The ‘FrankenBuilding’

Customer Journey at Big Dog Ranch in Lee’s Summit, MO

Multiple Building Styles rolled into a Unique Barndo Design

A construction site on a grassy field shows stacks of steel beams and wrapped materials scattered among the equipment, resembling preparations for a barndo. Trees and a cloudy sky paint the background, while a partially visible vehicle hints at activity akin to that at Big Dog Ranch.

Kickoff: Ground Prep

Step 1 Removal of all trees, limbs, brush, big rocks and debris around the job site while working towards a solid, level area while filling in any low spots with extra dirt.

Construction site with a prepared foundation. The ground is covered with insulation panels, metal grids, and visible plumbing pipes. A hilly landscape with sparse vegetation and a clear blue sky is in the background.

Two construction workers in orange hoodies install wooden formwork along a trench in a barren, foggy landscape. Tools are scattered around on the ground.

Step 2 Excavation and ‘grading’ the area to ensure the building pad will be precisely the same grade from corner to corner, assuming the ground has been settling long enough. A Transit leveling laser will be needed for this aspect of your build.

A red Kubota skid steer loader graces the construction site, a dirt pile looming in the background. Nearby, a person in a white shirt and shorts stands by, contemplating the machine. The sky above is clear with a few clouds, adding to the serene ranch-like setting of this bustling scene.

A group of people working on a construction site in an open field under a clear blue sky. A concrete mixer and several workers are visible, spreading gravel and preparing the area for building a barndo. Sparse greenery surrounds the scene, reminiscent of the vast spaces at Big Dog Ranch.

Foundation Creation

A grassy field under a clear blue sky with scattered clouds stretches out, and in the background, Big Dog Ranch stands near a construction site with a Barndo foundation laid out, surrounded by trees.

A construction site with exposed plumbing pipes protruding from the ground resembles a barndo in progress. The area is covered in sand and dirt, with a wheelbarrow and a pile of gravel nearby. Trees and a clear blue sky provide the perfect backdrop for this rural transformation.

Step 3 Placing your plumbing and electrical at the same time as your footings before pouring concrete is typical for a barndominium foundation. After that, concrete can be poured at least 4 inches deep, depending on the level of support needed inside each section of your structure. Equipment storage space may require 6 inches.

A landscape featuring a construction site with a forklift lifting a tall metal frame. The background shows a hilly terrain with sparse buildings and a cloudy sky. Construction materials are scattered on the ground.

Construction site in a barren landscape with snow-capped mountains in the background. Foundations and pipes are visible in the foreground, with a few structures and materials scattered around. Clear blue sky overhead.

Step 4 Once the concrete foundation is poured and has cured for several days based on sun and heat, you are ready for the building installation components to be brought in and laid out for assembly.

Setting Columns + Trusses

Step 5 Bolt down the columns to your concrete as shown in your structural drawings. Once your columns are set, you can begin bolting the trusses to the top of the each column.

At the construction site of a barndo, a telescopic forklift lifts a steel beam as workers on a lift platform assemble the metal framework on a concrete base. The overcast sky looms in the background, lending an industrious atmosphere to this ambitious project.

Step 6 Once the primary framework is up, you can begin hanging your wall girts and attach your roof purlins. A scissor lift is very handy for this aspect of your build.

Roof Purlins + Wall Girts

A partially constructed building with wooden and metal frames, featuring large glass windows. The structure is set on a concrete floor, with an open roof exposing blue skies. In the background, there are rolling hills and greenery.

An all metal building utilizes metal purlins and girts rather than wood in the secondary framing. While installing these elements, you are also creating the spaces for your doors and windows around the wall columns and end columns.

Side Walls + Roof Panels

A 3D rendering of a large metal building, Ref#010941, with a red gable roof. This 40x48x12 structure features two garage doors and side windows, along with a white pedestrian door. The building is set on a grassy field beneath a partly cloudy sky.

Once your primary framework and secondary framework is assembled, you can start hanging your outer shell roofing panels and wall panels. You can also install insulation during this process or at a later time, depending on what type of insulation you choose for your climate and usage.

A 3D rendering of a hybrid green metal building, 50x84x14 in size, with a cream-colored roof. It features a side door and several large garage doors, set on a grassy area under a partly cloudy sky. Ref#010943.

Insulation Choices

Big Dog Ranch chose to install a layer of insulation between their secondary framework and the roof/wall panels to create an exterior weather resistance for climate control in their space.

Mezzanine Kits

When you add a second level mezzanine plan to your building kit, you are increasing the usefulness of your interior space by adding more square footage within the same footprint. You can also maintain high ceilings when designing with Worldwide’s steel columns, because your mezzanine joists can be set at any height for wood flooring and also for metal flooring that provide high load-bearing weight capacity.

Custom Finish Options

Most customers envision multiple exterior customizations as well as interior customization options. In this custom build, the choice was a modern, custom double glass front door to complete the finished look of the one-of-a-kind front entry, along with black frame windows and solid black overheads.

Finished Exterior

Get more details about the ongoing interior buildout of this Worldwide Steel Barndominium Customer Journey on Instagram @frankenbuilding

Our building design experts are available to answer any questions you may have about your barndominium project. Call us at # 800-825-0316 or visit us online at WorldwideSteelBuildings.com for more information.