Before you jump into anything ALWAYS do your homework!

I suggest joining several FB/IG barndominium groups. Chat there for a while and ask any questions you might have. There are many aspects to building post frame style that are very different than standard stick built houses.

One of the biggest issues we had was finding framers that actually wanted to help us put together our barndominium house kit. Not very many in the state of Georgia are familiar with barndominium construction and are afraid to even give a bid on framing it. Currently, we have no framers lined up – so we’ll be starting the assembly ourselves this week.

You’ll be using different materials in different ways, and you’ll need special considerations for your windows and doors. In addition, you’ll need to order these well in advance since most of them have about a 2 month current lead time.

We ordered our windows from Pella. We are very pleased with them so far – though they are sitting and waiting to be installed at the moment. We ordered their fiberglass window, with the traditional window panes in black with the special LowE glass for hot Southern climates. They are truly a beautiful window! One of the windows arrived with a crack in it… we called our Pella rep and they sent a team to our home (where we are storing the windows temporarily) and they fixed it on site.

I recently ordered our exterior house doors. These will also have to have special 6″ jambs on them to accommodate our thicker post frame walls. You’ll also need to have the EXACT rough opening measurements for your doors since there will be a post on either side of each door opening.

If you are using metal with your barndominium build, you’ll probably want to consider spray foam insulation. Definitely more expensive at the outset, but will save you money later on.

Finally, your slab will also be laid a bit different than traditional construction. There will be piers (deep foundations) under each of the posts. However, the bulk of your slab can be between 4-6″.

If you have any additional “oddities” that you’ve experienced with your barndominium build, please share!