Barndominiums · Austin Pole Barns
Barndominium Builders in Austin, MN
Open-plan post frame homes with a shop wall. Get a free quote.
Barndominiums across Mower, Steele and Dodge counties
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Barndominiums
Barndominium Builders for Austin, MN
A barndominium, also called a pole barn house or shouse, is a post frame building built as a residence. Clear-span trusses mean no load-bearing interior walls, so the plan is whatever you draw: open kitchen and living area, bedrooms on one side, a shop or garage bay on the other. Around Austin, Adams and Grand Meadow, owners use the shop end for tools, a truck and a hobby.
Scope is your call. We can deliver a dried-in shell with roof, steel, windows and doors, ready for your own interior. Or we can finish it: framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, drywall, flooring and trim. Either way the building is permitted as a dwelling, with energy code compliance, egress windows and, outside town, a septic system and well.
What's included
What goes into barndominiums
- 01
Plan development
Square footage, room list and shop dimensions turned into a dimensioned floor plan.
- 02
Dwelling permit
Full residential drawings and permit, including energy compliance and egress.
- 03
Frost-protected slab
Insulated slab edges and sub-slab insulation, with tubing for radiant heat as an option.
- 04
Envelope
Steel roof and wall panels, closed-cell or batt insulation and an air and vapor control layer.
- 05
Mechanical systems
Heating, plumbing, ventilation and a service panel sized for the home and the shop.
- 06
Interior finish
Partition framing, drywall, cabinetry, trim and flooring, if you want it done for you.
Building ideas
Barndominiums: what they can look like
Example photos of the building type.
How it works
How a barndominium job works
- 1
Program
List the rooms, the shop size and the vehicles that need to fit.
- 2
Design and permit
Floor plan, structural drawings and residential permit are prepared together.
- 3
Shell
Site prep, slab, columns, trusses and steel make the building weathertight.
- 4
Finish or turnover
Interior work follows, or you take the shell and finish it yourself.
Questions
Barndominiums FAQs
How is a barndominium insulated for Minnesota winters?
With insulation in the walls and ceiling, a vapor control layer and a slab insulated underneath and at the edges. A drip-stop membrane under the steel roof prevents condensation. The frost depth for footings is 42 inches.
What affects the cost of a barndominium?
Living area, the number of baths, kitchen scope, the heating system, the shop size and the site, including septic and well on a rural lot. Shell-only and move-in-ready are separate quotes.
What permits does a barndominium need?
A full residential permit, with plan checks, inspections at set stages and a certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in. Agricultural exemptions do not cover a dwelling.
Can the shop and the house be heated separately?
Yes. Two zones with their own thermostats are common. The shop can run cooler, and an insulated wall between the two areas keeps the house quiet and warm.
Is a barndominium better than a stick-built house?
It is different. Post frame is fast to enclose and gives wide open interiors, and a stick-built house suits some lots and lenders better. We describe the tradeoffs on a call and build what you choose.
Related buildings
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Detached garages and heated shops with the width, height and power for real work.
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Post Frame Buildings
Engineered post frame construction for shops, storage, farm and small commercial use.
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Machine Sheds
Clear-span sheds with oversized doors for combines, planters, sprayers and tillage tools.
More on machine sheds
Where we build
Barndominiums in these towns
We build barndominiums with big shop bays, lofts and covered porches in every town below.
Mower County
Steele County
Dodge County
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