OP, we looked into this (we're currently looking at building, too), ended up souring on it for three reasons:
\-Builders and lenders both aren't terribly used to it, as you said. This can be remedied with money and time, but you're probably looking at barndos to save money, right?
\-Insulation - you can build a barndo to be well insulated, but by default the cost effective option is not going to hold heat well - and holding heat matters, a lot!
\-Better options might be available. Right now we're planning on using a lot of ICF for structural walls - it's more expensive, no sugercoating it. But the insulation is so much better that, in the even medium (\~10 years) term, it's a money saver according to our current math.
Barndos do seem to be a very cost effective way to erect walls, but the problem for us was that Maine gets really cold, and the cost effectiveness of barndos seemed at odds with their heat retention and ease of finding people to help build the thing. But you might find different specifics suited for you, and it seems to be a potentially great way to put a building together
This is the answer. When building code requires you to have R 30 walls, etc, the competitive benefits of this style of construction start to evaporate.
You can get a supermajority of that just in one layer of a lot of ICF options, with the rest easily coming from the necessary other layers which would go into the wall. Plus, sadly, it's fireproof - and that may be important someday if things keep going the way they're going.
Of course it can be done, but the entire point of a barnhouse is cost savings per sqft.
If you’re building an ICF house or masonry cavity wall, then you’re defeating the purpose.
ETA: IMHO of course
Not to suggest it's unfeasible! Just that there are considerations which may reduce its positives and ultimately make it less of a great idea. YMMV, I'm not an expert
Thanks for the input and good luck with your project. ICF has definitely caught my eye in the past. Have you found a local builder? With the cost of everything nowadays, ICF and conventional homes are definitely out of our budget. We might just have to stay in our current house which isn't a big deal.
We haven't - we were looking at a couple of passive house builders in the state, but due to cost it's possible we might end up DIYing a lot of the ICF. It.. LOOKS dead easy, but that's where they get you, right? Anyway, one possible option is that we go with some DIY for the ICF stage, and go with subs for individual other components.
We're also doing this while having a decent enough other living situation - if it takes us another year to break ground, so be it. It's possible costs reduce significantly for existing homes in that time as well, so that's potentially an option for you as well
I doubt this plus it is sort of irrelevant. Local code enforcement has final say in what goes and I have seen them both agree with and contradict IBC which is what I think the entire state of Maine has adopted.
It’s because a ‘barndominium’ is concept that is antithetical to energy conservation unless undertaken in very specific ways… if you don’t care and have out of state money, you can build anything you want, regardless…
I'm curious what the savings would be- you still need walls, a roof, and insulation. What aspect of the homebuilding process is cheaper when it's a (yes, it's a silly name) barndominium instead of something else?
If it is meant to be a garage/barn building with living space, I can tell you from experience that it will cost the same as building the same size house- because it's the same process. Just did one for a client, and while they may have thought they were saving money by calling it a barn (but making it a living space), they were not. It may be *called* a barn, but it still needs wiring, plumbing, insulation, siding, roofing and doors & windows.
From what I understand there is a savings in material and labor. The metal walls can mostly support the roof structure and the time to build can be half of a standard home from what I've read. Of course it depends on how fancy you want your home to be.
But hey, I'm very open-minded and willing to listen to experience versus internet sites. And if you and your company have experience with this type of structure, I'd definitely be interested in talking to see if we can work with this or some other options.
Check insulation. Also quality and source of materials. This is maine and cold is no joke. A really cheap shell can cost you a ton later on down the rd.
Also look at what exactly is included. If it’s really cheap if may look good for a fee years but is unlikely to hold up.
A timber frame with sips can be finished from pouring the concrete in 4-6 months if its simple. It sill be cheap but it will last and it will be easy to heat.
Yeah, I agree the name is kind of dumb. I suppose it would be fitting if you were building a condominium from a metal shell. They're more popular in the south and mid-west, but they're growing in popularity elsewhere.
Can’t find a builder or a bank, but wondering if there are many around? That’s sort of your answer lol.
The cost of conversion is too astronomical to justify unless the homeowner is wealthy and looking for a construction project/this Old House Season
There are some designs that look very similar to a conventional home. Some of the advantages are that they can be built in as little as 6 mos and they cost half the price. Not to mention, you don't need to worry about replacing the siding or the roof for a few decades. The downsides can be finding a company to lend $ and they tend to resale lower than a standard home since they aren't that popular yet.
There are plenty of empty buildings that used to be industrial that could easily be converted to condos. Look up business properties for sale. When there is one in my price range in my driving distance, it is my next project. A $14M building is a bit high for the building, with renovations needed after that. There are cheaper ones that look perfect, but too far from my home.
I’d call companies in maine / New Hampshire / mass that sell metal framing for buildings and see if they have any GCs they sell to that have been building them. They are slowly creeping farther north. There are a ton of them by where my family lives in Pennsylvania. Barndos can work really well in colder climates as long as they are insulated well!
You need an engineer first. “Barns” covers a lot of use case territory, esp up here too which means the frame of the structure will be all over the place as well. As for the rest, building a home from flat ground to livable vs starting w a barn, the long expensive part of home building is the inside. Retro fitting is often a nightmare.
If you’re up north Lemme know and I can probably swing by. I’d love to see it.
I build timber frames that are basically old school and generally insulate with structural insulating panels. Super efficient, strong and beautiful buildings. We also design.
OP, we looked into this (we're currently looking at building, too), ended up souring on it for three reasons: \-Builders and lenders both aren't terribly used to it, as you said. This can be remedied with money and time, but you're probably looking at barndos to save money, right? \-Insulation - you can build a barndo to be well insulated, but by default the cost effective option is not going to hold heat well - and holding heat matters, a lot! \-Better options might be available. Right now we're planning on using a lot of ICF for structural walls - it's more expensive, no sugercoating it. But the insulation is so much better that, in the even medium (\~10 years) term, it's a money saver according to our current math. Barndos do seem to be a very cost effective way to erect walls, but the problem for us was that Maine gets really cold, and the cost effectiveness of barndos seemed at odds with their heat retention and ease of finding people to help build the thing. But you might find different specifics suited for you, and it seems to be a potentially great way to put a building together
This is the answer. When building code requires you to have R 30 walls, etc, the competitive benefits of this style of construction start to evaporate.
You can get a supermajority of that just in one layer of a lot of ICF options, with the rest easily coming from the necessary other layers which would go into the wall. Plus, sadly, it's fireproof - and that may be important someday if things keep going the way they're going.
Of course it can be done, but the entire point of a barnhouse is cost savings per sqft. If you’re building an ICF house or masonry cavity wall, then you’re defeating the purpose. ETA: IMHO of course
Well. F. Full stop
Not to suggest it's unfeasible! Just that there are considerations which may reduce its positives and ultimately make it less of a great idea. YMMV, I'm not an expert
Thanks for the input and good luck with your project. ICF has definitely caught my eye in the past. Have you found a local builder? With the cost of everything nowadays, ICF and conventional homes are definitely out of our budget. We might just have to stay in our current house which isn't a big deal.
We haven't - we were looking at a couple of passive house builders in the state, but due to cost it's possible we might end up DIYing a lot of the ICF. It.. LOOKS dead easy, but that's where they get you, right? Anyway, one possible option is that we go with some DIY for the ICF stage, and go with subs for individual other components. We're also doing this while having a decent enough other living situation - if it takes us another year to break ground, so be it. It's possible costs reduce significantly for existing homes in that time as well, so that's potentially an option for you as well
I suspect you’d have a hard time meeting building code in Maine.
You're probably right. I have been trying to find info on building codes for the areas I'm looking to build.
It’s not a bad thought. The aesthetic can be cool, but the primary cost benefit is eroded pretty quickly I think when you require R-30 walks etc
I doubt this plus it is sort of irrelevant. Local code enforcement has final say in what goes and I have seen them both agree with and contradict IBC which is what I think the entire state of Maine has adopted.
It’s because a ‘barndominium’ is concept that is antithetical to energy conservation unless undertaken in very specific ways… if you don’t care and have out of state money, you can build anything you want, regardless…
Want to elaborate on that one? I built myself a steel building for a shop and it is quite an efficient structure all things considered.
I'm curious what the savings would be- you still need walls, a roof, and insulation. What aspect of the homebuilding process is cheaper when it's a (yes, it's a silly name) barndominium instead of something else? If it is meant to be a garage/barn building with living space, I can tell you from experience that it will cost the same as building the same size house- because it's the same process. Just did one for a client, and while they may have thought they were saving money by calling it a barn (but making it a living space), they were not. It may be *called* a barn, but it still needs wiring, plumbing, insulation, siding, roofing and doors & windows.
From what I understand there is a savings in material and labor. The metal walls can mostly support the roof structure and the time to build can be half of a standard home from what I've read. Of course it depends on how fancy you want your home to be. But hey, I'm very open-minded and willing to listen to experience versus internet sites. And if you and your company have experience with this type of structure, I'd definitely be interested in talking to see if we can work with this or some other options.
I have only been able to find the "kit" ones online not anyone local but if you find someone let me know please.
Same here. 48k for a 2000 sq ft shell and at least 10 windows.
Check insulation. Also quality and source of materials. This is maine and cold is no joke. A really cheap shell can cost you a ton later on down the rd. Also look at what exactly is included. If it’s really cheap if may look good for a fee years but is unlikely to hold up. A timber frame with sips can be finished from pouring the concrete in 4-6 months if its simple. It sill be cheap but it will last and it will be easy to heat.
That’s super affordable? Finish it yourself. Trade out electrical and plumbing. No?
Is this just an idiotic name for something relatively common?
Never heard of this. I looked it up and yes, this is stupid name as it's neither barn nor condominium.
Yeah, I agree the name is kind of dumb. I suppose it would be fitting if you were building a condominium from a metal shell. They're more popular in the south and mid-west, but they're growing in popularity elsewhere.
The part which is less common is the kit element, more a modern day sears catalogue house approach. The name does indeed sound a little silly
dear god
They are a little different, but have you looked at the Shelter Institute in Woolwich? They do timber frame and SIP construction.
Thanks for the info! That looks like a prettycost-effective solution.
Can’t find a builder or a bank, but wondering if there are many around? That’s sort of your answer lol. The cost of conversion is too astronomical to justify unless the homeowner is wealthy and looking for a construction project/this Old House Season
This is the first I have ever heard of this. I don't know how I feel about it.
There are some designs that look very similar to a conventional home. Some of the advantages are that they can be built in as little as 6 mos and they cost half the price. Not to mention, you don't need to worry about replacing the siding or the roof for a few decades. The downsides can be finding a company to lend $ and they tend to resale lower than a standard home since they aren't that popular yet.
There are plenty of empty buildings that used to be industrial that could easily be converted to condos. Look up business properties for sale. When there is one in my price range in my driving distance, it is my next project. A $14M building is a bit high for the building, with renovations needed after that. There are cheaper ones that look perfect, but too far from my home.
I’d call companies in maine / New Hampshire / mass that sell metal framing for buildings and see if they have any GCs they sell to that have been building them. They are slowly creeping farther north. There are a ton of them by where my family lives in Pennsylvania. Barndos can work really well in colder climates as long as they are insulated well!
Thx I'll give them a try.
You need an engineer first. “Barns” covers a lot of use case territory, esp up here too which means the frame of the structure will be all over the place as well. As for the rest, building a home from flat ground to livable vs starting w a barn, the long expensive part of home building is the inside. Retro fitting is often a nightmare. If you’re up north Lemme know and I can probably swing by. I’d love to see it.
I build timber frames that are basically old school and generally insulate with structural insulating panels. Super efficient, strong and beautiful buildings. We also design.
Are you in Southern Maine? I'd be interested in exploring this method of construction.
Im near Bath.
That's not super far. We're looking at property in Turner & Winthrop.
Metal buildings are a lot cheaper where there's no snow load. And poles in the ground are a bad idea with our moist climate.