Search

Modern Barn Houses

Inspired by rustic farm & agricultural buildings, modern barn houses re-imagine the residential application potential for these beloved designs in some truly creative ways. Barns aren’t just for housing horses, livestock, feed, and crops anymore. A metal barn home creates a distinctive look on the outside, and offers a perfect canvas for creating whatever type of living space you want on the inside, too. Some will choose to break the space up into a more traditional floorplan, while others choose to take advantage of more wide-open space for multipurpose usage. In any case you’ve got plenty of options, and it’s little wonder why the modern barn house phenomenon is taking the nation by storm!

Modern Barn Houses
  • Manufactured
    in America
  • 20YRS
    20 Years
    Warranty
  • Friendly Building
    Specialists
  • Exceptional
    Customer Service

What’s a Barndo, Anyway?

Since you landed on this page, you probably already have some interest in the concept of a modern barn home. But if you’re not familiar with the term barndominium or its popular barndo abbreviation, we’re happy to explain. The barndominium craze originally took off in the Houston area many years ago when it was first established that metal homes stand up to extreme weather threats (like hurricanes) much better than stick builds. Barndo popularity quickly spread to the rest of Texas, and this momentum continues to spread across the Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, West Coast, and all over the country.

So, what is a barndominium? It’s really just what it sounds like – it’s a cross between a metal barn and a condominium of sorts. Barndos are typically built to mimic the look of a barn on the outside, while the clear-span interior can be designed to create most any floorplan or residential application you have in mind. Many homeowners will choose to use their custom metal structure as their primary residence, while others opt to turn their barndo into a second vacation home, a dedicated office for their business, or a combination facility for living, work, and pleasure. With a metal barndominiums, there’s really no limit to the potential application possibilities.

Some of the Many Benefits of a Modern Steel Barn Home

If you haven’t given a lot of thought to choosing a steel-framed structure for your residence, vacation home, or other finished building application before, there’s lots to like about a metal barn with living quarters or custom metal barn kit. Here are just a few specific features and benefits worth considering:

• Metal barn prices

Since cost to build is a primary concern for many homebuyers, let’s start by looking at metal barn prices. Thanks to COVID and lingering supply chain issues, construction material costs have risen across the board – including both wood and metal. Even so, the truth remains that it’s still less expensive to build with steel. And the larger your barn house design, the more you’ll save per square foot by choosing steel. On average, a steel-framed home is around 30% cheaper to build than a wood-framed structure – them’s the facts!

• Flexibility of building design

If you like the idea of creating your own perfect floorplan from scratch, with the possibility of including some high ceilings and large common areas, then you’ll love the possibilities offered by a custom metal barn home. The sturdy steel tubing used for framing is engineered to bear the full weight of the roof without any need for interior poles, columns, or supports. In other words, you have a wide-open interior that you can design and customize any way you want!

• Faster construction with shorter lead times

Having a stick-built home constructed on your property can take many months, or even longer than a year after when you first contract the build. Modern barn house construction is a much more streamlined process by comparison. Since every custom steel building component is individually designed, measured, and precisely fabricated ahead of time, a steel barndo goes up much faster, with less required labor. In fact, you can even order a custom DIY metal barndominium kit that you can install yourself, if you like!

• The strength and durability of steel

One of the things that first drew folks to consider building with metal in the first place is steel’s sheer strength and durability. Galvanized steel possesses some unique properties that other building materials simply can’t match. Steel is sturdy, long-lasting, and stands up tougher to the tests of extreme weather, wind, precipitation, lightning, fire, pests, and even earthquakes. Steel buildings are easier to maintain than wood, too; there’s no need for any repainting or staining. And there’s another cost benefit that comes along with choosing steel, too – thanks to its innate fire resistance, a steel building is often cheaper to insure.

• Better energy efficiency

Many folks naturally assume that a wood-framed home will be more energy-efficient, but they do so without knowing all the facts. A well-insulated metal home can actually be 40% more energy-efficient than a stick build! Surprised? You must start by understanding that steel framing is more dense and compact than wood framing, which means there’s more available cavity space for filling with insulation. And the more insulation you can pack into your ceiling and walls, the less demand is placed upon your HVAC system – thus resulting in lower heating & air costs. More insulation also means greater buffering of any external noise pollution.

• More eco-friendly, too!

Sure, trees are a renewable resource, but construction-grade lumber isn’t always produced in a manner that’s either environmentally friendly or sustainable. But did you know? The steel used in American construction includes a minimum percentage of recycled content, and every steel building component is 100% recyclable. And here’s another environmental bonus, too. Construction sites usually generate a lot of trash which ends up in landfills, but that’s not the case with prefab steel construction. Since each building component comes pre-measured and pre-cut, there’s virtually no waste produced during the assembly and installation process. When you consider all of these important points, it’s really not an exaggeration to say that a steel structure is one of the most eco-friendly building approaches there is!

 

Why a Vertical Roof is the Best Roof

While metal buildings can typically be constructed with a number of roof styles, including a rounded regular roof, an A-frame horizontal roof, and a vertical roof – the vertical roof is the clear winner, and is the only recommended choice for residential applications. Why is a vertical roof the premium option for metal structures?

The vertical roof is typically installed on a sturdy A-frame design which offers the greatest weight-bearing possibilities and the most reliable support performance. Extra reinforcements are also added to the roof’s support frame for greater stability. And then there’s the vertically-oriented metal paneling itself. Metal roofs are known for their ability to withstand wind and other forces of nature, and the vertical paneling orientation means that both precipitation and debris are shed from the roof with much greater efficiency and effectiveness. A modern barn house with vertical roofing can be certified to meet whatever minimum wind and snow loads may be required to meet your local building codes.

 

Customization Options for Your Metal Barn Design, Framing, and Paneling

You may think that all metal barn buildings have to look pretty much the same, but that’s certainly not the case. Carport Central gives you the freedom to customize and personalize the exterior of your metal barn house to really set it apart, based upon your personal preferences. You choose the building’s dimensions, steel gauges, door & window options, colors, and more!

• Size & Style

How big of a barndo would you like to build? How many family members or business team members are you looking to house? A metal barn structure can be designed to suit any dimensions, for any stated need. The building’s width, length, and height are all really up to you. Just let us know what you need, and we’ll work with you to make it happen!

• Framing & Paneling Gauges

14-gauge is a common standard of framing for many steel building applications, but many folks opt to choose a thicker 12-gauge framing for their metal barn home. And as far as the gauge for your metal paneling, you’ve got options there as well when it comes to what to put on your roof and side walls.

• Doors & Windows

Which types of access points would you prefer? We offer everything from garage-style roll-up doors to traditional walk-in doors, or you can go with open frame-outs if you’d like to install your own custom doors. You get to choose where these doors or door openings go on your building, too. Want to include some windows for natural light and ventilation possibilities? We can make that happen, too!

• Color Options

Your modern barn house doesn’t have to look like any old typical barn. What color or colors would you prefer for the roof, side paneling, and trim? We’ve got a full palette of great color choices, and you can also choose a tasteful wainscot combination for your side paneling as well, if you like.

• Certification Choices

Where will your metal barn home be installed? For residential applications, you’ll likely need to have your building certified to meet some specific wind and/or snow loads. That’s not a problem for Carport Central – we can certify your custom barn building to meet any needed stipulations.

• More Ways to Customize, Too!

 

Insulation Possibilities for a Metal Barn Home

As we mentioned before, metal homes can actually be much more energy-efficient than comparable wood-framed homes, as long as you include the proper insulation. But what are some good options for insulating your modern barn house?

• Batt and blanket insulation

This is one of the most common forms of insulation used in residential spaces today, and can be inserted into wall spaces, ceilings, and even floor spaces. A batt typically consists of mineral fiber or fiberglass paneling. A blanket is made with similar materials, but is a more flexible product which can more easily be rolled, folded, or cut, as your space needs require.

• Rigid board insulation

These boards work much like insulation blankets, and are composed of flexible materials ranging from fiberglass, to polyurethane, to polystyrene. But because board insulation is thinner than many batts or blankets, it also doesn’t deliver as much R-value.

• Loose-fill insulation

Loose-fill insulation is an attractive option for filling gaps and cavities which can’t easily be covered by batts, blankets, or boards. Loose-fill usually delivers a better R-value, too. Insulating loose fiber or pellets are applied and spread into cavity surfaces through the use of specialized blowing tools, and provide better energy efficiency for your living space.

• Spray foam insulation

If your metal building structure has a modified or irregular design, spray foam is another good option to consider. A polymer liquid is sprayed into gaps and cavities, and then the liquid expands and hardens, thus creating an airtight seal.

Metal barn homes offer more available space for applying insulation, and you can also choose to combine several insulation methods in order to create the best, most effective climate-controlled seal for your home!

 

 Cost to Build a Modern Barn Home

What will a modern barn home actually cost you to build? That’s a question that practically every homebuyer asks, and understandably so. But as far as numbers go, it’s difficult to talk much about specifics until we know exactly what you’re looking to include in your new home structure. Even so, Carport Central is proud to offer competitive pricing on all of our steel structure solutions. The specific price of your custom metal home will ultimately depend upon a few key factors, including which specific building dimensions you’re shooting for, along with the gauges of steel you want to use for your framing and paneling, and any particular customizations you’d like to include. The best way for you to get an accurate metal building home price quote for your particular install location is simply to reach out to one of our friendly, knowledgeable building specialists – we’re here to help!

 

Metal Barn Home Financing Options

At Carport Central, we’re committed to providing you with the simplest, most painless process for getting the custom metal building you need – and that includes offering preferred financing options for your metal building home, too. If your intention is to make your metal barn structure your primary residence, you’d probably prefer to pursue a mortgage financing option. We can help you with that! Carport Central partners with preferred lenders who specialize in metal building home loans, and we can give you the option to finance your land, your metal home, and all needed finishing work in one single loan!

If you’d like to consider ALL of your metal building financing options, we’ve developed a proven financing process that’s quick, easy, and transparent. We’re here to help you get the building you need, with a financing plan that best suits your unique situation and budget. Click here to learn more about our flexible lending options, or just give us a call at (980) 321-9898 to get in touch with one of our building specialists today!

 

Modern Barn Home DIY Kits

Carport Central is happy to deliver and install any custom metal building we provide, anywhere within our service area, which includes most of the continental United States! Oh, and we also provide this service for no extra charge with standard building purchase! But having said that, we also know that some of you are DIYers who prefer to save a little money by putting in some sweat equity to get things yourself. We can certainly appreciate that, and we’re willing to meet you where you are! In addition to our no-extra-charge installation services, we can also provide you with a custom-designed and precision-manufactured metal building home kit that you can pick up and install yourself for a discount.

Why consider going with a metal building kit? For one thing, it can save you some money on your building purchase price! There are a few more benefits, as well. Your particular building installation can be conducted on your own schedule, and it also gives you a chance to flex your personal DIY skills! Got questions about a custom-crafted metal barn home kit? Just reach out to us today, we’d be happy to get the conversation started!

 

Why Choose Carport Central?

There are quite a few things which separate Carport Central from the rest. We have the best partnerships with the best steel structure manufacturers in the country, including some of which we operate in-house. We currently service 46 states, covering practically the entire continental U.S. We also have unparalleled building selection and design possibilities when it comes to size, style, and customization options. But beyond that, one of the things that really sets us apart is our people! We’ve got the best-trained, most capable, most friendly team of building specialists in the business, and we’ll start by taking the time to LISTEN to your needs. We’re also committed to make sure your building gets delivered and installed with the absolute shortest possible lead time. We’ve also got the best metal building financing solutions you’ll find anywhere! And NOBODY beats our level of personalized customer care and attentive customer service. The Better Business Bureau gives us an A+ rating for a reason, and they’ve also chosen to award Carport Central with their Torch Award for Ethics – the highest honor the BBB has to give to any business!

Reach out online or give us a call at (980) 321-9898 today, and let us help you get your perfect metal barn home. Come experience the Carport Central difference for yourself!

Carport Central: What’s Central to You, Is Central to Us.

Helpful Steel Building Tips
Learn more about our precision-engineered metal buildings, and gain a wealth of useful tips and insights by joining our newsletter list.
Call Now
(980) 321-9898