Steel building kits · Type
Barndominium kits
A barndominium kit is a shell package. Almost everything that makes the building a home happens after it is standing, and the gap between those two scopes is where barndominium budgets and timelines usually go wrong. This page separates the two, so you can read a kit quote for what it covers.
Package contents vary by supplier. Find Steel Buildings does not manufacture, stock or sell kits, and does not supply floor plans.
- Primary frame
- Secondary framing
- Roof & wall panels
- Trim + fasteners
- Planned openings
Definition
What a barndominium kit is
It is a steel building package engineered for a footprint that will later be finished as living space. The supplier's obligation typically ends at a weathertight shell on your foundation; the residence is created by the trades that follow. Two suppliers can quote the same footprint and mean very different things by "barndominium kit", so the scope list matters more than the term.
A shell, not a house
The package is a structural envelope. Habitability comes from the build-out that follows it.
Engineered before it ships
Openings, heights and loads are designed in. Moving a door after fabrication is a design revision.
Residential consequences
Because the end use is a residence, code, energy and inspection requirements apply to work outside the kit.
Scope
Shell scope versus finished-home scope
The single most useful thing to establish before reading any quote.
| Scope area | Commonly in a kit | Commonly outside a kit |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Primary frame, secondary framing | Interior partition framing |
| Envelope | Roof and wall panels, fasteners | Insulation package, vapour control detailing |
| Openings | Designed openings, framed | Residential windows and doors to finish standard |
| Drawings | Erection drawings; sealed drawings vary | Architectural layout and residential design |
| Foundation | Design assumptions only | Slab, footings, site work |
| Services | Not included | Electrical, plumbing, HVAC |
| Finish | Not included | Drywall, flooring, cabinetry, fixtures |
| Approvals | Not included | Permits and inspections |
Written conditionally on purpose: scope varies by supplier and must be confirmed in writing.
Exclusions
What kit sellers commonly exclude
These are not hidden costs — they are simply someone else's scope. They still belong in your budget.
Interior build-out
Partitions, insulation, drywall and finishes are conventional residential work, quoted by local trades.
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing
Service entries and rough-ins are coordinated with the shell design, but are not part of it.
Foundation
Design and pour follow the engineered drawings and local soil conditions, and are contracted separately.
Permits and inspections
Applied for by the buyer or their contractor. Ask which drawings the reviewer will accept.
Erection labour
Materials-only unless the quote states otherwise. Ask what equipment must be on site at delivery.
Residential layout drawings
Floor plans are a design service. A kit supplier may or may not offer one; this site does not.
Compare
Kit, plans, or turnkey
Three different purchases that buyers frequently compare against each other by price alone.
How the three purchase routes differ
| Criterion | Shell kit | Design service | Turnkey contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you receive | An engineered structural package | Drawings for a layout | A finished residence |
| What it does not give you | Interior, services, foundation, approvals | Any materials at all | Direct control over each line item |
| Who coordinates the build | You, or a builder you hire | Not applicable | The contractor |
| Suited to | Buyers with a builder relationship or site capacity | Buyers still deciding the layout | Buyers who want a single point of responsibility |
Configuration
Choices that change the package
Footprint and span
Clear span removes interior columns, which matters more in a residence than in a storage building.
Eave height
Height decides ceiling options after the interior build-out and affects wall panel quantity.
Porch or lean-to
A covered porch is a structural element on a barndominium and belongs in the frame design, not the finish stage.
Openings
Residential window and door counts are higher than a workshop's, and each one is framed in the design.
Attached shop bay
Shop-and-living layouts change the loading and often the frame line, so specify them up front.
Design loads
Snow, wind and seismic requirements come from the site and must be stated in every quote request.
Footprints
Common barndominium footprints
Dimensional detail is maintained on the size pages so it stays in one place.
Before ordering
Questions to resolve before you place an order
Lender, code and inspection questions are answered locally — but they are decided before fabrication, not after.
- Will the finished structure be classified as a residence in this jurisdiction?
- Which drawings will the plan reviewer accept, and are they sealed for this state?
- What does the lender require to see before releasing funds?
- What energy code applies to the finished envelope, and who details it?
- Which inspections happen between shell completion and occupancy?
- Who is responsible if the delivered package does not match the approved drawings?
- How are design revisions priced once fabrication is scheduled?
- Is the quote delivered, and who unloads it?
We make no claim about lender, permit, insurance or timeline outcomes; these are questions to put to the relevant authority or institution.
Suppliers
Comparing barndominium shell suppliers
| Criterion | What to ask for | Why it matters here |
|---|---|---|
| Residential experience | Recent projects finished as residences | Residential end use changes detailing expectations |
| Scope list | Itemised inclusions and exclusions | Two barndominium kit prices rarely cover the same scope |
| Drawings | Whether sealed drawings are included | Residential plan review is stricter than an accessory structure |
| Openings | How many openings the price assumes | A residence has far more openings than a shop |
| Freight | Delivered price to the site | Rural residential sites can carry access constraints |
| Change handling | Revision cost and lead time | Layout changes are common on residential projects |
Verified supplier profiles and service areas are in the supplier directory. Configuration questions about the building type itself are answered on the metal barndominium page.
Cost
Where cost information lives
No price appears on this page. Kit pricing depends on scope, specification, freight and the market at the time of quoting, and it is maintained against published supplier evidence in the cost silo.
Questions
Common questions about barndominium kits
In most cases the shell: primary frame, secondary framing, roof and wall panels, fasteners and a drawing set, with trim and anchor hardware varying by supplier. It is a structural package, not a house. Ask each supplier for an itemised scope list before comparing prices.
Interior framing, insulation, drywall, flooring, cabinetry, electrical, plumbing and HVAC are normally outside a kit and delivered by conventional residential trades. Confirm with the supplier what, if anything, on the interior side is part of their package.
Drawing scope varies. Some suppliers provide erection drawings only, some provide sealed structural drawings, and residential layout drawings are usually a separate service from an architect or designer. Find Steel Buildings does not supply floor plans.
Structurally they can be close. The difference is the finishing scope that follows: a residential build-out brings code, energy, egress and inspection requirements that a detached garage does not, and those requirements sit outside the kit either way.
Lending treatment varies by lender, state and whether the finished structure is classified as a residence. It is a question to put to a lender before ordering, not something a supplier can answer, and we make no claim about how any particular lender will respond.
Planning a building?
Compare suppliers that quote barndominium shell packages
Find Steel Buildings does not sell buildings or plans. Share the footprint and location and we will route the request to suppliers who quote shell packages of this kind.
Requesting information does not require a purchase.