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 house, and it is not a set of house plans. As of 2026, industry cost guides put the shell at roughly 25 to 40 percent of a barndominium's total finished cost, which means the kit price most buyers see advertised covers well under half of what the house will actually cost to complete.
This is the most expensive misunderstanding in the category, and it is an easy one to fall into. A buyer sees a kit priced well below what a finished house costs, does the math, and builds a budget around a number that was never meant to include a kitchen.
Here is the breakdown, line by line: what is in the package, what is not, and how a kit relates to the house plans you still need.
What is included in a barndominium kit
Kit contents vary by supplier, but most shell packages include the same core components.
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The primary structural frame, either steel or engineered wood post frame
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Roof purlins, trusses or rafters, and roof panels
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Wall girts and exterior wall panels or sheeting
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Trim, fasteners, and closures
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Overhead doors and entry doors, sometimes offered as an upgrade rather than standard
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Windows, on some packages but not most
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Engineered drawings for the structure itself, stamped for the wind and snow loads at your location
That last item confuses people, so it is worth separating out. The engineering that comes with a kit covers the building shell. It tells the building department the frame will stand up. It does not tell a builder where your bedrooms go.
What is not included in a barndominium kit
The list of what a kit does not cover is considerably longer than the list of what it does. Industry cost breakdowns consistently point to the same set of exclusions:
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The foundation, including the slab, footings, and any site work
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All interior framing, which is what creates rooms
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Insulation and vapor control
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Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, including all fixtures and equipment
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Interior wall finish, ceilings, flooring, and paint
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Cabinetry, countertops, and appliances
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Bathrooms in their entirety
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Septic, well, driveway, and utility connections
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Labor for any of the above, and often for the shell erection as well
Read that list again with a pencil. Everything on it is a real cost, and together they represent the majority of what a finished barndominium costs to build.
Shell cost versus finished cost, by the numbers
As of 2026, a shell-only kit typically runs in the range of 20 to 50 dollars per square foot erected, depending on materials and region. A fully finished barndominium, by comparison, is commonly quoted in the range of $100 to $160 per square foot depending on finish level and region. The gap between those two ranges is the entire interior of the house.
Two independent industry cost guides published in 2026 converge on the same rule of thumb: the shell represents roughly a quarter to two fifths of the total finished cost. That is a wide range on purpose, because it moves with finish level, region, and how much of the interior work an owner takes on themselves.
So what is a barndominium plan, and why is it a different product?
A barndominium plan is a set of architectural drawings that shows how the building is laid out and finished as a home. It includes floor plans, foundation plan, roof plan, electrical plan, exterior elevations, sections, and the details a builder needs to price and construct the interior of the house.
A kit answers how the building stands up. A plan answers how you live in it. They are two different documents solving two different problems, and a real build generally needs both.
This trips people up because a kit supplier will often show a floor plan on their website. That is usually a marketing layout showing one way the space could be divided. It is not a construction document, and most builders cannot price a house from it.
If I buy a kit, do I still need house plans?
In almost every case, yes. A builder needs interior framing layouts, dimensions, electrical and plumbing locations, cabinet elevations, and window and door schedules. Most building departments require a full plan set for permitting beyond the shell engineering alone.
The order that works best is plan first, kit second. When the interior gets designed before the shell is ordered, the building dimensions get set by the house you actually want, rather than the house getting squeezed into a shell that was already purchased.
It is easy to end up buying a shell sized for a marketing floor plan and then discovering the layout you actually want needs a larger footprint. Fry Design Co.'s Maple 2 plan is one example of a house designed the other direction: the 2,487 square foot layout was drawn first, with a breezeway leading to an attached 3-car garage and shop sized to fit it, rather than a shop sized first and a house squeezed in after.
Who a barndominium kit is genuinely right for
Kits are a good fit in specific situations, and it is worth naming them honestly.
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You are building a shop or an outbuilding first, with living space planned for later
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You have real construction experience and intend to act as your own general contractor
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Your site is remote enough that a package delivery is simpler than sourcing materials locally
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You want a straightforward rectangular building and are not attached to a complex roofline
Kits are a harder fit when the design has multiple rooflines, a wrap porch, unusual window placement, or anything else that makes the shell more than a box. The more architectural the exterior, the less a standard package fits it.
Questions to ask before you buy any kit
Ask these before money changes hands, and get the answers in writing.
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What exactly is included, itemized, and what is quoted as an upgrade?
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Is erection labor included, or is this a materials-only package?
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Is the engineering stamped for my county and my wind and snow loads?
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What is the lead time from order to delivery, and what happens if it slips?
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Are doors and windows included, and at what sizes?
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Does the price include freight to my site, and does the site need to be accessible to a semi?
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What is the process if the delivery is short or damaged?
The straightforward way to think about it
A kit is a building. A plan is a house. If the goal is a home rather than a structure with rooms in it, the plan is the part that determines whether you like living there.
Every Fry Design Co. barndominium plan is drawn as a complete house, structure and layout together, rather than a shell with rooms added afterward. And any Fry Design Co. plan can be modified to fit your lot. See our barndominium floor plans and find the layout you actually want before you order a building.
Frequently asked questions
What is a barndominium kit?
A barndominium kit is a package of structural materials for a building shell, usually including the frame, roof, exterior sheeting, and engineering for the structure. It does not include the foundation, interior construction, or mechanical systems.
Do barndominium kits include the floor plan?
Generally no. Kits include engineering for the structure. Marketing layouts shown by kit suppliers are usually not construction documents, and most builders and building departments require a full plan set in addition.
Is a barndominium kit cheaper than building conventionally?
The shell package is less expensive than framing conventionally, but the shell is only a portion of total cost, commonly cited at roughly 25 to 40 percent of the finished price. Compare finished cost to finished cost rather than kit price to house price.
What size barndominium kit do most people buy?
Common shell sizes are sold in standard increments, but the right size is the one your floor plan needs. Choosing a shell size before designing the interior is one of the most frequent and most expensive mistakes buyers make.
Does a barndominium kit come with a warranty?
Warranties vary by supplier and typically cover materials such as panel finish rather than the completed building. Ask for the written warranty terms before ordering.
Do I need engineering beyond what the kit provides?
Often yes. Kit engineering covers the shell. Foundations, and in many jurisdictions the overall plan set, require separate review or stamping. Requirements vary by county, so confirm with your local building department.
