Barndominium House Plans: How to Choose Living Space, Shop Space and Layout
Updated: Oct 5
A barndominium can give you something a conventional floor plan may not: the ability to combine comfortable living space with a large garage, workshop, equipment area, or flexible under-roof space. The challenge is choosing a plan that balances those needs instead of simply choosing the biggest building.
The right barndominium house plan should work for the way you live, the amount of shop space you actually need, and the property where you plan to build. SWLA Constructors offers multiple barndominium designs with different living areas, shop configurations, bedroom counts, and total square footage for homeowners in Southwest Louisiana and parts of Southeast Texas.
How Do You Choose Between Barndominium House Plans?
Start by separating the space you need for daily living from the space you want for a garage, shop, storage, hobbies, or equipment. Then compare bedroom count,
bathrooms, circulation, outdoor space, total under-roof area, and how the plan may fit your property.
A plan with more total square footage is not automatically the better choice. The best fit is the one that uses space in a way that supports your household and property.
What Should You Compare in Barndominium House Plans?
Barndominium plans can look similar from the outside while functioning very differently inside. Some put most of their square footage into living areas, while others devote a significant part of the building to garage or shop space.
Before comparing plans, decide which spaces matter most to you.
Living Square Footage
Living square footage generally refers to the conditioned space where you spend your everyday life, including bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and similar interior areas.
Do not judge a barndominium only by its total square footage. A large total-under-roof number may include substantial porch, garage, or shop space rather than additional living area.
For example, SWLA's Frontier plan lists 2,400 square feet of living space and 4,668 total square feet, while its Sawdust plan lists 2,006 square feet of living space, 1,194 square feet of shop space, and 3,505 total square feet. Those numbers describe two very different ways to use the overall building footprint.
Shop or Garage Space
If a workshop or garage is one of the reasons you are considering a barndominium, decide what that space actually needs to do.
Think about whether you need room for:
Everyday vehicles
Boats or recreational equipment
Tools
Lawn equipment
Hobby projects
Woodworking
Equipment storage
General household storage
A dedicated work area
SWLA's current barndominium library shows how much this can vary between plans. The Sawdust lists 1,194 square feet of garage/shop space, while the Coyote lists 680 square feet. The Maverick and Frontier currently list no dedicated shop square footage.
That makes the intended use of the space more important than simply asking whether a plan has a shop.
Total Square Footage
Total square footage can include more than the conditioned living area.
Depending on the plan, the total may include garages, shops, covered porches, or other under-roof areas. That is why homeowners should compare living square footage, shop square footage, and total square footage separately instead of treating them as interchangeable numbers.
When reviewing a specific SWLA plan, use the current plan data shown on that plan page and discuss any proposed changes with the Design-Build team before relying on a preliminary layout for project decisions.
How Much Shop Space Do You Really Need?
Start with the activities and equipment the space needs to support.
If you only need parking and basic storage, a smaller attached garage may work well. If you plan to store equipment, maintain recreational vehicles, work on projects, or use the area as a serious workshop, you may need a different layout and more dedicated square footage.
It also helps to think about circulation. A shop can appear large on paper but feel constrained if doors, parked vehicles, workbenches, equipment, and storage all compete for the same floor area.
Ask Yourself These Questions
Before choosing among shop house plans, consider:
What needs to fit inside every day?
How many vehicles will be stored there?
Do you need room to work around those vehicles?
Will you store trailers, boats, or equipment?
Do you need wall space for cabinets or benches?
Will the shop be used for hobbies or work?
Would you rather have more shop space or more living space?
Those answers can quickly eliminate plans that are too small or unnecessarily large for your needs.
Do You Need a Shop at All?
Not every barndominium needs a large shop.
Some homeowners prefer the barndominium form and open layout but want most of the available square footage devoted to the home itself. SWLA's current Maverick and Frontier plans are examples in the library that list zero dedicated garage/shop square footage.
If your priorities are bedrooms, gathering areas, outdoor living, or a larger kitchen rather than workshop space, a plan without a dedicated shop may be a better fit.
The label "barndominium" does not mean every homeowner needs the same ratio of residential and utility space.
Choose the Bedroom and Bathroom Layout Around Daily Life
The number of bedrooms is easy to compare. Bedroom placement deserves just as much attention.
Look at where the primary bedroom is located relative to other bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, and the shop or garage. Consider privacy, guests, children, multigenerational living, or whether a bedroom may eventually become an office or flex space.
SWLA's current barndominium collection includes designs ranging from three-bedroom layouts such as Maverick, Sawdust, Odessa, and Coyote to the four-bedroom Frontier.
The right count is only the starting point. How those rooms connect to the rest of the home can have a bigger effect on daily comfort.
Look Closely at the Living, Kitchen, and Dining Flow
Open-concept layouts are common in barndominium designs, but "open concept" can describe many different floor plans.
Think about how you actually use the space. If you entertain often, you may want a stronger connection between the kitchen, dining area, and living room. If you prefer more separation, the best layout may organize those spaces differently while still maintaining an open feel.
The Sawdust, for example, is presented by SWLA as having an open layout connecting the kitchen, dining, and living areas, while also providing a substantial dedicated shop.
When reviewing any plan, imagine a normal weekday, not only a future holiday gathering.
Think About the Connection Between the Home and Shop
A large shop can be useful, but it should not make the home's living area less comfortable.
Look at where the connection between the two areas is located. Consider the path from the garage or shop into the house, where everyday items may be dropped, and whether storage, laundry, or utility spaces make that transition more practical.
The best arrangement depends on how you plan to use the shop. A space primarily used for vehicle storage may call for different planning than an active workshop.
This is an area where customization can be more valuable than adding square footage for its own sake.
Consider Covered Porches and Outdoor Space
Total under-roof area may also include covered outdoor living space.
Porches can influence how a barndominium feels and functions, particularly for homeowners who expect to spend time outdoors. Their size and placement can also affect the overall footprint and how the home sits on the property.
For example, SWLA's Coyote plan currently lists covered porch space as part of its overall design, in addition to living and garage areas.
If outdoor living matters to you, compare porch space directly instead of assuming every plan provides the same amount.
Make Sure the Barndominium Plan Fits Your Land
A floor plan should not be chosen in isolation from the property.
The width and depth of the building, driveway access, shop-door orientation, utilities, drainage, septic needs, property setbacks, and other site conditions may influence how well a particular design works on a homesite.
A plan that looks ideal online may need a different orientation or modification once the property is considered.
If you already own property, review the Build on Your Land process before making major site-preparation decisions.
Should You Choose the Plan Before Preparing the Property?
In most cases, it makes sense to understand the proposed barndominium and likely building location before completing major clearing, grading, or other site preparation.
The building footprint and shop orientation can influence access, driveway placement, drainage, utility routing, and the amount of space needed around the structure.
If your land has not been prepared yet, our guide on preparing land for construction outlines the key areas to consider before site work begins.
Property-specific requirements should still be confirmed for the actual homesite and project.
Can a Barndominium House Plan Be Customized?
SWLA presents itself as a Design-Build firm and states that many of its home plans can be customized around the homeowner's needs. The current custom-home page also states that buyers can bring their own floor plans for review.
Possible plan discussions may involve layout, living space, shop needs, bedrooms, functional priorities, and other design choices. The exact changes that make sense will depend on the plan, property, project scope, and applicable requirements.
Customization should solve a real need rather than add complexity simply because changes are possible.
Should You Start With an Existing Barndominium Plan or a Custom Layout?
An existing plan can be a strong starting point if the overall layout already matches how you want to live.
It gives you something concrete to evaluate. You can compare bedrooms, shop area, total square footage, exterior form, and circulation before deciding what may need to change.
A more customized direction may make sense when your property, household, equipment, or lifestyle creates needs that the available plans do not address well.
Neither approach is automatically better. Start with the plan that best matches your actual needs, then determine whether customization is necessary.
Examples From SWLA's Current Barndominium Library
SWLA's current Barndominium Library provides useful examples of how different barndominium plans can allocate space.
Maverick
The Maverick currently lists:
1,500 living square feet
3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
0 shop square feet
1,657 total square feet
This type of layout may appeal to homeowners who want the barndominium format without dedicating a large portion of the building to a shop.
Frontier
The Frontier currently lists:
2,400 living square feet
4 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
0 garage/shop square feet
4,668 total square feet
It illustrates why total square footage and living square footage should always be reviewed separately.
Sawdust
The Sawdust currently lists:
2,006 living square feet
3 bedrooms
2.5 bathrooms
1,194 shop square feet
3,505 total square feet
For someone specifically searching for shop house plans, the amount of dedicated shop space makes this a meaningfully different option from plans without a shop.
Coyote
The Coyote currently lists:
1,720 living square feet
3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
680 garage/shop square feet
3,102 total square feet
This provides another example of balancing residential space with a smaller garage or shop area.
Plan specifications can change, so current plan pages should be reviewed before making a project decision.
What About Barndominium Cost?
The floor plan affects the scope of a project, but this article is not a price estimate.
Living area, total under-roof space, shop size, porches, site conditions, utilities, finishes, design changes, location, and other project requirements can all affect cost. That is why two barndominiums with similar living square footage may still represent very different projects.
Avoid assuming that a general cost-per-square-foot figure will accurately describe your specific build.
If cost is your main question, review SWLA's separate guide to the factors that affect barndominium cost before comparing plans solely by size.
Barndominium House Plans in Southwest Louisiana
Homeowners in Southwest Louisiana may have very different priorities depending on their property and lifestyle.
Some may want a large workshop for equipment or hobbies. Others may prefer more living space, covered outdoor areas, or a simpler footprint.
SWLA Constructors is based in Sulphur and serves homeowners throughout Southwest Louisiana. Its current barndominium plan collection gives buyers multiple starting points before customization and property-specific considerations are discussed.
Barndominium House Plans in Southeast Texas
SWLA also serves parts of Southeast Texas and maintains a presence in Brookeland near Sam Rayburn. Its Texas-focused page states that buyers can build on their own property and choose or customize available house plans.
If you are planning to build in that market, the same basic rule applies: choose the plan and evaluate the property together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in barndominium house plans?
Compare living square footage, shop or garage space, total under-roof area, bedroom and bathroom layout, kitchen and living flow, outdoor space, storage, and how the footprint may work on your property.
How much shop space should a barndominium have?
There is no standard amount that works for everyone. The right size depends on what you plan to store or do inside the shop, including vehicles, equipment, tools, hobbies, workbenches, and circulation space.
Are living square footage and total square footage the same?
Not necessarily. Total square footage may include garages, shops, porches, or other areas in addition to conditioned living space. Review each figure separately when comparing plans.
Can you build a barndominium without a shop?
Yes. SWLA's current library includes barndominium plans that list no dedicated garage or shop square footage, as well as plans with substantial shop areas.
Can SWLA customize a barndominium plan?
SWLA states that many of its plans can be customized and that homeowners can also bring their own floor plans for discussion. The appropriate changes depend on the plan, property, project, and applicable requirements.
Can I build a barndominium on my own land?
SWLA states that it builds on customer-owned property within its service area. The property and proposed plan should still be reviewed together for site-specific conditions and project requirements.
Should I choose my barndominium plan before clearing land?
It is generally useful to understand the likely building footprint and site layout before completing major clearing or grading. The plan can affect access, drainage, utilities, driveway placement, shop orientation, and other site decisions.
Which SWLA barndominium plan has the most shop space?
Among the plans currently shown in SWLA's Barndominium Library, the Sawdust lists 1,194 square feet of dedicated shop space and the Odessa lists 1,187 square feet. Current specifications should be confirmed on the live plan pages before making a decision.
Choose the Plan Around the Way You Will Use It
The best barndominium plan is not necessarily the one with the largest living area or the biggest shop. It is the one that gives each part of the building enough space to do its job without wasting square footage where you do not need it.
Start with your household, vehicles, equipment, hobbies, storage needs, outdoor priorities, and property. Then compare plans based on how well they support that list.
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