When you first hear it, the word “barndominium” can feel like a contradiction — part barn, part condominium — something more like a novelty than a place to live. But the unlikely pair are actually right at home together, and more and more of them are popping up across the country.

At its core, a barndominium is a fully livable home built using post-frame, or pole barn, construction. While the finished interior looks much like a traditional house, the building itself is what sets it apart. Instead of relying on continuous foundation walls and interior load-bearing supports, post-frame buildings use columns or posts placed at regular intervals to carry the weight of the structure.

Barndominiums have become increasingly popular across rural America in recent years, as a growing number of people choose to swap city living for the wide open space of the kind of place that looks like it says, “C’mon in and sit for a spell.” These hybrid homes are also giving homeowners a different way to think about the room under their roof, and a Remington, Indiana-based company is happy to help clients open their mind — and their space.

FBi Buildings has been constructing post-frame buildings for decades, including agricultural, commercial and residential structures, in a market area that includes six Midwest states, including Illinois’ Sauk Valley region (go to fbibuildings.com/about-us/our-service-area/ for its service area).

FBi marketing director Angie Dobson said the construction method is what truly separates barndominiums from traditional homes.

“A barndominium is similar to stick-built construction in terms of being something you can live in, but the biggest difference is that, construction-wise, it’s built very similar to a pole barn,” Dobson said. “We’re using columns or posts every 8 feet. The difference is that we can go as wide as 100 feet and not have any type of internal supports.”

That open-span floor plan is a major draw. Without interior columns interrupting the floor plan, homeowners have far more flexibility in how they design their living space, making it easier to design large, open kitchens, vaulted ceilings, expansive great rooms (a large room that plays various roles; a sort of family room/living room/study), and attached workshops or garages.

While versions of barndominium-style homes have existed for years, Dobson said interest surged during the coronavirus pandemic as people rethought where and how they wanted to live during extended downtime.

“Everyone was staying home and didn’t have a choice but to enhance their property,” Dobson said. “We saw a lot of people moving out from larger suburbs to escape and go somewhere rural or out in the country. The barndominium craze really heightened then.”

Since barndominiums often resemble pole barns, people may assume that the cost of building one can be significantly less than a traditional home, but “that’s not entirely the case.” Dobson says. While there can be some savings from their more open floor plans, “You’re still finishing out the interior with all of this.”

While post-frame construction can offer efficiencies in materials and speed, the interior of a barndominium still includes all the same elements as a conventional home: plumbing, electrical, insulation, drywall, flooring and finishes. While the post-frame shell can be erected quickly, interior finishes still require a time and investment similar to a conventional homes. There can, however, be some savings realized from the reduced long-term maintenance that comes with owning a barndominium.

Whereas a traditional home may have vinyl siding and a shingle roof that will need replaced, barndominiums often feature steel exteriors and metal roofing, known for their durability and longevity. For many homeowners, that means fewer repairs and less upkeep over time, Dobson said.

The buildings come in a variety of styles, with plenty of room for a variety of different floor plans to suit buyers’ desires. Current trends include longer porches and more windows.

Once the buyer has lined everything up for their new home — land, permits, etc. — the building can go up in a relatively short amount of time.

“What we’re seeing on our end is that people like the simplicity of post-frame construction,” Dobson said. “Depending on how large the building is going to be, we can easily have it up by 6 to 8 weeks from when a customer signs a contract.”

FBi Buildings will build the structure, but the interior work is taken care of by a general contractor. Buyers can line up their own, or FBI can help with connecting them one from their network of trusted general contractors.

In 2025, FBi partnered with Back Forty Buildings to help customers turn pole buildings into homes. Through that partnership, homeowners can choose from several barndominium floor plans – including the Remington, Lakeside and Mad County designs (more plans are available on FBi’s website) – or use them as starting points for customization. While many plans feature two-story layouts, Dobson said one-story living also has become increasingly popular, particularly among older homeowners.

Others enjoy hybrid spaces that combine living quarters with workshops, garages or hobby areas under one roof. Those larger garage-focused designs are “shouses,” blending shop and house into a single structure.

“Maybe they’re a farmer or someone who has a hobby and works on cars, they’ll include a larger shop space that’s attached to their house,” Dobson said. “They’re literally having just one building to go to and from with.”

As with any home build, barndominiums come with considerations beyond design. Zoning regulations, permitting requirements and financing options can vary by county and lender. Not all banks are familiar with post-frame homes, and that makes early conversations with lenders and local officials essential. But once all the t’s have been crossed and all the i’s have been dotted, homeowners can look forward to a rustic and roomy residence that they can call home for years to come.

Demand for barndominiums continues to grow, Dobson said. Only a short time into the new year, the company had already received more inquiries in January 2026 than the same month last year.

It’s becoming a building market that builds on its own success. The more barndominiums go up, the more people see them, and the more people see them, the more they become interested in one.

“All it takes is a couple of designs and people see that and go, ‘That’s what I want to have,’” she said.

Go to fbibuildings.com/barndominiums to learn more about barndominiums and to view floor plans. Find FBi Buildings on Facebook, X or Instagram, email info@fbibuildings.com, or call 1-800-552-2981 for more information.