m reclaiming materials. One sure-fire way to keep your cost down is obviously to simply go straight to the source now that sounds straightforward when you say it but that’s not always the case. Driving the backroads of the rural south will put you on as my barns as you can shake a stick at but finding an owner or someone who’s willing to work with you can be hard. Your best opportunity is to locate a barn that is in disrepair and looks like the owner wouldn’t mind having it gone and out of the way offering to disassemble and haul off the wood, This type of situation is ideal and can be a win-win for both parties. Taking a barn down and collecting the lumber yourself is no easy task but if you can pull it off you could come out on top with enough free reclaimed lumber that just needs some prepping and TLC at the sawmill saving you the initial cost of the lumber not to mention you can sell off whatever reclaimed lumber that you have left over after the build at a discounted price to help out someone else and make a few extra bucks as well. If you don’t have the money to buy the lumber outright you can most likely bust your hump for it, but just be aware that good barns that are suitable for refurbishing are becoming harder and harder to find, forcing people to search deeper and deeper into the country to find the right projects. As the trend gained popularity the barns and lumber started to slowly disappear from farms and properties where they have stood for over a hundred years in many cases.

At this point when individuals realized that these old-world relics are getting harder and harder to come by a few smart companies started producing some quality reproduction pieces that look and feel just like the real thing. Companies can treat wood in a way that it can accurately imitate Barnwood, reproduction cast iron stoves as well as door knobs, railing, lighting fixtures, and even reproduction era light bulbs are being made today at a price that you just can’t find when it comes to authentic pieces the quality control is better nowadays as well and your more likely to get a solid long-lasting product. On eBay and similar marketplaces, you can find a mixture of old authentic and new reproductions for just about any aspect of your interior. Antique doors are becoming a big trend in barndominium decor lately, sliding barn doors made with reclaimed wood have become all the rage in the past few years and the sliding barn doors are simple enough to build on your own with a quick drive to home depot for the sliding tracks you’ll be on your way to sliding barn doors, the elbow grease it takes is where you’re really going to save the bulk of your money on a project like this. If you buy interior sliding barn doors elsewhere be prepared to pay for em. I would push you to locate some simple plans or a how-to video on youtube possibly for the doors that you want, go source the lumber and build the doors onsite with a buddy, you’ll be glad you did. 

Building your barndominium with a reconditioning mindset will get you a long way towards your goal of a rustic barndominium in the country. Reconditioning items can be a fantastic way to show off hard-to-find pieces, sometimes your only option is to recondition or fix up what you already have as opposed to buying something new. Maybe the piece you need just isn’t being made as a reproduction, this also gives your barndominium that flare of authenticity when you recondition vintage decor for your home it just adds that extra spice. I’ve always fixed my own things and I’m big on D.I.Y just because I’ve experienced the benefits of doing the work myself and I prefer it to buy new in most cases. If processing your own Barnwood seems like something you are interested in check out an article that I wrote some months back that touches on how to go about dismantling and prepping your wood and some things involved that may not have crossed your mind. That article can be found on the Buildmax blog under the title “ Barndominiums & Barnwood: Processing reclaimed wood”   This article here nicely piggybacks off the article above as it contains some valuable information that you don’t want to miss out on if the barnwood is your style. Get out there on the hunt and reclaim, refurbish, or recondition some pieces for your barndominium and save that money you would have otherwise spent for more important projects.   

Cashing in on a trend when it’s in full swing can cost you a ton of unnecessary time & savings simply on account of the hype and hotness of an idea at any given time. Who’s to say you can’t use that hype as fuel & motivation to complete your very own dream barndominium. I’d like to show you how using popular trends and ideas online as a roadmap, you can arrive at the barndominium that you’ve always dreamt of for much less than everyone else is paying for essentially the same things, just by putting in a little extra work on the side you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

When you have the time to stand back and admire the build quality of a beautiful structure like the great pyramid of Giza, you wonder how something of that magnitude was constructed. Nothing of that size and scale can be built without exquisite planning and knowledge of design on the part of the builders. Building off of the ideas that others have already troubleshot and worked through can also save a lot of money and time, by already knowing the potential trouble areas of a project you can take special care when you run into that portion of the build, I’m in the process of planning my own dream barndominium and I’ve noticed myself taking aspects of other builds and attempting to work those ideas into my own.

I get a lot of things done by launching home D.I.Y projects. Instead of buying design elements, I prefer to buy materials and build my own design elements. I get this from my mother. She’s always decorating or doing arts and crafts at home to some extent or another; My dad is the same way when it comes to woodworking and building, so I’ve picked up a few things growing up that I can use while building my first barndominium. I’m sure that you have skills gained throughout life that you can use toward your build that will help propel you down that road even faster than me.  Using resources like Pinterest is a springboard for so many awesome D.I.Y projects, you don’t have to limit your search inquiries to only barndominium-related ideas. I’ve even drawn inspiration from color combinations that I’ve run into and taken pictures of while out shopping; your resources really are all around you.

I like taking long country drives to see what people in my area are building, It’s nice to stay current on the local trends as much as national trends because at the end of the day you don’t want your house to stand out like a sore thumb because it looks so drastically at odds with all the local residences in the neighborhood.  I always begin my planning process with a good drive to clear my head or even a long brainstorm session alone at my build site can do wonders for me, I can put everything else on the back burner temporarily and have a fresh blank slate to start building my idea from and that’s an important step for me personally and I feel like it helps me set on track to succeed in my project. As well as Pinterest, I like to also tap into the endless knowledge base that is online forums. There are so many great ideas to be gained on forums. I’m a huge advocate of sharing information with others in general and forums are a wonderful place you can go to interact with likeminded people who are most likely doing the same thing you’re doing building their own barndominium. There are forums that are specific to the exact project you’re doing, while some forum categories are more broad and general but my point is you can probably find some ideas on forums that will really surprise you.

Forums are a good place to gauge trends as well. You can ask other readers about specific trends, and what their thoughts are on ideas. It always helps to get feedback from outside sources that are not bias toward you. Forums allow you to do this on a large scale and reach many people in a very short period of time. There are builder-focused forums and sub-contractor-related forums online now that are geared at sharing information between builders with many times posts with step-by step D.I.Y photos and instructions for building projects, anything and everything from the foundation to the roof trusses and everything in between is covered in some of these forums.

Youtube is a less complicated way to find more basic D.I.Y ideas and how to videos related to building your own home, or barndominium-specific projects, whatever it is, you can usually find some content on youtube that will at least cover the topic. Facebook groups are another resource that seems to be fast growing in popularity recently. I’ve noticed barndominium topics showing up all over Facebook, so that tells me barndominiums are still trendy to the masses. 

Springboarding off the sharing of information online and how accessible information is these days, we have more resources at our disposal online as owner-builders than most contractors had to work with just a short 10-15 years ago. We have access to all the current trends, the how-to videos, material lists, cost-to-build breakdowns, budget spreadsheets, cost calculators, house plans, consultants, you name it, all of these tools and resources can be easily found online by anyone. 

Knowing how to spot trends is another skill altogether; if you look at enough barndominium pictures that others have built themselves, you can start to pick things out, things you would do different, things that you really like, you’ll see these types of things rather quickly, different areas of the country have different trends based on the climate and weather. Sliding barn doors are a nationwide barndominium trend.  Florida homes tend to be more colorful and built up off the ground more than other areas of the country. There are hundreds and hundreds of trends you can identify just by looking at pictures of barndominiums built by others, maybe it’s best to even start in your own state or region of the country, just to try to focus on some local trends and building staples that you might not latch onto by simply looking at a national pool of barndominium images.

House plans also have trends, you’ll notice trends in the overall design of a barndominium sometimes you can see where it borrowed certain elements, Buildmax is primarily a house plan company that really takes those trends and design elements and blends them into some really stunning barndominiums that could work just about anywhere in the country with a little personal and regional touches I’m sure. Taking a look at some home plan designs on the Buildmax website, you can understand what I mean. The quality and thought put into the interior layouts coupled with the timeless exterior designs lend themselves to looking great in almost any environment. Take a virtual tour of some of Buildmax most popular designs and browse the many others available; if you don’t see that dream home right away, stay a while and explore more designs, your dream barndominium is waiting.