This article is an update to one of our Top 10 Online Articles, Going Residential: Market For Post-Frame Starts to Build, first published in 2017.
If in 2017, the residential post-frame market was finally taking off, here in 2021 we can say residential post-frame trend is moving full steam ahead. It isn’t unusual for a post-frame storage facility, airplane hangar, or workshop to include a small livable space or even a full-on residential dwelling.
For a check-in on this Top 10 Online Article of 2020, we got in touch with Bret Buelo of Wick Buildings, Trent Wagler of Graber Post Buildings, Inc., and Thomas Greiner of Barn Builders Empire. We wanted to know how much of their business is residential and what kind of trends and possibilities they are seeing in development.
An interior look at the “Tri-State Shouse” with a kitchen bar, second-story loft, and trendy exposed trusses. Photo courtesy of Wick Buildings.
The “Tri-State Shouse” takes post-frame construction to a new level, with large, eye-catching windows and beautiful stonework. Photo courtesy of Wick Buildings.
How much residential post-frame work do you do? Are the projects purely residential?
Wick Buildings: Throughout 2020, we built approximately 80 post-frame residential homes. Of those, 60% were pure residential structures and 40% were multi-purpose shouses (storage/shop with residential).
Graber Post Buildings: In our quote department approximately 10 to 15% of our sales are residential homes. That would be around 80 to 100 homes a year. Approximately 75% of the homes we sell are combination buildings with larger shops.
Barn Builders Empire: I just quoted a couple of jobs this week. I specialize in turn-key buildings. I want to be known as the highly-skilled general contractor that builds post-frame homes.
The “Origami House” exterior view. The unique roof pitches, contrasting siding, and bright, open feel combine for a modern post-frame home. Photo courtesy of Wick Buildings.
The “Origami House” interior view. Photo courtesy of Wick Buildings.
What features or design choices are trending in the industry?
• Foundations on the residential side
• Radiant floor heating in slab floors
• High vaulted ceilings built with exposed (and often wrapped) trusses or rafter and beam construction
• Recreational spaces using attic truss construction
• Mixed siding options on the exterior
• Modern exterior designs with some using an exclusively black and white color scheme
• Porches with decorative gable trusses
• Stone on porch posts and wainscot
• Larger covered outside areas (decks & patios) with gable roof tied into the structure
• Wrap around covered porches
This two-tone shouse features ample garage space with a cozy, separate living space. Photo courtesy of Graber Post Buildings, Inc.
What are your tips for someone looking to build a post-frame home?
Wick: Work with a financing company that understands how to get post-frame home construction through traditional home mortgage financing.
Graber: We typically put the home side on a foundation and will stick frame that portion of the structure. You are able to create a better frost barrier at ground level, no additional framing is needed for drywall, and less settling concerns.
Barn Builders: Make sure you check with your community’s residential building codes. Some will not allow post-frame structures. They are stigmatized as a cheaper building that puts wood in the ground to rot. It’s just not true anymore.
The bottom line, says Wagler, is “We are able to do anything that you can do to a house on a pole building.” And that’s the real change from the infancy of residential post-frame to now. Builder confidence and consumer demand mean the sky is the limit for beautiful, functional, post-frame homes.