Building a Big Barndo from Scratch? Plan for These Hurdles
The barndominium lifestyle promises wide-open living tailored to personal needs thanks to flexible steel-frame barn designs. Homeowners love realizing full custom visions unconstrained by typical residential limitations. However, constructing oversized bespoke barndos from foundation up proves no small feat. Challenges multiply when building bardominiums exceeding 5,000+ square feet. Here are key considerations when planning a sizable scratch-built barndominium dwelling.
Permitting Issues
Local municipalities often lack barndo-specific building codes and restrictions. Permitting snafus frequently stymie projects, especially for larger outbuildings on acreages. Zoning laws around metal building appearance, setbacks, living area ceilings and fire separation codes need sorting early. Be prepared to clarify barndo versus strictly agricultural building uses too. Know guidelines thoroughly before finalizing drawings to avoid major redesigns.
Foundation Scale
Custom barndominiums have unique structural loads demanding specialized foundations. Most require thickened poured concrete slabs or piers. But soil and site factors make large-format foundations problematic. Poor drainage or landscape contours dictate complex solutions to prevent cracking or sinking issues. Be ready to get engineering assistance to account for local conditions and massive building loads on basements and slab designs.
Utility Logistics
Running electrical, plumbing, and HVAC to service expansive barndominium square footage gets complicated fast. Configuring adequate wiring circuits, water lines, drains, ductwork and fixtures throughout multi-use zones needs coordination. Especially with barn homes integrating smart home technologies or backup power systems. Paperwork delays also plague complex utility work. Make sure to size infrastructure appropriately from the start.
Contractor Shortages
Watch out for construction labor holdups when building bigger barndo spaces. Specialized subcontractors get stretched handling multiple job sites with current labor and materials scarcity. Finding available framing, electrical, drywall or insulation crews causes frustrating slowdowns. Be flexible scheduling crews far in advance as possible even for small job batches. Creative project management eases delays.
Land/ Property
Having enough property to build on can be challenging depending on the area and population, I recommend building in a more rural setting but not too far off the beaten path to where it poses issues for building crews and delivery trucks, as well as having the terrain in order, with it being level and flat and prepped for the foundation work to begin. having ample property can be an issue in more populated areas where land is less available.
Buildmax Barndominium Design Services
Buildmax’s in-house design team provides complete barndo planning assistance from initial consultations through construction completion. Their barndominium floor plan portfolio already spans sizes from 1,500 to 6,000+ square feet. Or they can custom draft plans matching your family’s wildest barn home dreams through iterative concept workshops. With expert guidance securing permits, planning foundations and optimizing layout practicality, Buildmax alleviates headaches transforming oversized barn plans into buildable realities.
pre-fab Barndominium Kits
Pre-Fab Steel Barndominium Kits For those lacking time for a full custom barndo design, Buildmax offers an array of large-format steel barn kits. Their ClearSpan series provides free-span enclosures reaching up to 300 feet wide ideal for expansive DIY projects. Or select one of their many 4,000+ sq ft barn plans if an ample living area meets needs. With pre-cut framing and sheathing included for straightforward assembly, Buildmax kits enable speedy barndo structure completion. Then focus efforts on interior remodeling finishing touches.
Building a grand-scale barndominium residence from a cleared lot no doubt challenges homeowners and builders alike. Yet realizing an expansive custom barn vision rewards those willing to tackle hurdles head-on. With prudent planning around permitting, structural considerations, utilities and contractor coordination, even barndo giants become attainable. Soon you’ll enjoy all the residential freedom promised by steel barns supersized to your creative desires!
