Building a Barndominium in Louisiana | Best 2024 Guide

Building a barndominium in Louisiana is an excellent option for first-time homeowners and DIY enthusiasts. If you want to customize your living space according to your specifications, the world of barndominium living is something you should explore. In this guide, we will talk about the many advantages of the barndo life, what you need to know before starting a barndo project, and everything else about building your dream barndominium home in the state of Louisiana.

Can You Build a Barndominium in Louisiana?

​​Yes, you can! Building a barndominium in Louisiana is an excellent alternative to traditional home builds because they are generally cheaper, have more flexibility for customization, and are more accessible for many people. Barndominium living in a thriving state like Louisiana is a great way to live. With numerous educational and career opportunities available, you are sure to find a place in a state with so much to offer.

Louisiana Barndominiums Overview

Among alternative housing solutions like tiny homes and shipping container houses, barndominiums have been gaining a lot of attention lately. You might be asking why someone would choose to live in a home that looks like a warehouse. There are several reasons people would choose to build barndominiums in Louisiana. Barndos can have all the standard features and amenities a traditional home has for a generally lower price. Plus, you get many options for what you can do to the space in your home. These houses are known for being spacious as well as highly customizable. If you are one of those people planning on building their dream home with custom designs, building a barndominium in Louisiana is a perfect choice. If you want to explore other ideas and inspirations on barndominium builds, check out our Facebook page, where we post daily! If you have questions, you can ask current barndo owners; feel free to join our Facebook Group and be part of the community.

To learn more about barndos, check out our Bandominium 101 Guide, which dives deeper into barndominiums.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Build time – Barndominiums can be built quicker in comparison to traditional houses. This is great news if you are looking to move into your new home sooner rather than later. Although this depends on your build, generally, barndos can take 4 – 6 months to complete.
• Maintenance – They are easy to maintain. Because of the materials used and the nature of their construction, barndominiums can be quickly repaired with the help of a good contractor in Louisiana.
• Durability – They are built to last. The resilience of barndos is worth mentioning as they have remarkable resilience to rot, mold, and harsh weather. This is perfect for Louisiana’s climate, where the summers are humid, and the winters are cold and windy.
• Customizability – Barndominium homes can be easily customized. If you plan to build your dream home with custom layouts, barndos are for you. Many barndo owners choose to designate a space for other purposes like a workshop, a home office, a storage area, or a home gym. This is all up to you!
• Cost – The cost of building a barndo is significantly less compared to traditional houses. This gives barndominiums owners more funds to spend on other home features.

Disadvantages

• Financing – Barndominiums are challenging to finance compared to traditional houses. This is because barndos are technically not classified as houses. The appraisal process can be complicated as there is not enough data to compare.
• Selling – It is not easy selling a barndo. If you see yourself selling your barndo home in the near future, this might be something to keep in mind. Barndominiums do not appeal to the mass market, even if they are a growing trend.
• Exterior – The exterior of barndominiums can be considered a disadvantage because they have a barn-like appearance. Although there are many ways to improve your house’s aesthetics, it comes with additional costs.

Regulations

A building permit is required in nearly every type of construction. So why are Louisiana’s building codes so important? Safety. This ensures that every structure in your city follows safety guidelines and makes appropriate standard adjustments for the weather and climate in your region. For example, you wouldn’t build the same house in the freezing temperatures of North Dakota as you would in hurricane-prone Florida. 

You need to apply for a building permit through your local parish before starting your project. Make sure you have the following with you before applying:

• Property address 
• Owner’s name and contact info
• The names, contact info, and license numbers of any contractors being used
• Description of the proposed construction
• Type of project (new construction)
• Cost of the project
• The structure’s dimensions 

We recommend that you consult a professional contractor in Louisana to ensure complete adherence to the regulations.

Taxes 

You are probably aware of how important it is to take into account the taxes that go along with your project. As you may already know, barndominium taxes may differ from one location to the next. In this section, we will give you some insight into property taxes in Louisiana.

Homeowners in Louisiana are eligible for tax exemptions. To qualify, there can only be one “principal residence” per homeowner, and they must own and occupy the property to qualify for the “Homestead Exemption.” The maximum homestead exemption is $7,500 of the assessed value of the home’s fair market value. 

The “millage rate” and “assessed value” of the property are used to calculate the property tax due. The parish assessor and the Louisiana Tax Commission calculate the “assessed value” by reviewing the sales data of comparable homes in your neighborhood or fair market value. A 10% assessment of the estimated property value is then placed on your residential property. For instance, a property with an estimated value of $100,000 would have a $10,000 assessed value. We recommend consulting with a parish assessor in your area to ensure everything surrounding taxation is accounted for.

Insurance

Protecting your barndominium is important, considering this undertaking is a significant investment. When insuring a barndominium, you must ensure that the insurance agreement includes all clauses specific to the area you plan to build. If you are unsure of the best type of coverage for your home, consider some of the most frequent reasons for home insurance loss in Louisiana:

• Windstorms – Due to Louisiana’s location on the Gulf Coast, it is particularly susceptible to hurricane-related wind damage. The most expensive natural disaster in American history, Hurricane Katrina, cost about $89 billion (in 2021) in damages across several states.
• Flooding – Louisiana homeowners are quite worried about flooding, especially those living near the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, parts of Louisiana are below sea level, which significantly raises the possibility of a catastrophic flood.
• Water damage – Water-related issues, such as burst pipes and leaking roofs, can damage your house. Additionally, it might result in significant mold damage, which your typical house insurance may or may not cover.

Financing

Without assistance and financial backing, the expenses involved in building a barndominium home may leave you feeling uncertain and anxious. When undertaking a major project, such as building a new barndo, securing enough funding from a trustworthy organization will help you avoid frustration and worry. We have listed down your options on barndominium financing below:

Feliciana Bank and Trust Company

Located in Clinton, they are a top recommendation from current barndo owners in Louisiana. According to client reviews, they are friendly, responsive, and informative.

Guaranty Bank and Trust Company

Their main office in New Roads, Guaranty Bank, can assist you with financing your barndominium build.

If you have questions you want to ask current barndominium owners, you are welcome to join our Facebook Group and become part of a community. They are an excellent source of insight and guidance.

Builders

Choosing the right builder is one of the most crucial decisions during this home-building process. Whether or not the builders have expertise in creating barndominiums is an essential factor. Not many contractors are knowledgeable in constructing these kinds of unique constructions.

Customer testimonials are another factor to consider when picking the best constructor. Knowing whether the constructor has a successful track record of dealing with previous clients is important. We have included a list of Louisiana’s top barndominium builders to assist you with this.

Buildmax

Arlene & Tony, highly regarded barndominium and shophouse designers, have been assisting families in designing and building their ideal homes for almost 20 years. Over 2,000 families in America have received assistance from these online pioneers in homebuilding since 2003.

Mastercraft Builders LLC

Family-owned, they are a full-service builder that does everything from traditional to custom barndominium builds in Louisiana.

Louisiana Barndominium Pros

A team of experts who specialize in building custom metal homes. They promise quality workmanship and individualized attention that are guaranteed to satisfy their customers.

Alltrade Metal Buildings and Construction, LLC

These barndo builders in Louisiana specialize in metal frame buildings, pool decks, patios, sidewalks, house pads, and shop pads.

Creed Contracting

Although they only started barndo projects a few years ago, ​​the Creed Contracting team promises to offer clients the high-quality service, transparent communication, and effective project management required to complete projects successfully.

If you need to look into more prospects, we have a list of the best barndominium builders that can service most states across the US, including Louisiana.

Kit Providers 

Kits are available for those who do not want to build from scratch. Even if you purchase pre-built barndos, the DIY route can save you money. A barndominium kit is a fast, easy, and incredibly cost-effective building solution. Numerous options are available for different sizes, designs, and floor plans. Below are the kit providers we would recommend.

Louisiana Barndominium Pros

One of the builders listed above. They, too, provide barndo kits that you may find interesting.

Metal Mart

This kit provider has 5 locations in Louisiana and could help you with your build. They promise to help you whether you want the highest quality or the lowest price.

If you want to look into more choices for the best barndominium kit providers, we have a list that services most states across the country. Go ahead and check it out!

Cost

The numerous considerations we have already discussed above will be factored into the price to build a barndominium home. 

The basic construction of a traditional home in Louisiana costs around $118 per square foot. Barndominiums, on the other hand, range from $67 to $76 per square foot. You can use our barndominium cost calculator to estimate better the price of constructing your ideal barndo in Louisiana.

Where Can You Build a Barndo in Louisiana?

Deciding where to live is a personal choice, and it is something that should be well thought out. Popular favorites of location among barndo people in Louisiana are places with more than an acre of open land. This is because most barndo owners prefer an open space between their house and the neighbors. Fortunately, there are many lots to choose from if you haven’t decided yet.

3 Things to Consider Before Building a Barndominium in Louisiana

We have already mentioned a couple of times how huge of an investment building your dream home is. There are many things to consider before you take on this project, and we have covered most of them. Here are some additional things to consider before pulling the trigger on your plans.

Have you decided on a location?

As mentioned above, the location of your home is one of the most important things to think about. This is where you and your family will spend most of your lives in the next couple of years. 

What will your life be like for the next 10 years?

Building a house is a long-term investment. Your lifestyle, career, and family are things to consider when deciding how to build your dream house. Do you plan to add another member to your family in the future? Are you planning to start a business within your property? 

Have you decided on a floor plan?

These days, open floor plans are quite trendy. The family can spend time together while engaging in different activities because there are fewer walls and more open areas. This is important to factor in because the floor plan can make all the difference in your barndo experience. As you are deciding on floor plans, you can browse through our Pinterest account, where we have tons of content for you to get inspiration and ideas for your own layout.

Is it Worth Building a Barndo in Louisiana?

All things considered, it is absolutely worth building a barndo in Louisiana. Barndo living in a state with so much to offer has many benefits. Barndominiums have so many design possibilities; for example, you can take a look at our vast choices of barndominium floor plans to get a good understanding of what is really possible. 

If you want to check out the entire process of building a barndominium, we got you covered! We have created a guide on the construction process of a barndo from scratch up until the finish. Now that you’re all set, you can take your first step into the world of barndo living!