Many barndominium plans aimed at the Carolinas and the Gulf Coast ask the steel shell to do too much. Plan 170017ADS does not make that mistake. It puts 2,372 heated square feet on one level, splits the primary suite cleanly away from the secondary bedrooms, and then gives the home office a full 17-by-10-foot room at the front of the house, opening off the living room, so work-from-home space never has to borrow a bedroom. Add a 1,261-square-foot garage and two covered porches each running nearly 60 feet, and you have a working barndominium that knows what it is.
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Floor Plan Walkthrough
Main Level
The plan runs long and linear, which is exactly the proportion a barndominium wants. You enter from a 59-foot front porch straight into a 21-by-23-foot living room under a 12-foot ceiling, and that volume flows directly into a 21-by-14.5-foot island kitchen. There is no formal dining room, and on a plan this open it is not missed; the island and the living zone absorb everyday meals comfortably. The split is the layout's backbone. To the right, the primary suite sits 17-by-13 feet with a private bath and walk-in closet, with the home office in front of it; the bedroom itself opens off the kitchen side of the social core. To the left, two secondary bedrooms, roughly 13-by-11 and 11.5-by-11 feet, share a full hall bath and sit next to a 15.5-by-9-foot utility room that doubles as the mudroom off the garage. The office is generous at 17-by-10 feet, but the plan shows no porch door: it opens off the living room, so a client would cross the main living space to reach it. If you run a practice from home, adding an exterior door on its front wall is the change to ask the designer about.
Exterior & Elevations
The stock elevation is honest pre-engineered barndominium: a long, low horizontal mass under a continuous standing-seam metal roof, with a projecting gable entry carrying exposed timber-truss detail. That truss is the one bit of warmth the designer allowed, and it earns its place by breaking up an otherwise utilitarian front. Two garage bays anchor the left, balanced by an even rhythm of windows across the living and bedroom zones, and the full-width covered porches front and rear give the metal envelope the depth and shadow it needs to avoid reading like a warehouse. Reading the side elevations together, the value is in the restraint: simple gable forms, lean-to porch roofs, no dormers complicating the steel frame. That same plainness is why the shell takes restyling so well, which is where this review goes next.
What Works
The home office is the plan's most distinctive feature: a 17-by-10-foot room at the front corner with a 10-foot ceiling, opening off the living room. The plan draws no separate porch entrance, so a home-based practice would need one added to receive clients without crossing the living space. The split-bedroom layout itself is genuine, with the primary suite at the opposite end of the house from the secondary bedrooms. That core is an open kitchen and living area under a 12-foot ceiling, which reads far larger than the square footage suggests and wastes no hallway between the two.
The service side is just as generous. The oversized 1,261-square-foot garage goes well beyond a standard two-car bay and leaves honest room for a workshop, lawn equipment or bulk storage. Between that garage and the interior, the utility room works as a true mudroom airlock that keeps daily clutter out of the living zones. Matching covered porches front and rear, each close to 60 feet wide, extend the living footprint outdoors for most of the Southern year.
Width, Steel, and Other Trade-Offs
There is no dedicated dining room. Meals happen in the open kitchen and living zone, which suits casual households but will not satisfy a buyer who wants a formal table. The bath count is the other daily constraint: with 2.5 baths in total, both secondary bedrooms and any guests share a single full hall bath, and in a busy household that is a real morning queue.
The garage and the lot shape the budget. That 1,261-square-foot garage adds significant slab and roof area, so it costs more per heated square foot than the living space it serves. At nearly 60 feet wide, the plan also needs a generous lot to clear side setbacks; on a narrow parcel it simply will not sit right.
Construction method is the final consideration. Pre-engineered metal building construction needs a contractor who has actually erected a bolt-up steel frame. In markets short on that experience, the plan's optional conversion to conventional 2x6 wood framing is the safer route.
Regional Fit & 2026 Build-Cost Context
This plan reads native across the Southern and coastal markets we cover. The metal roof, deep porches, and single-level spread all belong from Charleston down to Naples, and the steel shell shrugs off the region's humidity better than most. Each market below is paired with one of the facade directions laid out further down. If you are weighing single-level options with a real workspace, our review of an expansive single-story farmhouse with a dedicated office makes a useful side-by-side.
Charleston, SC is the natural home for the Coastal Farmhouse version, with a turnkey allowance of $480,000–$650,000. Close to the coast, the steel frame's anchorage is what to check first: wind uplift is designed under IRC 2021 and ASCE 7-22, and the exposure category of the actual lot decides how heavy those connections get. Savannah, GA runs slightly lower at $455,000–$620,000 and suits the French Provincial facade, though historic-overlay districts there may not allow a metal roof at all, so settle that before committing to standing seam, along with the coastal wind-load detailing for the PEMB frame.
Nashville, TN favors the Classic Barndominium look and budgets at $465,000–$625,000. The city sits in IECC Zone 4A, metal-building subcontractors are easy to find, and a standing-seam roof sheds snow and ice well through freeze-thaw winters. Charlotte, NC is a little cheaper at $430,000–$590,000, with the Contemporary Minimalist facade as the better match; under IRC 2021 the detail that matters most is a proper Manual J load calculation, because the 12-foot living-room volume is easy to undersize for heating and cooling.
Atlanta, GA also leans Contemporary Minimalist, at $445,000–$605,000 turnkey. That is IECC Zone 3A, and the wide footprint fits the exurban lots around the metro, provided the side setbacks leave room for a house close to 60 ft across. Naples / Ft. Myers, FL is the most demanding market on the list at $540,000–$760,000, with Desert Modern as the suggested facade: the Florida Building Code's HVHZ provisions call for impact glazing and stronger roof attachment, and those two items are what push a build toward the top of the range.
The Washington, DC metro is the most expensive market at $590,000–$815,000, and the Formal Estate facade fits its established suburbs best. It shares IECC Zone 4A with Nashville, but here a labor premium and the snow load under ASCE 7-22 both add to the structural budget for the steel frame.
All seven ranges assume a turnkey custom build with a mid-to-upper finish package (standing-seam metal roof, solid-surface counters, custom cabinetry) on a level lot, and they already include the slab under the 1,261-square-foot garage. Land, well and septic, clearing and grading, and impact or tap fees are extra. A sloped site, premium finishes, a shortage of crews experienced with metal buildings, or coastal HVHZ rules will move a project toward the top of its range. The numbers draw on the NAHB 2025–2026 Construction Cost Survey, the RSMeans 2026 City Cost Indexes and regional custom-builder quote ranges current to early 2026, so read them as planning ballparks for this particular house and confirm them with a local general contractor.
Other Facade Suggestions
A barndominium shell this clean is a blank canvas, so we styled it for a range of settings and climates. These eight directions are our own renderings and commentary, not official elevations from the plan's designer. Think of them as a starting point for the conversation you will have with your own architect or builder.
Formal Estate
This version warms the shell to a cream facade under a dark standing-seam roof, then composes the grounds for symmetry: clipped boxwood parterres filled with white roses, a pale concrete drive and walk edged in cobblestone, and tall birches framing the approach. It suits an owner who wants a structured, manicured arrival and a clear sense of formality from the curb, and it shows how far landscaping alone can move a metal building toward a traditional read.
Bronze garage doors, a walnut front door and bronze lanterns form the warm middle between cream stone-look walls and a charcoal standing-seam roof. The white roses and pale concrete walk repeat the wall color, so keep the garage doors and lantern finish in one bronze tone.
Coastal Farmhouse
White siding paired with light stone veneer at the entry under a silver metal roof, with gray garage doors and a soft green front door for quiet tonal variation. Blue hydrangeas and ornamental grasses keep the planting informal and layered. This direction suits temperate and coastal lots from Charleston to the Lowcountry, where you want fresh and breezy without losing the farmhouse bones.
Cool and light is the brief here: white lap siding, pale gray stone at the entry and a silver-gray metal roof, with weathered gray garage doors in the same range. The sage green door and brass lanterns are the two accents to sample together, while black window frames give the pale body its outlines.
Classic Barndominium
High-contrast white board-and-batten with dark wood trim and a black metal roof, with the signature gable truss kept front and center. Massed lavender and purple perennials run the foundation line for a hit of color. This is the quintessential modern barndo read: clean lines, bold contrast, and straightforward rural character for the buyer who wants the look done right.
Walnut-stained gable trusses and porch posts warm a clean black and white base of bright battens, a black metal roof and black garage doors. The mahogany door matches those timbers, so one stain covers all the wood, and the lavender borders bring the only color along the foundation.
Contemporary Minimalist
A pale neutral facade with dark charcoal garage doors and a cool gray roof, all material restraint. Integrated soffit lighting, a sleek black entry door, and a spare landscape of clumping grasses and birch reinforce the modern read. This is the one for the Scandinavian-leaning homeowner who prizes clean geometry and a low-maintenance exterior over ornament.
Bone-colored vertical siding and light gray panels at the entry sit under a charcoal standing-seam roof, with charcoal garage doors and a black front door. Pale wood trusses and porch chairs warm the scheme slightly, and a soft cream siding rather than bright white avoids a clinical look.
Mountain Rustic
Dark stained wood siding and natural stone cladding give the shell real weight, with a black metal roof and wood garage doors holding the rustic palette together. The grounds are worked naturalistically: ferns, native grasses, large boulders, and uplighting that catches the texture at dusk. For a forested or mountain lot where the house should defer to the setting, this is the one.
Light gray fieldstone wrapping the entry gable is the bright surface on a deep, earthy shell of dark brown weathered boards, dark wood garage doors and a black metal roof. Black window frames and timber trusses stay dark, so pick a fieldstone with warm gray tones that sit well beside the brown wood.
Desert Modern
White stucco against a stacked-stone entry wall under a dark roof, adapting the barndominium form to arid ground. A xeriscape of agave, succulents, gravel, and large-format concrete pavers cuts water demand while keeping strong visual structure, and recessed path lighting adds graphic line work after dark. This is the water-wise direction for Southwest and dry-climate lots, and the one to carry to a Gulf Coast lot wanting low-irrigation curb appeal.
Rust, tan and orange stacked stone at the entry wall contrasts with warm white stucco under a charcoal standing-seam roof. Black garage doors and window frames echo the roof, while the walnut front door picks up the darkest tones in the stone, which is why the stone and door are best sampled together under evening light.
French Provincial
Cream stucco under a dark roof with light wood garage doors, reaching for a traditional European estate read. The landscape carries it: boxwood-edged parterres, white roses, a patterned cobblestone motor court, and wall-mounted lanterns flanking the bays and entry. For the homeowner who values formal, classical grounds and an old-world arrival, this is the most refined direction in the set.
Natural oak garage doors, a walnut front door and bronze window frames warm the cream stone-look walls under a dark charcoal-blue metal roof. The charcoal cobblestone court with its pale inlay repeats the roof color at ground level, and brass lanterns and white roses round out the formal palette.
Japandi Zen
Light siding and natural wood trim under a dark metal roof, balanced and understated. The garden does the talking: raked black gravel, specimen Japanese maples, moss mounds, and irregular stone pavers, with lawn traded for sculptural planting and deliberate negative space. This is the meditative, intentional direction for the homeowner who wants the landscape to slow them down at the door.
Pale oak garage doors and timber posts bring warmth to warm white stucco under a black metal roof. The dark wood door, black window frames and black raked gravel pull the darkest values down to the ground, so the oak should stay light enough to contrast with the gravel and the red maples.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PEMB construction, and does it affect financing?
PEMB stands for pre-engineered metal building: a bolt-up steel primary frame with 2x4 wood interior partition framing, which is how this plan is drawn. It is engineered as a residence, not an agricultural pole barn, so conventional and construction-to-permanent loans generally apply. Some appraisers and lenders are still more comfortable with stick-built, so it is worth confirming with your lender early, or choosing the plan's optional 2x6 wood-framing conversion.
Can this barndominium be built with conventional wood framing instead of steel?
Yes. The plan offers an optional conversion from the PEMB steel shell to conventional 2x6 wood framing. That is the route to take in any market short on experienced metal-building erectors, since it lets you use the same residential subs you would hire for a standard custom home while keeping the barndominium look intact.
How is the home office different from a standard study?
The 17-by-10-foot office is a full room at the front corner of the house, but on the plan it opens off the living room and has no door of its own to the front porch. A client, patient, or customer would pass through the living space to reach it, so if you run a customer-facing business from home, ask the designer to add an exterior door on the office's porch wall.
Why is there no dining room, and is that a problem?
The plan trades a formal dining room for a larger open kitchen and living core under a 12-foot ceiling. On an open layout like this, the island and the living zone absorb everyday meals comfortably. It is only a drawback if a formal table is a firm requirement for you; if it is, the office or a slice of the living room could be reworked to accommodate one.
What size lot does this plan need?
Plan on a wide lot. The footprint runs close to 60 feet across before you account for the porches, so after side setbacks you realistically want a generous parcel to keep the proportions right. It shines on rural and suburban acreage and struggles on narrow infill lots.
Do the eight facade designs come with plan 170017ADS?
No. The eight exteriors shown here are concept renderings made by The Layered Homes editorial team to show how far this shell can be restyled, from a Japandi gravel garden to a French Provincial motor court. Plan 170017ADS ships with its stock elevation only, the white board-and-batten front with the timber gable truss, and any of these looks would have to be drawn up with your own architect or builder.
Who Plan 170017ADS Suits
Plan 170017ADS is a barndominium that knows its job. The split-bedroom layout, the open 12-foot living core, and that hardworking utility-room mudroom give it the bones of a livable forever home, while the 17-by-10-foot front office gives remote work a real room of its own. The width and the metal-building learning curve are the two real gatekeepers: bring a wide lot and a contractor comfortable with steel, or take the wood-framing conversion, and this plan rewards you. If you love the open, high-ceilinged feel, our review of a 1,677-square-foot farmhouse with a vaulted great room shows the same idea at a smaller scale. For buyers drawn to the deep-porch character on a comparable footprint, the versatile country farmhouse with wrap-around porches is the other plan worth putting on the table, and for the most efficient single-level take on this philosophy, our 2,030-square-foot single-story craftsman review scales it down.
Sources & References
- Architectural Designs, Plan 170017ADS: original plan listing, specifications, square footage, PEMB construction notes, and stock elevations.
- NAHB Construction Cost Survey (2025–2026): national and regional cost-per-square-foot breakdowns for new single-family construction.
- RSMeans 2026 City Cost Indexes: market-level labor and material cost multipliers used to localize the build-cost ranges.
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC): foundation, framing, and egress provisions referenced in the regional notes.
- Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA): design practices and load criteria for pre-engineered metal building systems referenced in the PEMB discussion.
- ASCE 7-22, Minimum Design Loads: wind-uplift and snow-load standards informing the coastal and DC-metro cost notes.
- Florida Building Code, High-Velocity Hurricane Zone provisions: basis for the Naples/Ft. Myers impact-glazing and roof-attachment premium.
House Plans Desk
The Layered Homes editorial teamThe House Plans Desk reviews published house plans from the designer’s drawings and listing: how the layout lives, what works, what to watch, and what it is likely to cost to build in 2026.
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