Blog

Does Your Oklahoma Land Have Legal Access? Easements, Section Lines, and Driveway Permits
Does Your Oklahoma Land Have Legal Access? Easements, Section Lines, and Driveway Permits
Short answer: Legal access means a recorded right to get from a public road to your land, not just a path you can drive today. In Oklahoma, check for road... Read more...
Do You Need a Land Survey Before You Build?
Do You Need a Land Survey Before You Build?
Short answer: Yes, in almost every case. A boundary survey shows where your property lines, corners, and easements actually are. A topographic survey shows how the ground rises, falls, and... Read more...
The Hosta Monitor Style Barndominium House Plan
The Hosta Monitor Style Barndominium House Plan
The Hosta Plan by Fry Design Co is a 2,368-square-foot two-story monitor style barndominium house plan with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a loft, and a 3-car garage. It is a... Read more...
The Gaillardia 1 Luxury Barndominium House Plan
The Gaillardia 1 Luxury Barndominium House Plan
The Gaillardia 1 Plan by Fry Design Co is a 5,643-square-foot two-story luxury barndominium house plan with 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a bunk room, and a 2-car garage on an... Read more...
The Hickory Barndominium Farmhouse House Plan
The Hickory Barndominium Farmhouse House Plan
The Hickory Plan by Fry Design Co is a 3,309-square-foot single-story barndominium farmhouse house plan with 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, a playroom, a home office, and a 1-car garage.... Read more...
The Mulberry Barndominium Farmhouse House Plan
The Mulberry Barndominium Farmhouse House Plan
The Mulberry Plan by Fry Design Co is a 1,957-square-foot single-story barndominium farmhouse house plan with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a home office or gym, and a 2-car side-entry garage.... Read more...
The Aurelia Barndominium Farmhouse House Plan
The Aurelia Barndominium Farmhouse House Plan
The Aurelia Plan by Fry Design Co is a 2,737-square-foot two-story barndominium farmhouse house plan with 5 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, and a 3-car garage. It is designed for growing... Read more...
The Sycamore 1 Modern Farmhouse Barndominium House Plan
The Sycamore 1 Modern Farmhouse Barndominium House Plan
The Sycamore 1 Plan by Fry Design Co is a 2,000-square-foot single-story modern farmhouse barndominium house plan with 4 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and a 640-square-foot wraparound porch. It fits... Read more...
The Willow Modern Farmhouse House Plan
The Willow Modern Farmhouse House Plan
The Willow Plan by Fry Design Co is a 2,217-square-foot single-story modern farmhouse house plan with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and a 2-car garage. It takes the barndominium build style... Read more...
The Angelica Farmhouse House Plan
The Angelica Farmhouse House Plan
The Angelica Plan by Fry Design Co is a 2,862-square-foot two-story farmhouse house plan with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and a 4-car garage. It blends rustic character with refined livability,... Read more...
The Peony Modern Farmhouse Barndominium House Plan
The Peony Modern Farmhouse Barndominium House Plan
The Peony Plan by Fry Design Co is a 3,468-square-foot two-story modern farmhouse barndominium house plan with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a loft, and a 3-car garage with 1,800 square... Read more...
The Elmwood Barndominium House Plan
The Elmwood Barndominium House Plan
The Elmwood Plan by Fry Design Co is a 1,856-square-foot single-story barndominium house plan with 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, a dedicated home office, and an expansive 1,500-square-foot 2-car garage.... Read more...
How to Finance a Custom Home Build in Oklahoma
How to Finance a Custom Home Build in Oklahoma
Most custom homes in Oklahoma are financed with a construction loan, usually a construction-to-permanent loan that becomes a regular mortgage once the house is finished. Expect a lender to ask... Read more...
How to Build a Home That Is Cheaper to Insure in Oklahoma
How to Build a Home That Is Cheaper to Insure in Oklahoma
The biggest insurance savings on a new Oklahoma home come from building to the FORTIFIED Home High Wind and Hail standard. Oklahoma law requires insurers to offer a discount for... Read more...
Home Designer vs Architect: What Does It Cost to Design a Custom Home?
Home Designer vs Architect: What Does It Cost to Design a Custom Home?
A licensed architect typically charges 5 to 20 percent of construction cost to design a new home, according to HomeAdvisor. On a $500,000 build, that is $25,000 to $100,000. A... Read more...
Do Barndominiums Hold Their Value?
Do Barndominiums Hold Their Value?
Yes, a well-designed barndominium can hold its value, but the steel frame is not what protects it. Value depends on three things: whether an appraiser can find comparable sales near... Read more...
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Custom Home in Oklahoma City?
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Custom Home in Oklahoma City?
A custom home in the Oklahoma City metro typically costs $150 to $250 per square foot to build, according to Block Renovation's 2026 OKC building guide. Luxury builds climb past... Read more...
What Can You Change on a Stock House Plan? Easy Changes, Bigger Changes, and What They Cost
What Can You Change on a Stock House Plan? Easy Changes, Bigger Changes, and What They Cost
Short answer: Almost anything on a stock house plan can be changed, but the cost depends on whether the change touches the structure. Mirroring the plan, swapping exterior materials, and... Read more...
One-Story Farmhouse Floor Plans: What Makes a Good Layout and Which Size Fits Your Family
One-Story Farmhouse Floor Plans: What Makes a Good Layout and Which Size Fits Your Family
Short answer: A one-story farmhouse floor plan puts every room on a single level under a farmhouse exterior of steep gables, a covered porch, and board and batten or lap... Read more...
Farmhouse House Plans With a Wrap Around Porch: How Deep, How Much, and Which Way to Face It
Farmhouse House Plans With a Wrap Around Porch: How Deep, How Much, and Which Way to Face It
Short answer: A wrap around porch is a covered porch that runs across the front of a house and turns at least one corner. Plan on at least 5 feet... Read more...
Modern Farmhouse vs Traditional Farmhouse: What Is the Difference?
Modern Farmhouse vs Traditional Farmhouse: What Is the Difference?
Short answer: A traditional farmhouse is a practical rural home from the 1800s and early 1900s, with lap siding, a deep front porch, double-hung windows, and separate rooms. A modern... Read more...
Are ICF Homes Worth It? What They Cost, What You Get Back, and When to Skip It
Are ICF Homes Worth It? What They Cost, What You Get Back, and When to Skip It
Short answer: For a forever home in Oklahoma or Texas, usually yes. Most published estimates put an ICF home at about 3 to 10 percent more than a wood-frame home,... Read more...
Where the Laundry Room Should Go, and the Three Placements People Regret
Where the Laundry Room Should Go, and the Three Placements People Regret
Builders and buyers do not agree on where laundry belongs, and the gap between them is bigger than most people expect. In 2023, 72 percent of new homes were built... Read more...
What a Guest House Costs to Build
What a Guest House Costs to Build
A custom-built guest house costs $150 to $250 per square foot, or roughly $90,000 to $150,000 for a 600 square foot one-bedroom unit, according to 2025 data from HomeGuide. That... Read more...
Land That Will Not Perc: What It Means, What It Costs, and Whether You Walk Away
Land That Will Not Perc: What It Means, What It Costs, and Whether You Walk Away
Land that will not perc means a percolation test found the soil cannot absorb and filter wastewater well enough to support a conventional septic system. It does not automatically mean... Read more...
Spray Foam or Fiberglass? What the Insulation Choice Actually Buys
Spray Foam or Fiberglass? What the Insulation Choice Actually Buys
Spray foam insulation costs $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot installed, roughly two to three times what fiberglass batts cost at $1.00 to $2.60 per square foot, according to 2025... Read more...
Well Water or a Rural Water District? Cost, Control, and Reliability
Well Water or a Rural Water District? Cost, Control, and Reliability
There is a rural water line at the road, and a neighbor down the way who swears by his well and would never switch. Both of them might be right... Read more...
Is It Cheaper to Build or Buy in 2026? Running the Numbers Both Ways
Is It Cheaper to Build or Buy in 2026? Running the Numbers Both Ways
On a straight national average, buying an existing home costs less than building a new one. The average cost to buy a home is $410,000 to $536,000, while the average... Read more...
Slab, Crawl Space, or Basement? Picking a Foundation for Your Site
Slab, Crawl Space, or Basement? Picking a Foundation for Your Site
A foundation costs $6 to $50 per square foot depending on type, according to HomeGuide, and the right choice for a given site is decided far more by soil conditions,... Read more...
The Ultimate Guide to Windows in a Custom Home
The Ultimate Guide to Windows in a Custom Home
Window decisions on a house plan collapse four separate questions into one line item, and most buyers only ever evaluate one of them. Light, view, egress, and cost each pull... Read more...
How Much House Can You Actually Afford to Build?
How Much House Can You Actually Afford to Build?
The number from a mortgage affordability calculator is not the number that governs a construction budget, because a construction loan works differently from a mortgage on an existing house, and... Read more...
Whole House Generator: How to Size One and What It Costs
Whole House Generator: How to Size One and What It Costs
A whole house standby generator costs roughly $9,000 to $20,000 fully installed for a typical 14 to 26 kilowatt system. Most 22 kilowatt installs, the size that covers a larger... Read more...
Empty Nester House Plans: Downsizing Without Regretting It
Empty Nester House Plans: Downsizing Without Regretting It
The kids are gone, the big house feels too big, and it is time to build the last house. The fear that comes with it is almost always the same:... Read more...
What Can You Fit in a 3,000 or 3,500 Square Foot Lot?
What Can You Fit in a 3,000 or 3,500 Square Foot Lot?
A 3,000 to 3,500 square foot lot will typically hold a single-family home of roughly 900 to 1,400 square feet, sitting on a footprint no wider than about 40 feet... Read more...
One Story or Two? The Cost, the Comfort, and the Resale Math
One Story or Two? The Cost, the Comfort, and the Resale Math
For the same total square footage, a two-story house generally costs less to build than a one-story house, because two of the most expensive systems in a home, the foundation... Read more...
Metal Roof or Asphalt Shingles? Cost, Lifespan, and the Noise Question
Metal Roof or Asphalt Shingles? Cost, Lifespan, and the Noise Question
A metal roof costs $500 to $1,600 per square installed and lasts 30 to 80 or more years, according to 2025 data from HomeGuide. An asphalt shingle roof costs $300... Read more...
The Stonecrop Modern Farmhouse Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Stonecrop Modern Farmhouse Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Stonecrop modern farmhouse plan is a 2,416 square foot single-story home with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a 2-car garage. It carries modern farmhouse character without running up square... Read more...
Owner Builder: What You Save and What You Take On
Owner Builder: What You Save and What You Take On
Building a house yourself, meaning acting as your own general contractor, can save you the general contractor's fee, which typically runs 10 to 20 percent of the total construction budget.... Read more...
What It Actually Costs to Turn Raw Land Into a Buildable Site
What It Actually Costs to Turn Raw Land Into a Buildable Site
Turning raw land into a buildable site commonly costs $20,000 to $60,000 or more before the first slab is poured, covering clearing, a driveway, a well, a septic system, and... Read more...
The Pansy Hill Country House Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Pansy Hill Country House Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Pansy Hill Country house plan is a 2,483 square foot single-story home with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and a 3-car garage. It is a two-time 2020 Build Magazine Award... Read more...
Allowances Are Where Home Budgets Quietly Break
Allowances Are Where Home Budgets Quietly Break
An allowance is a placeholder budget in a construction contract for an item you have not selected yet, such as cabinets, flooring, or light fixtures. The risk is not the... Read more...
The Candytuft Traditional House Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Candytuft Traditional House Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Candytuft traditional house plan is a 2,763 square foot single-story home with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a 3-car garage. It has been one of the most adapted plans... Read more...
Barndominium Interiors That Do Not Look Like a Warehouse
Barndominium Interiors That Do Not Look Like a Warehouse
A barndominium interior avoids feeling like a metal building through four decisions made on the floor plan, not through decorating after the fact: ceiling treatment, wall material, window placement, and... Read more...
How Much Land Do You Need to Build a House?
How Much Land Do You Need to Build a House?
How much land you need to build a house comes down to four things stacked together: the septic system, the well, your property line setbacks, and the driveway. Septic is... Read more...
The Wallflower Barndominium Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Wallflower Barndominium Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Wallflower barndominium plan is a 1,841 square foot single-story barndominium with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and an attached 3-car shop and garage. It comes out of the Right-Sized Plans... Read more...
Marriage Counseling vs. Home Design: When You and Your Spouse Want Two Different Houses
Marriage Counseling vs. Home Design: When You and Your Spouse Want Two Different Houses
One of you wants the shop. One wants the gourmet kitchen. The budget covers one of them, and somewhere in the last few weeks this stopped being about the house.... Read more...
Shop With Living Quarters: Layouts That Separate Work From Home
Shop With Living Quarters: Layouts That Separate Work From Home
A shop with living quarters is a single building that combines a working shop with a full residence. The layouts that succeed separate the two halves for four things: sound,... Read more...
Is Open Concept Over? What to Keep Open and What to Close Back Up
Is Open Concept Over? What to Keep Open and What to Close Back Up
Open floor plans are not going out of style. The fully open plan is. A 2023 survey cited by the National Association of Realtors found preferences nearly split down the... Read more...
The Cedar Modern Barndominium Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Cedar Modern Barndominium Plan: Floor Plan Details and What to Expect
The Cedar modern barndominium plan is a 2,625 square foot single-story home with 5 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, and no attached garage. As of August 2026, two versions are in... Read more...
Barndominium Kits vs Barndominium Plans: What a Kit Actually Includes
Barndominium Kits vs Barndominium Plans: What a Kit Actually Includes
A barndominium kit is a package of structural building materials, typically the frame, the roof, and the exterior sheeting, along with engineering for that structure. It is not a finished... Read more...