What is the best roof for a barndominium?

Standing seam is the better roof over living space, because no screws go through the panels. It costs more: about $9 to $16 per sq ft against $5 to $12 for screw-down R-panel or PBR (HomeGuide). You can also split it: standing seam over the house section, screw-down panels over the shop or porch.

How do you stop condensation under a barndominium roof?

Keep warm, moist indoor air away from the cold steel. That takes a vapor retarder on the warm side of the insulation, or spray foam that seals the underside of the roof. Ask for the plan in writing before the panels go on. Fixing condensation after the ceiling is finished is expensive.

Can a barndominium roof go straight on purlins?

Only if the panel is made for it. The 2018 IRC says metal roof panels go on solid or spaced sheathing unless the panel is designed for spaced supports. Purlins count as spaced supports. Check the panel maker's instructions for the exact panel before you frame the roof, because standing seam and screw-down panels differ.

How long does a barndominium roof last?

HomeGuide says a barndominium built with heavy steel should last 50 years or longer with routine upkeep: cleaning, tightening fasteners and touching up scratches before they rust. On a screw-down roof, the screws and washers wear out long before the steel does.

Do I need to insulate the porch roof on a barndominium?

Not usually. An open porch or lean-to sits outside the living space, so it only needs to shed water and give shade. The insulation and vapor retarder belong where the roof meets conditioned space. Make sure the builder breaks the insulation line cleanly at the wall so the porch cavity doesn't become a condensation trap.

Barndominium Metal Roof in Midland, TX

Typical cost: standing seam runs $9 to $16 per sq ft installed and screw-down R-panel or PBR $5 to $12 in HomeGuide's figures; barndominium kits at $20 to $35 per sq ft already include roofing panels
Time: HomeGuide puts a metal roof at 2 to 5 days on a typical house; the whole barndominium build takes about 6 months or longer
Insulation: spray foam runs $1.50 to $5.00 per sq ft of surface, and it decides whether the roof sweats over your living space

Midland Metal Roofing schedules a look from a barndominium roofing contractor for new builds, re-roofs and porch additions on steel-framed homes. Tell us whether the building is a kit or a custom build, and whether people live under the whole roof or only part of it.

Barndominium Metal Roof Options in Midland

A barndominium roof is a shop roof and a house roof at the same time. Over a garage it can be simple. Over bedrooms it has to stay dry and quiet, and condensation has to be kept out of the ceiling. These are the four decisions to make.

Barndominium with a charcoal standing seam metal roof and a wide front porch

Standing Seam Barndominium Roofs

Concealed clips hold standing seam panels to the deck, so there's no screw through the face of the panel to leak over a living room. It's the roof to pick when the barndominium is your main home. The full comparison of standing seam profiles and finishes is on our standing seam page.

Installed cost: $9 to $16 per sq ft (HomeGuide)

White PBR metal roof on a barndominium with a shop door on one end

R-Panel and PBR Barndominium Roofs

Screw-down PBR and R-panel are the budget metal roof. They work over living space when the screws are driven right and kept up. SFS says screws past 20 years are on borrowed time. Our R-panel and PBR page covers the profiles. The code lets these panels go on spaced supports when the panel is designed for it.

Installed cost: $5 to $12 per sq ft (HomeGuide)
Upkeep: plan on a full screw replacement at some point in the roof's life

Barndominium with a metal lean-to roof over a side porch and a wraparound porch in front

Wraparound Porch and Lean-To Roofs

Porch and lean-to roofs need the most care at the tie-in. The roof changes pitch where it meets the main wall, and a low-slope lean-to leaves less margin for error. Lapped screw-down panels need more pitch than standing seam does. Our standing seam page lists the code minimums. Ask how the builder will flash the joint between the porch roof and the main wall.

Spray foam on the underside of a barndominium metal roof between steel purlins

Insulation and Condensation Control

Steel cools off fast, and warm, damp indoor air condenses on it. Over a shop that's a drip. Over a bedroom it can soak the insulation and corrode the panels from underneath. The fix is to keep indoor air off the steel, usually with a vapor retarder on the warm side of the insulation. Most metal building facings are Class I, at 0.1 perm or less. Spray foam is the other route. Midland is in climate zone 3B under the 2015 IECC. Our coating page covers the heat side of that.

Spray foam: $1.50 to $5.00 per sq ft of surface (HomeGuide)

Roofer in a harness and wide-brim hat kneeling on a light grey standing seam roof, checking a seam

Why Midland homeowners call Midland Metal Roofing

Free quotes, no obligation to hire
Panel, gauge and price in writing before any work
Your request goes to one Midland roofer, not a call list
Homeowners never pay us for the referral

Before You Sign for a Barndominium Roof

Kits and custom builds both leave the roof details to the builder, so put these in writing:

Panel and gauge
for the house section and the shop section, if they differ. Gauge matters in hail; see Class 4 metal roofs.
What goes under the panels
deck, underlayment, foam or faced blanket, and which side the vapor retarder is on.
Trim and closures
at every eave, rake and porch tie-in.
Who handles inspections
a steel-framed home is still a home, so ask who arranges the City inspections.

For a shop or barn with no one living in it, the metal building roof page is the better fit. After a hailstorm, start with our hail damage page.