Building Plans for a Barn with Living Quaters

People frequently move to states such as Colorado and Montana to pursue a dream of owning a ranch. However, the price of land and the expense of living in places such as Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or Silverton, Colorado, makes many would-be ranchers unable to afford a home. Some ranchers have settled on the solution of a living quarters in a loft space above a barn.

  1. Two-story Barns

    • Barns that integrate living quarters are often two-story barns, such as barn with a gabled roof or a gambrel-style barn. Barns such as these have an expansive loft. In a traditional barn, this style of loft might be used to store hay or farm equipment. A home set up here may have an exterior exit or a set of stairs that extend up from the interior. Some apartment-style barns even include balconies on the exterior to extend the living space to the outdoors.

    Prefab Living Quarters

    • Some companies that market barns with living quarters offer prefabricated barn homes as an option. These dwellings are a practical way to lower expenses while still combining the function of a multi-use dwelling. A prefabricated package includes pre-cut building materials and blueprints so you can build your own structure or hire a builder to complete the work, a job made easier with manufacturer-supplied technical support for do-it-yourselfers or contractors who are having trouble putting together the prefabricated home. Additionally, a prefab company will ensure that its designs meet state building code requirements.

    Do It Yourself

    • If you are converting available space into a loft for your barn, you face a separate set of challenges. Many states have adopted uniform building codes you must meet in order to secure permits to build. An existing structure may not be wired or plumbed to support a dwelling; bringing these functions up to code are significant expenses that require specialists such as electricians and plumbers to undertake. Finally, adding a dwelling to an existing barn may require added structural reinforcement as well as firestopping and insulation. Another issue to consider when designing your own apartment above a barn is dust, smell and noise pollution that can drift up from the stalls below, particularly if your barn includes a riding arena. However, this seems to be more of an issue with single-story barns.