Shouses and barndominiums have become one of the most popular building options for rural Minnesota landowners, and for good reason. You get a finished place to live and a functional shop or garage on the same property, built together as one structure instead of two separate projects.
A shouse, short for shop house, is a post-frame structure that combines living quarters with a working shop or garage. The footprint is typically split between the two, with the shop making up a significant portion of the overall space.
A barndominium follows the same concept but with more emphasis on the living space. The residential portion drives the layout, with storage, a garage, or a shop built in to support the way you live.
In simple terms, a shouse leans more toward shop space with living quarters attached, while a barndominium feels more like a home with functional garage or workspace included. The two terms are often used interchangeably, so the right choice really comes down to how you plan to use the space.
For people who want more out of their property, a shouse or barndominium makes a lot of practical sense.
There’s no standard floor plan to work from. The layout, size, finish level, and how the space gets divided between living and working are all figured out around what you need.
Combining your home and shop into a single structure is almost always more cost-effective than building them separately.
Give us the basics — what you plan to use the building for, roughly what size you’re thinking, and where it’s going. We’ll follow up to talk through the details.
The terms are often used interchangeably. A shouse typically refers to a build where the shop or garage makes up a significant portion of the structure. A barndominium usually describes a post-frame build where the living quarters are the primary focus. Either way, both combine living space and functional space under one roof.
In many cases, yes. When a shouse or barndominium is built on a permanent foundation and permitted as a residential structure, it can qualify for traditional mortgage financing. Lending requirements vary, so we recommend talking to your lender early in the planning process to understand what applies to your project.
Yes. Shouses built to residential code can serve as a full-time primary residence. Biersch Brothers Construction builds them to meet those requirements so you can live in them year-round.
Yes. A shouse used as a primary residence is subject to the same residential building codes and permitting requirements as a stick-frame home in Minnesota. Requirements vary by county and we handle the permitting process for every project we build.
We handle the full build from the ground up through the finished interior. You’re not responsible for finding or coordinating separate contractors for different phases of the project.
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