If you’ve been thinking about building a barndominium for quite a while, the sooner you can get those floor plans finalized, the quicker your dream can come to life.
Post-frame housing is extremely popular right now and continues to grow tremendously.
It’s a trend that, unlike the styles in the ’80s, is here to stay.
If you’re looking to build a pole barn home in Wisconsin, you’ve picked a great state for a place to plant some roots.
After all, Wisconsin created the first-ever ice cream sundae and is famous for its cheese, so who wouldn’t want to live there?
Once you’ve viewed every online pole barn gallery and spent countless hours on Pinterest looking for inspiration, the next step is to decide which post frame builder will bring your pole barn vision to life.
We’ve talked about who builds pole barn homes in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Michigan, so today we’re talking about Wisconsin.
Keep reading below to see if one of the pole barn builders listed is the right choice for you.
What Is a Pole Barn Home?
Also known as a barndominium, shome, or shouse, a pole barn home is a post frame building constructed with living quarters.
Unlike a traditional stick-built home, laminated columns or perma-columns are driven into the ground with uplift brackets and then secured by a concrete pad.
Columns support the roofing system, so no interior stud walls are needed.
If you’re looking for an open concept that flows easily from room to room, a pole barn house is perfect for you.
Opting to build a post frame home instead of a stick-built one doesn’t mean you’ll give up the luxuries of a traditional-style home.
For example, if you like a more traditional look instead of modern, you can opt for a shingled roof instead of a metal one.
If you want to add character to your pole barn home, you can still add a nice stone or brick wainscoting to break up the metal siding.
Do you have a larger family or need more space? Your post frame builder can design a two-story post frame home to give you the extra space you need for family or storage.
If you prefer to dig deeper than build upwards, you can even have a basement included in your pole barn home’s design.
In short, post frame homes offer a wide variety of design options to make it truly yours, so you won’t feel like you have to give up on the selections you really 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?
As much as we wish roadblocks didn’t happen, they’re almost inevitable to incur when dealing with a large-scale project.
However, just because roadblocks happen doesn’t mean you won’t ever reach your end goal.
Our goal is to help make the building process as painless for you as possible, so we wanted to give you a heads up on some roadblocks you might encounter when building a pole barn home.
1) Your County Doesn’t Allow Post Frame Homes
Unfortunately, not all counties have endured customers who want to build a post frame home.
Even though it’s a popular option offered by many post frame construction companies, it’s still a relatively newer concept.
Because of this, certain counties haven’t created a proper protocol to build this style of home.
Some zoning laws might not even allow for pole barn kits.
This could potentially be an issue for the do-it-yourself types out there.
Not all parcels have been zoned with a post frame house in mind, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be rezoned if the county allows for it.
While it might make the process take a little bit longer, it could eliminate any future complications during the building process.
It’s crucial to speak with county officials before finalizing any building designs. They will be able to walk you through the paperwork as the rules vary by county.
2) Obtaining Building Permits
One of the first things you need to think about when building a new pole barn home is talking to your local permitting office.
Since every county doesn’t allow for post frame housing, there’s a chance that special permitting might be needed in order to build.
This could potentially make the process a little longer, so to avoid any delays it’s crucial to discuss this upfront with your builder.
FBi Buildings can pull permits for customers to help get your project moving along a little quicker.
We want to utilize your time wisely so you can start enjoying your post frame home as soon as possible.
3) Obtaining a Mortgage
Like with obtaining building permits, obtaining a mortgage could potentially be a little more difficult than financing a stick-built home.
Mortgage companies might not be familiar with post frame housing since it’s a relatively new concept to them, so the process could look a little different.
Talk with your builder up front to see if they have a list of preferred lenders they can give to you.
If they’ve been in the industry for quite some time, they’ll know the go-to mortgage companies to work with who specialize in this kind of financing.
Be prepared for the potential of more paperwork and a slightly longer process to obtain financing.
Since this trend is new to some banks, they’ll want to make sure all bases are covered before finalizing everything.
4) Resale Value of Your Home
More than likely you’re building your pole barn home with the idea of this being your forever home.
If this is the case, it’s vital to keep its resale value in mind.
Since there isn’t an abundance of post frame housing, appraisers might struggle to come up with the appropriate value your home is worth.
This means appraisers will have to compare your pole barn house to stick-built homes in the area, so your home might be appraised for lower than you anticipated.
However, as quickly as post frame houses are being built nowadays, this issue improves every year.
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 Wisconsin?
1) Wick Buildings
Below are some post frame companies that can build your dream pole barn home in Wisconsin in no particular order.
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.
2) 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, Eastern Iowa, Southern/Western Michigan, and Southern Wisconsin.
3) 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.
4) Cleary Building Corporation
Since 1978, Cleary Building Corporation has sold over 114,000 buildings that include cabins, homes, and horse, farm, and commercial structures. They are located in Verona, WI, and are a national, family-owned company that prides themselves on putting their customers first.
5) Walters Buildings
In 1958, Jack Walters contacted the Interlocking Fence Company, known today as Morton Buildings, and a relationship was made. After a couple of decades, the two went their separate ways, and Walters Buildings was born. Family-owned and operated, Walters Buildings prides themselves on customer satisfaction and keeping their promises. They believe in keeping America strong and strive to purchase American-made products, thereby supporting American companies and their employees.
Are You Ready to Build Your Pole Barn Home?
After reading about the post frame companies that build pole barn homes in Wisconsin, do you know who you’ll choose to build your forever home?
There’s no right or wrong answer here, it’s all about who truly understands your vision.
If you need help bringing your vision to life, you can see what your pole barn home would look like in 3D by using our Design Online tool.
If inspiration and imagination are lacking, feel free to check out our website gallery or our Pinterest page for ideas.
We also offer our Rural Lifestyle Plan Book that you can download today for FREE to help you get an idea of what to build.
No matter which route you choose to take, just remember to always build with confidence.
Do you have more questions about pole barn home builders in Wisconsin 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.