Since 2003, BuildMax has been a leader in home building consultation, including barndominium construction. Their homebuilding program was launched by Arlene and Tony Golladay in 2003, but their legacy goes back even further.
The company was originally known as Equity Builders New Home Consulting company and began in 1998.
Now, BuildMax House Plans is based in Vine Grove, Kentucky, but all of their services are offered through online appointments. This makes BuildMax available to help their customers nationwide.
They offer a selection of pre-designed barndominium plans, customizable farmhouse designs, and three different construction methods, all deliverable in as little as three weeks.
BuildMax Services
BuildMax now specializes in offering barndominium designs, from custom to pre-designed plans.
They also sell building kits with materials that come in three different construction types: steel, conventional lumber, and post frame.
Barndominium Kits
BuildMax offers kits that go beyond the standard steel buildings. In fact, they offer kits for three types of barndominium construction: steel, post frame, or conventional lumber.
Each kit includes:
- Pre-assembled steel and all required fasteners
- 16- to 20-gauge steel shell
- 40-year warranty G-rib 29-gauge metal siding and roofing
- Pella 250 series vinyl white windows with grids
- Therma-tru entry doors in paintable fiberglass
- C.H.I insulated garage doors (for plans with garages)
- 40-year warranty roof, siding screws, and all metal trim
Several of these standard features also have optional upgrades at an additional cost.
For post frame designs, BuildMax uses #1 Southern Pine lumber for their columns, which can be produced in 3-ply, 4-ply, and 5-ply.
Custom Barndominium Plans
BuildMax has plenty of options for creating a barndominium that’s customized for your needs. You can work with one of their consultants to design your building from the ground up.
You can also choose one of their pre-designed layouts (see more below) and customize that plan for an additional fee. So, if you’re unsure where to begin but still want a house unique to you, BuildMax gives you a good jumping-off point.
Just like their pre-designed plans, BuildMax’s customized plans and kits come standard with high-quality materials, access to their nationwide network of builders, and a full downloadable list of materials you can provide to your financer and material supplier.
One-Story Ranch Barndominium Plans
BuildMax offers two types of stock plan packages: one-story and two-story plans. For one-story ranch barndominiums, BuildMax has ten different plans available.
The chart below shows the specifications, including square footage, of each one-story stock plan:
| One-Story Barndo Plan Type | Square Footage | Outer Dimensions | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Special Features | Base Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco Barndo | 1,440 | 32’ x 45’ | 3 | 2 | 8’ front and rear porches | $1,250 |
| Classic Barndo | 1,600 | 65’ x 48’ | 3 | 2 | Carport | $1,250 |
| S House Barndo | 1,945 | 36’ x 88’ | 3 | 2.5 | 2-car garage | $1,250 |
| Simple Barndo | 2,208 | 46’ x 48’ | 3 | 2 | Bathroom with wet room; additional foundation options | $1,250 |
| Scenic Barndo | 2,334 | 122’ x 60’ | 4 | 2.5 | 3-car garage | $1,250 |
| 40 x 60 Barndo | 2,334 | 40’ x 60’ | 4 | 2.5 | 8-12' porches | $1,250 |
| Rustic Barndo | 2,472 | 52’ x 48’ (plus 12' rear porch) | 3 | 2 | 17’+ high vaulted ceilings in the great room | $1,250 |
| Country Ranch Barndo | 2,676 | 75’ x 70’ | 5 | 3.5 | covered porches; 2-car garage | $1,250 |
| Modern Farmhouse Barndo | 2,745 | 36’ x 100’ | 3 | 2.5 | Can add 1 flex room; additional foundation options | $1,250 |
| Metal Building Barndo | 3,755 | 50’ x 100’ (garage included) | 5 | 3.5 | 50’x25’ 5-car garage | $1,575 |
All of these one-story stock plans are designed for conventional stick-builds.
However, customers can still provide the plans to a steel company for column placement. They can also be modified specifically for steel and post framing, provided the customer has the supplier specifications.
With the exception of the Modern Farmhouse and Simple Barndo plans, all plans use a slab foundation. Additionally, all plans can be customized for an additional $750.
Two-Story Barndominium Plans
BuildMax offers 21 two-story pre-designed plans as well as one-story. They come with the same features as the one-story plans and most use a slab foundation.
See the chart below for a sample of BuildMax’s two-story plans:
| Two-Story Barndo Plan Type | Square Footage | Outer Dimensions | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Special Features | Base Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor Barndo | 960 | 44' x 24' | 1 | 1 | 2-car garage | $1,250 |
| Barndominium Shop House | 2,145 | 44' x 88' | 3 | 3 | 44' x 48' garage | $1,250 |
| Barn House Barndo | 2,630 | 52' x 52' (includes porch) | 3 | 4 | 1 flex room; 44' x 36' garage | $1,250 |
| Cottage Barndo | 2,640 | 30' x 42' | 4 | 3 | 1 flex room; 2-car garage | $1,250 |
| Dream Barndo | 2,852 | 56' x 40' | 5 | 3.5 | 27' high vaulted ceilings in the living area | $1,250 |
| 4-Bedroom Barndo | 2,951 | 52' x 60' (includes porch) | 4 | 3 | 44' x 36' garage | $1,575 |
| Farmhouse Barndo 3151-g | 3,151 | 36' x 80' (plus 12' porches | 4 | 3.5 | 2-car garage | $1,575 |
| Lodge Barndo | 3,935 | 48' x 92' (includes garage) | 3 | 2.5 | 38' x 28' garage | $1,575 |
| Black Barndo | 3,945 | 40' x 62' | 4 | 3.5 | 12' porches | $1,575 |
| Farmdominium | 3,970 | 130' x 66' | 4 | 3.5 | Covered wrap-around porch | $1,575 |
Just like their one-story plans, BuildMax’s two-story designs are meant for conventional stick builds but can be modified.
Nationwide Builder Network
While BuildMax’s main service is offering barndominium kits and floorplans, they can still help you actually build the barndo of your dreams.
BuildMax consultants will work with you to find a quality builder in your area that understands the local codes and regulations for your building.
Pricing
While BuildMax lists the cost of their pre-designed plans on their website, the final cost of construction is a different matter. There’s also the possibility of designing a custom plan for your home, the cost of which can vary greatly depending on what you include.
But BuildMax does provide a rough estimation of how much both their custom designs and the labor costs will be.
Their kits range from $18.00 per square foot to $29.00 depending on the specifics of the design and factors like wind and snow load.
They also estimate that the labor for building is about $10.00 per square foot. Materials and costs of permits will vary by location.
Most of their designs come with doors and windows, but you can also buy just a steel shell and source the doors and windows locally.
Financing
BuildMax has two financial partnerships to help customers secure financing for their barndominiums:
- Cardinal Finance
- FHA (min. 620 FICO score)
- VA loans (600 min. FICO score)
- Conventional loans (min. 700 FICO score)
- First Federal Bank of Kansas City
- Fannie Mae Conventional loans (min. 700 FICO score)
BuildMax Reviews & Rating
BuildMax has been a BBB-accredited business since November 2022 and has an A+ rating. However, there are currently no customer reviews for the business on BBB. On the other hand, there are no customer complaints, either.
Reviews on sites like NiceLocal and HomeAdvisor have been mostly positive, highlighting good communication and attention to detail from BuildMax. However, a negative review from Trustpilot cited multiple issues with design plans failing to meet their specifications.
HomeAdvisor – 5 /5 (based on one verified rating)
NiceLocal – 4.7/5 stars (based on 14 reviews and nine ratings)
Trustpilot – 3.2/5 (based on 1 review)
Customer Testimonials
Below are some reviews by real customers of BuildMax:
Arielle L., NiceLocal review – “Tony and his team were great to work with! Fairly priced, very responsive and communicative during the whole process. We came to this company with custom hand drawn plans, and they were able to turn a grid paper sketch into workable, build able plans! We are excited to build our dream house, thanks to Tony and his team.”
Steve H., HomeAdvisor review – “It was a good value, they did what they say would do, and a seamless process.” (5/5 rating)
Rebecca Winter, Google review – “We have had a great experience with Tony! Excellent communication and quick turnaround. This is our first time to build, and he has made the process so easy. Highly recommend!” (5/5 rating)
Pros
- Clear pricing and large number of options for pre-designed barndominium plans.
- Customizable buildings from scratch or from a pre-designed base.
- Network of builders nationwide to help you build your barndominium.
Cons
- Pre-designs are only coded for the location in which they were originally built.
- No refunds are available after plan purchase.
- No professional stamp on plans, which is required in some regions.
Website: https://buildmax.com/
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