04/29/2026
🏡 **Let’s Clear Up Barndominium Pricing**
We get a lot of calls from people wanting to build a barndominium, and one of the first things we hear is:
**“I thought barndominiums were under $100 a square foot turnkey.”**
We understand why people think that. There are a lot of ads and posts online that make barndominiums sound like a cheap way to build a house. But in most cases, those numbers are not showing the full picture.
A **residential barndominium built correctly** is not the same thing as an agricultural pole barn, equipment shed, or metal building shell turned into a house.
In Georgia, if it is being used as a home, it has to be built as a home. That means it needs to meet residential code, be designed for residential occupancy, and be built for the actual conditions where it is located.
A true turnkey residential build includes a lot more than just a shell. It includes sitework, foundation, concrete, framing, roofing, windows, doors, insulation, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, cabinets, countertops, flooring, tile, trim, paint, fixtures, porches, garages, utilities, permitting, inspections, supervision, insurance, and project management.
That is why a properly built custom home or residential barndominium in Georgia is usually much closer to **$225–$350+ per heated square foot**, depending on the plan, site conditions, engineering, selections, and finish level.
When you factor in porches, garages, breezeways, and other covered areas, the average cost may spread out closer to **$165+ per square foot under roof**, depending on the design. However, that number can be misleading if it is not explained correctly, because heated living space costs much more to build than porches, garages, and open covered areas.
Can someone put up an agricultural-style building for less? Yes.
But that does not mean it is a legal, code-compliant residential home.
There is a big difference between:
**An agricultural building used for storage, equipment, or livestock**
and
**A residential home where a family is going to live every day.**
One of our biggest concerns is that people are being sold on a cheap square-foot number without being told what is missing. A low number may only include the shell, or it may not include the engineering, foundation, sitework, utilities, finishes, or code requirements needed for a real home.
Before you compare prices, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting:
🔹 Is it actually being designed and permitted as a residential home?
🔹 Does it include a full set of engineered drawings for a residential home per code?
🔹 Does the quote you received include a disclaimer at the bottom stating that **you are responsible for verifying the building meets code**?
🔹 Are the trusses, framing, foundation, and structure designed for the correct loads at your specific build location? Requirements can change depending on where you are in Georgia.
🔹 Will it pass residential code and inspections?
🔹 Is the price truly turnkey, or is it just for the shell?
🔹 What is left out of the advertised square-foot price?
🔹 Will the home be insurable, financeable, and permitted as a residence?
We are not trying to scare anyone away from building a barndominium. We build them, and we believe they can be a great option when they are done the right way.
But we also believe homeowners deserve honest numbers up front.
A cheaper price in the beginning can turn into a much bigger problem later if the structure is not properly designed, permitted, inspected, or built for residential use.
At **Custom View Contracting**, our goal is not to be the cheapest builder. Our goal is to build safe, code-compliant homes that are designed for the family living in them.
**Custom View Contracting**
Custom Barndominiums • New Construction • Concrete • Excavation • Metal Roofing • Red Iron Buildings
🌐 cvcbarndos.com
