One of the most common sizes for a barndominium home is 40×50, which is the same as 2,000 square feet. This guide will help you figure out whether a 40×50 barndo house plan might suit you. We will explore benefits, demand, costs, and featured floor plans.
Is a 2,000 SQ FT House Plan Right for You?
2,000 square feet is a popular size for a barndo house plan. It is versatile and comfortable. 2,000 square feet is large enough to feel roomy, but small enough not to feel overwhelming. Consider a 40×50 barndo house plan if:
- You want a home that is large enough to accommodate a growing family, or a couple of generations. It should not be difficult to have enough bedrooms for between 2 and 4 children.
- You could also consider this size of barndo if you are undecided about your goal family size. It has enough room for a bigger family, but will not seem like “too much” if you just end up having 1 or 2 kids.
- You are interested in features like a garage or workshop, and/or spacious porches, but still want room in your lot for your yard and garden.
- You have a reasonably large lot. But it does not need to be massive.
Benefits of 40×50 House Plans
One of the main reasons to choose a barndominium for a 40×50 house is because this type of home can feature a clear-span design with an open plan interior.
That means that you can enjoy wide open main living spaces, with your living room, dining room and kitchen all combined.
If you leave part of the second floor open to below, you also can enjoy cathedral ceilings, as well as larger windows that look out on picturesque views and bring in lots of natural light.
2,000 square feet is sufficient to not only include spacious shared living spaces, but also allows even a medium to larger size family to have the privacy they need, with up to 5 bedrooms. If you prefer, you could use some of those rooms as home offices or hobby spaces.
Are 2,000 Square Foot Barndo Kits in Demand?
Based on our research, some of the most common barndominium sizes are anywhere from 1,200 square feet up to 3,000 square feet. 2,000 square feet is right in the middle of that range. So, we can confidently say that there is pretty high demand for 2,000 square foot barndo kits.
Research from Rising Trends also shows that barndominium kits are the top real estate trend going by search volume going into 2026.
Much of what is driving the demand for barndo kits is the affordability crisis. With the right approach, it can cost less to build a 2,000 square foot barndominium than it does to build a 2,000 square foot traditional home.
Many prospective homeowners also appreciate the flexibility of rural zoning and the ability to truly personalize their next home. Last but not least, a lot of people are fed up with modern life. The mental associations many of us have with barndominiums put us in mind of classic Americana, stirring our nostalgic desires to return to simpler times and a slower pace of life.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A 40×50 Barndominium?
A finished 40×50 barndominium runs $65 to $160 per square foot. On 2,000 square feet that puts the turnkey cost at roughly $130,000 to $320,000, before land, site work, a well, septic or utility connections.
- Location
- Site prep
- Build method
- Type of foundation
- Types of materials
- Costs for materials
- Labor costs
- Customization
- Finishing
- Special features
- Layout
More complex floor plans, luxurious materials, and special features make a 40×50 barndo house more expensive. Going with a simpler floor plan and more modest (but still sturdy) materials can make it less expensive to build a barndo this size.
What Your Budget Buys At 2,000 Square Feet
- $130,000 — about $65 per square foot. A simple rectangle, builder-grade finishes, and real sweat equity from you.
- $220,000 — about $110 per square foot. The realistic middle for a contractor-built 40×50 with good but not custom finishes.
- $320,000 — about $160 per square foot. Custom cabinetry, taller ceilings, upgraded windows, a deep porch, a standing-seam roof.
The Shell On Its Own Is A Different Number
If you are starting from a metal building kit, the shell package for a 40×50 footprint runs $20 to $35 per square foot — about $40,000 to $70,000 — plus $10 to $15 per square foot to erect it, another $20,000 to $30,000. Call it $60,000 to $100,000 for a weathertight shell on a slab: no interior walls, no mechanicals, no finishes.
That shell figure is the one quoted in most kit advertising, and the gap between it and the finished number is the point. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, drywall, flooring and cabinets are all still ahead of you, and together they are the larger half of the job.
Treat all of these as planning ranges and get three local bids before committing. If the budget will stretch and you need more room, a 40×60 barndominium house plan adds 400 square feet for proportionally less than the first 2,000 cost you — the foundation, the roof and the mechanical runs are already paid for.
Featured 2,000 Square Foot Floor Plans
Every plan below gives you 2,000 square feet of living space or a little more — the same heated area a 40×50 footprint buys. The footprints themselves differ, because 2,000 square feet of house does not have to be a 2,000 square foot rectangle: stretch the building and you trade ground area for a better layout, a bigger porch or a shop. Each plan lists its real footprint so you can match it to your lot and your setbacks.
Cost tracks the heated area, not the footprint. At $65 to $160 per square foot, the 2,000 square foot plans here all land at roughly $130,000 to $320,000; the two-story Fletcher, at 2,257 heated square feet, runs about $147,000 to $361,000. What changes between them is the bedroom count, the footprint and what else sits under roof.
Wondering what kinds of layouts are possible in a 2,000 square foot barndominium? To give you some ideas, here are some of our favorite 40×50 barndo floor plans.
Daxton BCO-40001: A True 40×50 At 2,000 Sq Ft
2,000 sq ft heated · 50′ × 40′ · 3 bed / 2 bath · 1 story · 500 sq ft porch · no garage
$849.99 PDF
The closest thing on this page to a literal 40×50: 2,000 heated square feet on a 50 by 40 foot slab, with nothing outside the rectangle except a 500 square foot covered front porch. Three bedrooms, two baths, 10 foot ceilings. If you are pricing a 40×50 metal building and want to know what genuinely fits inside it, start here.
View the Daxton BCO-40001 plan details →
Carter SV-5502: Three Bedrooms On A 52 By 40 Footprint
2,000 sq ft heated · 52′ × 40′ · 3 bed / 2 bath · 1 story · 600 sq ft unheated · no garage
$849.99 PDF
Two feet wider than the Daxton and otherwise the same brief: three bedrooms, two baths, 2,000 heated square feet and 10 foot ceilings, with another 600 square feet under roof unheated. Worth comparing side by side with the Daxton if you are weighing how much porch you want against how much house.
View the Carter SV-5502 plan details →
Centerfield PL-64013-C: Four Bedrooms In 2,000 Sq Ft
2,000 sq ft heated · 50′ × 55′ · 4 bed / 2 bath · 1 story · 750 sq ft unheated · no garage
$849.99 PDF
Four bedrooms is the practical ceiling at 2,000 square feet, and the Centerfield gets there with an open-concept kitchen and living space, a dedicated utility room and porches front and back. The trade is depth: at 55 feet it needs a deeper building pad than a 40×50, so check your setbacks before committing to it.
View the Centerfield PL-64013-C plan details →
Elle PL-2848: 2,000 Sq Ft Plus A 1,600 Sq Ft Shop
2,000 sq ft heated · 90′ × 53′ · 2 bed / 2 bath · 1 story · 1,600 sq ft shop · 490 sq ft porch
$849.99 PDF
This is the plan that shows what a shop actually costs you in ground area. You still get 2,000 heated square feet, but the 1,600 square foot two-bay shop and the mudroom linking it to the house push the building to 90 by 53 feet — well over double a 40×50 footprint. There is no way around that trade: a 40×50 slab holds 2,000 square feet of living space, or a smaller house plus a shop, but not both.
It is also the only post-frame plan in this line-up, which is what most people mean by a pole barn house. Two bedrooms rather than three or four, with the floor area going to an office, a walk-in pantry and a large laundry instead.
View the Elle PL-2848 plan details →
BCO-40155 Melissa
2,000 sq ft heated · 50′ × 48′ · 4 bed / 2 bath · 1 story · no garage
$849.99 PDF
Four bedrooms and two baths in 2,000 heated square feet, on a footprint eight feet deeper than a true 40×50. Worth checking against your rear setback before you commit to it.
View the BCO-40155 plan details →
BCO-40141 Fletcher: The Two-Story 40×50
2,257 sq ft heated · 50′ × 40′ · 3 bed / 2 bath · 2 stories · no garage
$849.99 PDF
The only two-story plan on this page, and the clearest demonstration of what going up buys you: 257 more heated square feet than anything else here, from exactly the same 50 by 40 foot ground area as the Daxton. The 12:12 roof is steep enough to make the second floor full height.
View the BCO-40141 plan details →
FAQ
How Many Square Feet Is A 40×50 Barndominium?
A 40×50 barndominium is 2,000 square feet. Multiply width by depth: 40 feet × 50 feet = 2,000 square feet of floor area per level. That figure describes the building footprint, so a single-story 40×50 gives you about 2,000 heated square feet, while a two-story plan on the same footprint can clear 2,200. Porches, garages and lofts sit outside that number unless the plan states otherwise.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A 40×50 Barndominium?
Budget $65 to $160 per square foot finished, which puts a 2,000 square foot 40×50 barndominium at roughly $130,000 to $320,000 before land and site work. A metal shell kit is a separate number: $20 to $35 per square foot for the package plus $10 to $15 to erect it, so $60,000 to $100,000 for a weathertight building with no interior. Finishes, location and how much labor you take on move the total more than the plan does.
How Many Bedrooms Can You Fit In A 40×50 Barndominium?
Three or four comfortably. The Melissa BCO-40155 on this page puts four bedrooms and two baths into exactly 2,000 heated square feet on a single level, which is about the practical ceiling for a one-story 40×50. Five is possible on paper, but the bedrooms get small and you give up the open living space most barndominium buyers are after. If you need five, step up to a 40×60 or add a second story.
Can A 40×50 Barndominium Have A Garage Or A Shop?
Not inside the 40×50 footprint, if you also want 2,000 square feet of living space — the two compete for the same floor area. The Elle PL-2848 on this page shows what it really takes: 2,000 heated square feet plus a 1,600 square foot two-bay shop, on a 90 by 53 foot footprint. You get the shop, but you need roughly twice the ground area. The alternatives are a detached garage or stepping up to a 40×60.
Can A 40×50 Barndominium Be Two Stories?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to add room to this footprint. The Fletcher BCO-40141 on this page is a two-story 50 × 40 reaching 2,257 heated square feet — 1,940 on the first floor and 317 above — from the same ground area a single-story plan spends on 2,000. You pay for stairs, a steeper 12:12 roof and second-floor structure, but not for more foundation or more roof area.
Can A 40×50 Barndominium Have An Open Concept Floor Plan?
Yes, and the span makes it straightforward. A 40-foot clear width lets the great room, kitchen and dining area share one uninterrupted space with no structural wall down the middle, which is why open concept is close to standard on metal-framed barndominiums at this size. The trade-off is sound and conditioning: one large volume carries noise and costs more to heat and cool evenly than the same square footage divided into rooms.
Get Your 40×50 Barndo Design
If you fell in love with any of the 2,000 square foot floor plans we shared with you in this guide, click on any of the links to get your 40×50 barndo floor plans and take the next step toward building your dream home.