50×80 · custom-designed
50×80 Barndominium
A 4,000 sqft (50 ft × 80 ft) custom steel barndominium engineered around your land and your household — shell kits from $28/sqft, turnkey via our vetted contractor network where coverage exists. We design custom plans, not stock floor plans.
Pricing
How Much Does a 50×80 Barndominium Kit Cost?
The shell kit for a 50×80 starts from $112,000 — that’s our flat $28/sqft rate applied to the full 4,000 sqft footprint, covering the engineered steel frame, roof and wall panels, fasteners, hardware, and delivery to your site. Turnkey — the move-in-ready finished build — starts from $460,000, at our blended national rate of $115–$200/sqft, all-in across the full footprint.
Finish level on the living side is the single biggest variable inside that range. Cabinets, flooring, countertops, and fixtures can roughly double the per-sqft turnkey cost between builder-grade and high-end selections — and on a living side approaching 2,500 sqft, that spread adds up fast. Shop configuration is the next-largest driver: the difference between two standard truck bays and a three-bay setup with RV-height overhead doors and a conditioned workshop is a meaningful cost step, both in the door spec itself and in the mechanical rough-in for a conditioned or partially conditioned shop.
A loft addition over the living side — which unlocks a second-floor master suite, kids’ wing, media room, or home office without touching the footprint — adds to the frame and interior cost but is one of the highest-value upgrades on a 50×80. Foundation type varies by climate: slab is the baseline, but frost-protected or pier foundations in northern or mountain markets add cost. Site-specific work — utility runs, septic, well, driveway grading, and larger equipment access for a 50 ft wide building on rural acreage — rounds out the variation.
Geography is the largest single cost driver across all of those variables. Midwest and Southern rural markets sit at the low end of the national range; rural Northeast, mountain West, and Pacific Northwest sit at the high end. For accurate pricing in your state and county, see your state cost page.
What fits
What Can You Fit in a 50×80 Barndominium?
In the standard shop-house split, a 50×80 divides into roughly 2,500 sqft of living and a 3-bay shop of around 1,500 sqft. The living side comfortably holds 3–4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, an open kitchen and great room, a real utility room and pantry, and a mudroom — the full suite for a working family home, not a squeezed layout. The 3-bay shop fits trucks plus an RV or boat bay plus project vehicles, or two truck bays plus a multi-station workshop with serious bench space; sidewall height and overhead-door spec are custom to your build.
The 50 ft width is what makes the 3-bay shop viable without compressing the living side. A 40×80 at 3,200 sqft can fit a 2-bay shop, but the third bay — and the real bench space that comes with it — requires the extra 10 feet of width the 50×80 provides. That same width means the living side doesn’t feel narrow: an open kitchen, great room, and dining area can sit side by side across the full 50 ft span in the living zone, rather than stacking into a single-loaded corridor.
Add a loft over the living side and the 50×80 opens up significant additional area without touching the footprint — a second-floor master suite, a kids’ wing, a bonus or media room, or a dedicated home office. That loft option is one of the features that distinguishes the 50×80 from the next size down: on a 40×80, a loft is tighter given the narrower span; on a 50×80, the extra width makes a full second-floor layout genuinely comfortable.
The 50×80 advantage
The Width That Makes a 3-Bay Shop and a Full Family Home Both Work
The 50×80’s defining structural fact is its 50 ft span. That extra 10 feet of width over the 40×80 is what tips a 2-bay shop into a genuine 3-bay setup — adding the RV bay, the boat bay, or the multi-station workshop with real bench depth — while keeping the living side wide enough for a proper open-plan great room and kitchen rather than a compressed linear layout.
The 60×80 puts its larger footprint into a wider all-living envelope; the 40×80 holds two bays. Only the 50×80 delivers a 3-bay working shop and a full family home in one structure at this footprint scale. That combination — serious shop capacity and a 2,500 sqft family home — is what makes the 50×80 the working-homestead size.
Layouts
How a 50×80 Can Lay Out
We design custom plans — not stock floor plans. The 4,000 sqft footprint runs from an all-living family home to a shop-forward build with a 3-bay working shop, drawn entirely around your household and site. Your plan determines where the dividing wall sits, how the shop bays are configured, and whether a loft opens up a second floor.
The same 50×80 shell runs the full range — from All-living to Mostly shop, and anywhere in between. These are common starting points, not fixed plans. Every 50×80 we build is custom-drawn from scratch.
Drawn to scale. The living-to-shop split shown is just one of many possible layouts — every 50×80 is designed from scratch.
The most common configuration is the shop-house split: roughly 2,500 sqft of living (3–4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, open kitchen and great room, utility room, pantry, mudroom) alongside a 1,500 sqft 3-bay shop. Your plan determines bay count, sidewall height, and overhead-door spec — RV-height doors, extra-wide bays, or a partially conditioned workshop section are all custom decisions made at the plan stage.
An all-living plan turns the full 4,000 sqft into a single-story family home — typically 4–5 bedrooms, 3–4 baths, a dedicated office, formal dining, a large great room, mudroom, and multiple covered porches. This is the 50×80 for buyers who want maximum living square footage without a shop component, and the 50 ft width makes all those rooms feel genuinely proportioned rather than squeezed.
A living-plus-larger-shop plan shifts the balance the other direction: roughly 3,200 sqft of living (4 bedrooms, 3 baths, open plan, dedicated office) alongside an 800 sqft 2-bay attached shop or garage. This layout suits buyers who need a dedicated gear or equipment bay without committing to a full 3-bay working shop. You can also shift the shop/living dividing wall in your plan to bias more shop or more living — the 50 ft span gives you that flexibility.
A loft addition over the living side is one of the highest-value options on a 50×80. The 50 ft width supports a comfortable full second floor — a master suite, a kids’ wing, a media room, or a proper home office — without any increase to the footprint. Other custom options include vaulted great-room ceilings, dedicated in-law or guest suites, multiple covered porches, exterior color and metal-panel selection, finish package, and RV-bay sizing inside the shop.
Best for
What a 50×80 Barndominium Is Best For
The 50×80 is best for established homesteaders and working-acreage owners who need a 3-bay shop alongside a full family home — not a compromise between the two. It’s the size where the shop is a real working shop (tractors, RVs, boats, project vehicles, bench space) and the living side is a real family home (3–4 bedrooms, full baths, open kitchen, mudroom), both in a single steel envelope.
Tradespeople and small-business owners who run a working shop from home and want their primary residence under the same roof fit the 50×80 well: the 1,500 sqft shop is large enough for professional-scale work, and the living side is large enough to be a proper long-term home rather than attached quarters. The 3-bay layout with custom sidewall height and overhead-door spec accommodates commercial-vehicle work or equipment that smaller shop footprints can’t.
Larger families — three or more kids, or multi-generational households — find the 50×80 works where smaller footprints strain. The 2,500 sqft living side supports 3–4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in the standard split, and a loft addition opens a true second floor for additional bedrooms or a kids’ wing. Rural professionals who want a serious hobby workshop on the shop side and a long-term family home on the living side round out the buyer profile.
Size comparison
50×80 vs. Other Sizes
| 50×80 | 40×80 | 60×80 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 4,000 sqft | 3,200 sqft | 4,800 sqft |
| Turnkey range | $460,000–$800,000 | $368,000–$640,000 | $552,000–$960,000 |
| Best for | Homestead + 3-bay working shop | Family home + 2-bay shop | All-living family home |
The 40×80 at 3,200 sqft is the size directly below — 800 sqft smaller and 10 feet narrower. That width difference is the practical dividing line: the 40×80 supports a 2-bay shop alongside a 3–4 bedroom home, but the 3-bay shop with real bench space requires the 50×80’s span. Buyers who don’t need the third bay — or who want to keep costs lower — often find the 40×80 sufficient; buyers who need to fit an RV, a boat bay, or a multi-station workshop alongside a full family home step up to the 50×80.
The 60×80 at 4,800 sqft is the size directly above, but the buyer story diverges at that step rather than simply scaling up. The 60×80 puts its larger footprint into a wider all-living layout — typically a 4–5 bedroom family home with no shop component — rather than adding a fourth bay. Buyers choosing between the 50×80 and 60×80 are effectively choosing between a working shop as a core part of the structure (50×80) and maximum living square footage with no shop (60×80). They’re different products, not just different sizes of the same product.
Kit or turnkey
Kit or Turnkey: How Most Buyers Build a 50×80
Most buyers at this size choose turnkey because they can’t erect a steel shell themselves. Here’s exactly where the kit ends and the finished home begins.
The shell kit — from $112,000 for a 50×80 — covers the engineered steel frame, roof and wall panels, fasteners, hardware, and delivery. Everything after the shell is what the turnkey adds: the foundation slab, professional frame erection, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and full interior finish on both the living side and the shop. On a 50×80 with a 3-bay shop, the shop’s overhead-door spec, sidewall height, and whether any portion of the shop is conditioned are all coordinated through our vetted contractor network at the turnkey stage — those decisions are locked in at the custom plan stage so the frame is engineered to match.
The process
How Turnkey Delivery Works
Turnkey delivery runs in four stages. We coordinate the vetted contractors at each one, so you manage one process instead of a dozen subcontractors.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a 50×80 barndominium cost?
The shell kit starts from $112,000 ($28/sqft across 4,000 sqft). Turnkey — move-in ready — starts from $460,000, with the full national range running $460,000–$800,000 depending on finish level, shop configuration, foundation type, and geography. See your state cost page for market-specific pricing.
How many bedrooms and shop bays fit in a 50×80 barndominium?
In the standard shop-house split, the 50×80 fits 3–4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms on the living side (roughly 2,500 sqft) alongside a 3-bay shop of around 1,500 sqft. In an all-living plan, the full 4,000 sqft supports 4–5 bedrooms and 3–4 baths with no shop.
Can a 50×80 fit an RV bay, family home, and workshop?
Yes — the 3-bay shop configuration on a 50×80 is sized to fit trucks plus an RV or boat bay plus project vehicles, or two truck bays plus a multi-station workshop with serious bench space. Sidewall height and overhead-door spec (including RV-height doors) are custom decisions made at the plan stage.
What’s the difference between a 40×80 and a 50×80 barndominium?
The 50×80 is 800 sqft larger and 10 feet wider than the 40×80 — and that extra width is the practical difference between a 2-bay shop and a genuine 3-bay setup with real bench space. The living side also gains proportional width, making side-by-side open-plan rooms more comfortable. Buyers who need the third bay — an RV bay, a boat bay, or a full workshop — step up from the 40×80 to the 50×80.
Can I get a 50×80 as a custom design?
Yes — every Oak and Iron Kits plan is custom-designed to your household and site. We don’t sell stock floor plans. Your plan determines the shop/living split, bay configuration, sidewall height, loft addition, room layout, and finish selections — all before the frame is engineered.