You’ve been dreaming about building your own post-frame home for a while—and now you’re ready to turn that dream into reality.
You’ve probably spent hours scrolling Pinterest for inspiration, reviewing floor plans, and even designing your own virtual barndominium. With the barndominium trend continuing to grow, there’s no shortage of information out there to help you plan your build.
But here’s the real question: who builds barndominiums in Illinois?
In this blog, we’ll highlight the Illinois post-frame builders who have embraced the barndominium trend and can bring your vision to life. Keep reading to discover which builder is the right fit for your dream post-frame home.
What is a Pole Barn Home?
Also known as a barndominium, shome, or shouse, a pole barn home is constructed of posts that are secured directly into the ground.
Unlike a traditional stick-built home, laminated columns or perma-columns are driven into the ground and secured by a concrete pad with uplift anchors.
Columns support the roofing system, so no interior stud walls are needed which allows for an open-concept that flows easily from room to room.
This gives you that open-air and high-ceiling modern feel that is currently trending.
Opting to build a shouse instead of a stick-built one doesn’t mean you’ll give up the luxuries of a traditional-style home.
For example, if you want a two-story post frame home with living quarters, your post frame builder can make that happen.
If you wish to include a basement in the plans instead of a regular concrete slab, your post-frame builder can make that happen, too.
Typically, post-frame houses have a metal roof, but if that’s not your style, you can opt for a shingled roof to obtain a more traditional look.
Metal siding can be spruced up by adding brick or stone wainscoting to add more character to your home.
Overall, your options are quite broad when it comes to designing the exterior and the interior of your post-frame home, so you won’t feel like you have to give up on what you want.
To see a pole barn home being built in action, check out this quick time-lapse video.
Are There Roadblocks That Could Happen When Building a Pole Barn Home?
While we wish life didn’t have any obstacles we have to face, roadblocks can be inevitable when it comes to tackling a big project such as building a home.
However, if you do face a roadblock, that doesn’t mean it’s an end-all to your dream of building a pole barn home. This just means you have to find a new road to take.
1) Some Counties Don’t Allow Post Frame Homes
Counties have rules they need to follow when there are plans for a new home to be built.
Even though post frame homes are quickly gaining popularity, some counties aren’t familiar with the proper protocol it takes to build this style of home.
Some counties might allow for a professional post-frame company to build a post frame house, but they might not allow for pole barn kits.
This could pose an issue for the do-it-yourself type who wish to build their own.
Not all land has been zoned with a pole barn home in mind, so either the county won’t allow it to happen, or you’ll need to jump through a few hoops to get the land re-zoned.
While this might make the building process longer, it’s essential to dot all I’s and T’s upfront to alleviate any stress at the end.
It’s crucial to speak with county officials before you finalize any building plans so they can walk you through the process and let you know what to expect.
2) Building Permits Could Be Tricker to Obtain
First and foremost, it’s important to talk to your county's permit office before you get too far into your post frame building design.
Since not all counties allow for post frame homes to be built, there might be a chance you’ll have to get some strings pulled in order to build in yours.
Special permits could be needed to continue building, so the process could potentially take longer to get these special permits approved.
However, since this style of home is gaining popularity rather quickly, there’s a good chance you might not even run into issues as permit offices become more aware of new protocols.
3) Financing Could Potentially Require More Paperwork
As with obtaining a building permit, obtaining financing might be slightly more difficult than usual.
Mortgage lenders are learning of this new style of home too, so they might not offer financing because of their uncertainty with the product.
You will want to take to your post frame builder upfront to see if they have a list of preferred lenders they like to work with that can offer to finance for you.
Be prepared for the potential of more paperwork. Since most banks aren’t used to this product, they might require more signatures to ensure all bases are covered before lending.
4) Resale Value of Your Home
If you don’t plan on building your pole barn home as your forever home, it’s important to keep the resale value in mind.
Certain appraisers could potentially struggle with valuing your post frame house for what it’s actually worth.
Since pole barn houses aren’t widely scattered across your town, appraisers will have to resort to comparing your home to traditional stick-built houses. This could cause the price of your pole barn house to wind up much lower than you expected.
However, as quickly as post frame houses are being built nowadays, by the time you decide to sell this might not even be an issue and won’t be considered a deal-breaker to your dream home.
Which Post Frame Companies Build Pole Barn Homes in Illinois?
Morton Buildings, Inc.
Morton Buildings has been serving its residential, agricultural, and commercial community since the late 1940s. This employee-owned company has over 100 construction centers throughout the country to assist you with both your building and repair needs. They also have eight manufacturing facilities where many of their building components are produced.
FBi Buildings, Inc.
Located in Remington Indiana, FBi Buildings has a reputation as an industry trailblazer who stands behind integrity and excellence before, during, and after the sale. A family-owned company with innovative ideas, they have been in the post frame industry for over 60 years and continue to grow. Their current service area is Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.
Wick Buildings
With the sale of over 75,000 buildings since its founding in 1954, Wick Buildings is one of the nation’s largest producers of post-frame buildings. They build a wide variety of pole buildings, including pole barn homes, many of which are award-winning. What sets Wick apart from the competition is their exceptional engineering, reliable, high-quality materials, extensive warranty and service, local, trustworthy builders, and highly-trained, award-winning crews.
Blunier Builders, Inc.
Family-owned and operated, Blunier Builders, Inc. opened in 2002 as a small, five-man construction company located in Eureka, IL. The business was started as an opportunity for future generations to work together, providing quality construction services during the family farm’s off-season. Today it has grown to a company of 50+ employees constructing high-quality post-frame buildings all throughout Illinois.
Lester Buildings
Founded in 1947, Lester Buildings is a leading manufacturer and builder of custom pre-engineered, post frame building systems for farm, livestock, equine, hobby, and commercial purposes who also sells material-only packages. What sets them apart? Three things: a professional, collaborative planning experience from concept to completion; customization; and value.
Are You Ready to Build Your Pole Barn Home?
Now that you know which post-frame companies build pole barn homes in Illinois, are you ready to turn your vision into reality?
There are plenty of resources to help guide your post-frame journey. Browse our Pinterest page for visual inspiration or download our FREE Rural Lifestyle Planbook for detailed tips and ideas.
When you’re ready to take the next step, our post-frame professionals are here to guide you every step of the way. Give us a call or send an email, and we’ll answer any questions you have.
With the right team and a clear plan, your post-frame home can be everything you imagined—just remember to build with confidence.
Do you have more questions about pole barn home builders in Illinois that are not covered in this article? If you need help designing and planning, please contact FBi Buildings at 800.552.2981 or click here to email us. If you're ready to get a price, click here to request a quote, and a member of our Customer Engagement Team will help you determine the next steps of your project.