Monitor Style Barndominium: How Much It Costs To Build?

This type of barndominium has been around for more than a century, since the 1920s.  It is a very unique style that will make your barndominium stand out from the rest.

You will also have various plans to choose from.  The monitor style barndominium is known for its beautiful, classic design that conveys the spirit of the country.

A monitor style barndominium is also known as a raised center aisle (RCA) barndominium.

It is a common sight now in rural areas of the United States.  It was originally built for structures that held livestock but has recently grown in popularity for barndominiums.

If this style of barndominium sounds intriguing to you, read on to learn about the benefits of a monitor style barndominium, what it is, and what it will cost to build one.

We will also share with you different designs of this type of barndominiums.  Once you have finished reading the article, you will want your barndominium to look like these.

Key Takeaways:

• A monitor style barndominium is a visually striking style of structure.
• When they were originally built as a barn for livestock, it was to help kill the bacteria in the barn.
• This is one of the most unique style barndominiums you can have built.

What Is A Monitor Style Barndominium And How It Looks?

A monitor style barndominium has its unique style and will stand out from all the other styles of barndominiums.

This is the type of barndominium that has a raised center portion, which is higher than the roofline of a traditional barn.

They will sometimes have a shorter section on either side, but that is not a requirement to be called a monitor style barndominium.

Sometimes they just have the raised center.

They are an eye-catching style of barndominium and have a fantastic profile with their raised center.

It is a great idea for a barndominium as a permanent resident or rental property. They are based on a floor plan that includes a raised section.

This section runs down the peak ridge of the roof.  This will give it a higher roof than your standard gable0style barndominium.

It was built originally to house livestock and the raised roof portion helped with ventilation.

It also helped to reduce the risk of mold and bacteria that flourished in a barn that was closed off and stuffy.

Today, this raised part of the roof can still help with ventilation and make it cooler inside.

Know The Benefits Of A Monitor Style Barndominium

When you are considering building a barndominium, there are three great reasons to consider the monitor style barndominium.

More Vertical Space

With this style of barndominium, you will have more vertical space to use when you are designing your living spaces.

With most floor plans of a barndominium, the whole middle section is dedicated to the bedrooms and main living space.

With the broad, angular sections, they are great for studios, playrooms, offices, or extra storage.

You can even trim back the front-facing end so you can create balcony space.

With the monitor style barndominium, there are many ways that you can divide up and utilize the raised section.

Great Ventilation

Even though they no longer house livestock, this raised section will give you better airflow than other styles of barndominiums.

With the raised loft section of the monitor style barndominium, it

will help to prevent humidity to gather in the lower part of the barndominium and allows the heat to dissipate.

The windows in the raised section will also create more openings for fresh air to flow throughout the barndominium.

Enormous Sunlight

These same windows will allow more natural light into your barndominium so it will help to make the entire home feel airy and bright.

If you take this section and use natural skylights, it will help with more natural light.

Interesting View Profile

The monitor style barndominium has a look that is more interesting than other barndominiums with a lot of different options for how you can design it.

With the raised roof, you can create something very unique with your bedrooms and living space.

Monitor Style Barndominium: How Much It Costs?

The cost of the monitor style barndominium will depend on several factors with the main one being how many square footages.

On average, a monitor style barndominium starts at $20 per square foot.

If you do most of the work yourself, starting with a kit, it will cost less but you will still probably have to hire subcontractors for the electric, plumbing, sewage, and HVAC work.

The kit to build a monitor style barndominium can range from $5,000-$70,000.

You also have the cost for a foundation, which can average $4,000-$25,00, depending on the square footage and thickness.  You also have the cost of labor, materials, and more.

The chart below is the average cost for a 3 bedroom monitor style barndominium

Size, Style, Square Footage	Cost
Basic budget, few upgraded appliances or finishes 1,200 sq ft	$130,000
Builder-grade finishes and material 2,400 sq ft	$230,000
Higher-end finishes, extra features such as a covered porch, 3,000 sq ft	$330,000
Luxurious, wrap-around porch, 3,600 sq ft.	$430,000
High-end monitor style barndominium, attached garage, 4.200 sq ft	$530,000

The chart below is according to size, square footage, and if you used a kit.

Dimensions	Square Footage	Cost
30×40	1,200	$112,000-$144,000
40×60	2,400	$225,000-$288,000
40×75	3,000	$282,000-$360,000
60×60	3,600	$338,400-$432,000
60×70	4,200	$394,800-$504,000

Monitor Style Barndominium Ideas And Pictures

Below are several ideas of how monitor style barndominiums can be designed.  As you look through these ideas, you will be able to see that it is a very versatile barndominium.

It can be designed in many different ways.

Monitor Style Barndominium Ideas 1

This idea has what appears to be the garage on the side with the living quarters on the side and back.  There are many windows that open outward to let in the breeze and natural light.

Some of these styles of barndominiums also have a loft, or second story, which is where the bedrooms are many times.

It has a nice covered porch/entertaining area on the backside with a small sidewalk and porch at the front entrance.

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 2

This monitor style barndominium has been built with an RV garage and a one-car garage on either side of it.

The living quarters are above these garages and are done in different shades of gray.  To the front side, there is a large, covered porch.

Some of the living spaces may be behind the garages.  It is a well-built, unique barndominium.

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 3

With this style, it could be one that also has horse stalls.  It is done in a rustic wood tone with double doors at one end.

The roof is green, which goes well with the wooden exterior.  There are a lot of windows to let in the air and natural light.

Off to one side, there appear to be horse stalls leading to a pasture area.

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 4

This is a larger barndominium with a wraparound porch that offers two great entertaining areas on the sides plus room to sit on the front porch.

It is also done in wood and has a larger raised area with two large windows in the middle with a smaller window on each side.

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 5

This luxurious monitor style barndominium has smaller rectangle windows on the raised roof area with huge double barn doors.

There are windows on each side of this barndominium.  There is no porch or patio area.  It is painted red with a white roof.

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 6

This sprawling monitor style barndominium not only has a large, raised roof but also three cupolas.

One looks as if it could also be a small nook where you could sit and enjoy the sun while reading a book.

It is done in different shades of brown with a nice shaded front porch.  There is also a nice patio in the back.

On the one end are two barn doors that slide open.  It is a very spacious barndominium.

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 7

This monitor style barndominium has a second floor with what could be a door from the master suite leading out to a private balcony.

Along each side of the raised roof are three windows that can be opened to let in the breeze and more natural light.  There is a nice front porch to enjoy the weather.

It is done in wood and appears to be very spacious inside.

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 8

This is a very unusual monitor style barndominium as there does not appear to be many windows at all in the barndominium.  The middle is also not raised that much.

There appears to be a one-car garage and RV garage with a covered area for a smaller travel trailer.  This could be just a storage barndominium .

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 9

This monitor style barndominium is designed to have the typical old barn appearance.  It looks like the top part is a barn sitting on top of a regular barndominium.

In the top part, there are two what looks like cut-outs with large windows and there are three smaller windows at the front.

There is a large covered front porch.  With the style and all the windows, it gives a very warm, inviting appearance.

Monitor Style Barndominium Idea 10

This monitor style barndominium has an attached two-car garage with a raised roof area that does not have any windows.

There is a smaller covered porch that leads to the front door.  On each side of the front door, two windows go from the ground to about halfway up the front side.

Conclusion

As you can see from the various designs, there are many ways in which you can design your monitor style barndominium.

It is the type of barndominium that can have a second-floor or loft area.  It can range from small and quaint to large and luxurious.

The price can range from $100,000 to as much as $500,000, depending on the square footage, appliances, fixtures, and more.

There are also many benefits with this style such as more space and better natural light and ventilation.