A barndominium at dusk with warm light glowing from every window and exterior lighting along the porch and roofline, tall pines dark against a deep blue twilight sky.

Barndominium Builders in Washington State

Planning a barndominium in Washington State? We build them on private land on both sides of the Cascades, from Spokane, the Tri-Cities and Yakima to the rural South Sound, Clark County and the North Sound. Buy one of our barndominium kits, buy a dried-in shell, or hand us the whole project from bare land to keys: pole barn homes and metal building homes with the shop and the house under one roof, and one point of contact from the first drawing to the final walkthrough.

Start the survey What it costs to build in Washington State

Building near Spokane? Barndominium builders in Spokane

Both sides of the Cascades
Home and shop under one roof
Kits, shells and turnkey builds
A written quote before anything is ordered

Barndominium kits, pole barn homes and turnkey builds in Washington

Nine ways to get a barndominium out of your head and onto your land in Washington, from a barndominium kit you put up yourself to a finished pole barn or steel home we hand you the keys to.

Barndominium Kits

Barndominium kits and shell kits for Washington State land: frame, panels and drawings, sized to the design values your city or county sets for the site.

Custom Plans

Custom barndominium plans for Washington State: floor plans and permit drawings with the energy code credits and your site's design values built in.

Pole Barn Homes

Pole barn homes and pole barn house kits for Washington State: post-frame buildings with a shop and living space, designed to your county's snow load.

Shouses

Shop houses (shouses) in Washington State: a working shop and a home under one roof, planned around county zoning, septic, water and the energy code.

Metal Homes

Metal building homes in Washington State: steel-clad houses finished to the state energy code, with the insulation and condensation details done right.

Steel Construction

Steel and metal building construction in Washington State: red-iron frames for barndominiums and shops, designed to your county's snow and seismic values.

Turnkey Builds

Turnkey barndominiums in Washington State: one team from land and permits to the finished, inspected house, with water, septic and energy code planned in.

Site Preparation

Barndominium site preparation in Washington State: clearing, grading, drainage and pads, planned around the well, septic area, wetlands and the climate.

Permitting

Barndominium permits in Washington State: city or county building permit, water supply evidence, septic permit, energy code credits and rural zoning.

Barndominium Kits in Washington State

A barndominium kit is the structural shell, delivered to your land: the frame, roof and wall panels, trim and fasteners. Buy the kit and put it up yourself, have us erect it as a dried-in shell, or let us finish the whole house. If you have been looking at barndominium kits for sale, shell kits, modular barn homes or barn-style manufactured homes, the kits page explains how a kit, a panelized package, a factory-built modular home and a manufactured home differ, and why they are approved differently.

Barndominium kits Turnkey builds

Pole Barn Homes and Kits

A pole barn home is built by post-frame construction: large posts set wide apart carry the roof and walls, with girts and purlins running between them, so the inside can stay open. Buy it as a pole barn home kit or have us build it. A metal building home is framed in steel instead. Finished inside, either is a real house: insulated, drywalled and heated, whether it is shedding a west-side winter of rain or carrying snow in the Inland Northwest. We build both, and the plan decides which frame suits it.

Pole barn homes Metal building contractors
Cost guide

How much does it cost to build a barndominium in Washington State?

We do not publish a price list, because on a Washington barndominium the land moves the number more than the floor plan does: the driveway, the pad, how far power has to run, the water supply and a septic system, the insulation the energy code asks for, and what the county and the building office ask for. Washington retail sales tax also applies to the full contract price when a builder puts a house on land you own. The cost guide sets out published third-party cost data, every figure with its source, and walks through what pushes a build to the top or bottom of the range.

Read the Washington State cost guide Barndominium vs. house cost Financing a barndominium

Barndominium Floor Plans

Start from one of our barndominium floor plans and change it, or have a plan drawn from scratch around your land, your shop and the way you live. Either way the plan is fitted to the parcel: where the septic system and well can go, which way the lot drains, what the zoning setbacks allow, and how the envelope meets the energy code.

Browse floor plans Custom barndominium plans Gallery

Shop Houses (Shouses)

A shop house puts a working shop, equipment bay or RV garage and the living space under one roof, and it is one of the most common reasons people in Washington choose a barndominium: a barndominium with a shop for the tractor, the boat, the business or the hobby, heated and lit the way you work, with the house finished to live in.

Shop houses

Barndominium guides for Washington buyers

All guides

Know which of these you want? A plan drawn for your land is where it starts.

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How a build runs

Land to keys, in four stages

In Washington, barndominium projects go wrong early, at zoning, water, septic and site checks, long before anyone pours concrete. Here is the order we work in and why.

Overhead view of architectural floor plan and structural elevation drawings spread on a workbench with a scale ruler and pencil.
1

Start your plans

Start the survey. We take your program, the rooms, the shop bay, how you actually want to live in it, and start a floor plan drawn for your land rather than pulled off a shelf, whether you bring a sketch, a saved layout or a blank sheet. This is where most of the useful decisions get made.

That is how a build runs. Step one is a plan drawn for your land, and that starts with the survey.

Start the survey

Building a barndominium in Washington

The Cascades split Washington into two building climates, and the water under a rural parcel can matter as much as the zoning on it. Four things shape a Washington build before anyone pours concrete.

West side: rain and ground

West of the Cascades a build is planned around water: a long wet season, drainage, the height of the pad, moisture control and an envelope that sheds rain. Much of the rural land is wooded or sloping, and a parcel within 200 feet of a shoreline falls under the local shoreline program. Wind, seismic and other design values are set by your local building department, and the frame is designed to them.

Site preparation

East side: snow, wind and dry acreage

East of the Cascades the land opens up: dryland wheat and pasture, irrigated valleys and big parcels, which is where many Washington barndominiums get built. The design conversation there is cold winters, snow on the roof, wind across open ground and, in the drier country, wildfire. Snow load and frost depth are set by the local jurisdiction, and Washington has no statewide wildfire building code in force, though some counties and cities adopt their own.

Pole barn homes

The water question

A Washington building permit for a home needs evidence of an adequate water supply: a letter from a water purveyor, a water right, or in most areas a water well report. A household well can be exempt from a water right up to 5,000 gallons a day, but in the watersheds covered by the 2018 Streamflow Restoration Act a new home on a new exempt well pays a $500 fee, has a lower annual-average cap, and the limit is recorded on the title. We check the water before anything is designed. We do not drill wells.

Are barndominiums legal in Washington State?

One state code, a strict energy code

Washington builds homes to the 2021 International Residential Code as amended by the state and the 2021 Washington State Energy Code, applied in every city and county; your city or county issues the building permit. The energy code asks every new home to earn extra efficiency credits (5, 8 or 9 depending on size) on top of minimums such as R-60 ceilings, which shapes how a steel or pole barn shell is insulated and heated.

How we handle permitting

Where the acreage is in Washington

Seattle, Renton, Kent, Auburn, Federal Way, Tacoma, Everett and Vancouver, Washington are mostly built-out city land, so people from those cities usually build out in the counties around them. These are the places where the parcels are.

Spokane and the Inland Northwest

Acreage north toward the Stevens County timber, and dryland wheat country south into the Palouse.

Tri-Cities and Walla Walla

Irrigated farm ground and open dryland around Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, and out toward Walla Walla.

Yakima and Central Washington

Valley orchards and pasture, the Kittitas Valley, and the Columbia Basin around Moses Lake.

The rural South Sound

Wooded and pasture acreage in rural Pierce, Thurston and Lewis counties, south and east of Tacoma and Olympia.

Clark and Cowlitz counties

Rural parcels north and east of Vancouver, Washington, and around Longview along the lower Columbia.

Skagit and Whatcom counties

Farmland and foothill parcels in the Skagit Valley and around Bellingham, up to the international border.

Barndominium builders across Washington

Looking for barndominium builders near you? We build in eight regions of Washington, from Spokane and the Inland Northwest, the Tri-Cities and Central Washington to the South Sound, the North Sound, Kitsap and the Olympic Peninsula, and Vancouver, Washington in the southwest. Zoning, building permits, septic approvals and the water question sit with different offices from one city and county to the next, so every project starts with the parcel.

Barndominium builders in Spokane

Spokane and Spokane Valley are separate cities, and much of the acreage around them is in unincorporated Spokane County. We build across all three, and north and south into Stevens and Whitman counties: pole barn homes, pole barn kits and steel barndominiums.

Spokane Spokane Valley Spokane County
Spokane Tacoma Kennewick Vancouver Yakima Renton Bellingham Seattle Spokane Valley Auburn Everett Federal Way Kent Pasco Richland Olympia Wenatchee Walla Walla
See every area we serve

Building in Washington: common questions

18 questions we get asked most often about building in Washington. If yours is not on the list, ask it directly.

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Do you build barndominiums across Washington State?
Yes. Washington Barndominium Builders builds barndominiums, pole barn homes and metal building homes on private land across Washington: Spokane, Spokane Valley and the Inland Northwest; Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and Walla Walla; Yakima, Wenatchee, Ellensburg and Moses Lake in Central Washington; Tacoma, Puyallup, Olympia and the South Sound; Everett, Marysville, Mount Vernon and Bellingham in the North Sound; Bremerton, Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula; Vancouver, Washington and Longview in the southwest; and Seattle and the King County cities of Renton, Kent, Auburn and Federal Way. See the areas we serve, or start the survey with your parcel.
Where in Washington is there land to build a barndominium on?
Mostly outside the Puget Sound cities. Seattle, Renton, Kent, Auburn, Federal Way, Tacoma, Everett and Vancouver are largely built-out city land, so buyers there usually build on acreage in the surrounding counties. The parcels people build barndominiums on are concentrated in Spokane County and the Inland Northwest, the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla, the Yakima and Kittitas valleys and the Columbia Basin, rural Pierce, Thurston, Lewis and Mason counties in the South Sound, Clark and Cowlitz counties in the southwest, and Skagit and Whatcom counties in the north. Every county draws its rural zoning differently, so the parcel is always the first question. See the areas we serve, or tell us where yours is in the survey.
Do you build on land I already own?
Yes, and that is most of the work: rural acreage, family land and edge-of-town lots. We check what the zoning allows, walk the property with you, check access for concrete trucks and delivery equipment, and work out where power, water and a septic system can go. If you have not bought land yet, look at the zoning and the water with us before you close on it: in Washington those are questions to answer before the purchase, not after. Under the Growth Management Act each county's comprehensive plan sets rural densities, and the county zoning code sets the actual minimum lot size. If the acreage is enrolled in a current-use (open space, farm or timber) program, talk to the county assessor before building: converting classified land to another use triggers back taxes, interest and a 20 percent penalty (RCW 84.34.080). Tell us where it is in the survey.
Do you sell barndominium kits in Washington State, or only full builds?
Both. You can buy a barndominium kit and put it up yourself or with your own crew, buy a dried-in shell and finish the inside yourself, or hand us the whole project from bare land to keys as a turnkey build. On the work we build, licensed trade contractors handle plumbing, electrical and HVAC. Most people know which fits once they have looked honestly at their time, their budget and who they have available to build. Tell us which way you are leaning in the survey.
What is the difference between a barndominium, a pole barn home and a metal building home?
Barndominium describes what the building is: a home, usually open-plan and often with a shop or garage bay under the same roof. A pole barn home is built by post-frame construction: a wood frame of large posts, spaced wide apart, that carry the roof and wall loads, with girts and purlins running between them. A metal building home is framed in steel instead. Inside, any of them is finished like a conventional house. We build both pole barn and steel-frame barndominiums.
How much do barndominiums cost in Washington State?
We do not publish a price list, because on a barndominium the land moves the number more than the floor plan does: the driveway, the pad, how far power has to run, whether the parcel needs a well and a septic system, and what the county and building department ask for. Our barndominium cost guide sets out published third-party cost data with its sources. Two Washington factors to budget for: retail sales tax applies to the full contract price when a builder puts a house on land you own, and the state energy code's insulation minimums and efficiency credits shape the envelope and the heating system. For a number against your own parcel, start the survey and we will put a written quote in front of you before anything is ordered.
Is a barndominium cheaper to build than a traditional house?
Sometimes, but not automatically. A pole barn or metal building shell spans wide without interior load-bearing walls, but a barndominium is finished inside like any house, and insulation, drywall, cabinets, flooring, plumbing, electrical and HVAC cost much the same whatever frame they sit in. The land work (driveway, pad, power, well and septic) often decides the comparison. Our barndominium vs. house cost guide sets the two side by side with cited data.
What is included in a barndominium kit, and what does it leave out?
A kit is typically the structural shell: the frame, roof and wall panels, trim and fasteners, and the doors the package names. The slab, site work, delivery and erection, insulation, and the whole interior finish usually sit outside it, so the kit price is only part of what the finished home costs. Ask exactly what a kit quote covers before comparing two. Our barndominium kits page and the cost guide walk through the line items.
Are modular, prefab and manufactured barndominiums the same as a kit?
No, and they are approved differently in Washington. A modular or other factory-built home is built off site and must carry a Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) insignia of approval before it is installed (RCW 43.22.455); zoning, setbacks and site rules still stay with the city or county (RCW 43.22.460). A manufactured home is built to the federal HUD code. A barndominium kit ships as framing, steel and panels and is assembled on site under a local building permit like any other new house; whether a particular panelized package needs an L&I insignia is for the supplier and L&I to determine. Washington law also defines a narrow “kit home” category of 800 square feet or less and has directed the State Building Code Council to write rules for it by March 31, 2027 (RCW 19.27.015, 19.27.620). See barndominium kits.
Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Washington State?
Yes. A barndominium is a home, and the state building code is in effect in every county and city in Washington (RCW 19.27.031). Homes are built to the 2021 International Residential Code as amended by the state (chapter 51-51 WAC) and the 2021 Washington State Energy Code – Residential (chapter 51-11R WAC), in force since March 15, 2024; the State Building Code Council has scheduled the 2024 editions to take effect May 3, 2027. Cities and counties enforce the code and issue residential building permits (RCW 19.27.050), so your city or county building department is the office that reviews the plans. Snow load, frost depth and the other climatic design values are set by that local jurisdiction, not statewide. We handle the permit sequence as part of permitting. Are barndominiums legal in Washington State? covers the detail.
Can I build a barndominium on land with no city water?
Often, but the water comes first. A building permit for a home needs evidence of an adequate water supply: a water right permit, a letter from a water purveyor that can serve the lot, or in most areas a water well report (RCW 19.27.097). A household well can be exempt from a water right for domestic use up to 5,000 gallons a day (RCW 90.44.050). After the 2016 Hirst decision limited landowners' ability to get a building permit for a new home relying on an exempt well, the 2018 Streamflow Restoration Act (RCW 90.94) set new terms in listed watersheds: a new home on a new exempt well pays a $500 fee, has a lower annual-average withdrawal cap of 950 or 3,000 gallons a day depending on the watershed (with stricter indoor and outdoor limits in the Nooksack basin), and the limit is recorded on the property title. A shop-only building with no potable water is exempt from the water requirement. We check which rules apply to your parcel before anything is designed; a well driller does the drilling.
Who approves the septic system?
Your county's local health jurisdiction. A septic system needs a permit from the local health officer before it is installed, and the application carries a soil and site evaluation, a site plan that reserves space for a replacement drainfield, the drinking-water source and the septic designer's stamp (WAC 246-272A-0200). In the Puget Sound counties the health jurisdiction also runs a septic management plan with operation and maintenance requirements. We do not design or install septic systems, but we check the septic early, because where the drainfield can go often decides where the house goes. See site preparation.
Can you plan a barndominium for both sides of the Cascades?
Yes, and the two sides ask different things of a building. West of the Cascades the design conversation is about rain: drainage, the height of the pad, moisture control and how the envelope sheds water through a long wet season. East of them it is cold winters, snow on the roof, wind across open ground and, in the drier country, wildfire exposure around the house. Snow load, frost depth and the other climatic design values are set by each local jurisdiction (WAC 51-51-0301), not statewide, and the frame and roof are designed to the values for your site. Washington has no statewide wildfire building code in force; some counties and cities adopt their own wildland-urban interface rules, and the plan follows whatever yours has adopted.
Can you build a shop house, with living space and a shop under one roof?
Yes. A shop house, or shouse, puts a working shop or equipment bay and the living space under one roof, and it is one of the most common reasons people choose a barndominium. The shop door size, the ceiling height in the bay and how the living space is separated from it are the decisions that shape the plan. If you might add a bay or a wing later, say so at the start: sizing the slab, leaving a gable end clear and running enough electrical capacity now makes that far simpler.
Can I finance a barndominium like a normal house?
Often, but not with every lender. Some treat a barndominium as ordinary residential construction; others are less familiar with it, and the appraisal is where that tends to show. We can provide the plans, specifications and cost breakdown a lender asks for during approval and the construction draw process. Our barndominium financing guide walks through the options.
Do I need an architect to draw barndominium plans in Washington?
No. Washington's architect law does not prevent anyone from doing the design work for a residential building of up to four dwelling units, or a farm building, whatever its size (RCW 18.08.410(5)), so the plan set for your custom plans is drawn by our design team. Your building department may require engineered drawings for a steel or pole barn structure; those come from a Washington-licensed engineer, usually the frame manufacturer's.
Who handles plumbing, electrical and HVAC?
Licensed trade contractors handle plumbing, electrical and HVAC. On a turnkey build we schedule that work as part of the project, so you deal with one point of contact from the first drawing to the final walkthrough rather than a chain of separate contractors.
How do I get started?
Start the survey. It asks where the land is, what you want to build, roughly how big, how you want to buy it (kit, shell or turnkey) and when. That is enough for us to come back with the questions that matter for your parcel, starting with what its zoning allows and where its water will come from. There is no charge for that conversation.

Got land in Washington? Tell us about it.

Start the survey with your parcel and we will come back with what the zoning allows on it, where its water will come from, who has to approve the build, and what drives the cost, then a written quote before anything is ordered. No charge for that conversation.

Start the survey