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- The complete St. Louis barndominium guide — county, land, soil, structure, cost, financing, insurance, tax and timeline, in the order the decisions come up.
County rules, land requirements and property taxes
- Permits and codes by county — Franklin's 2021 code, Jefferson's 2015, Warren's permit-without-code, Lincoln's nothing, St. Charles's minimums; from each county's own documents.
- Land, septic and well — the three-acre rule, the soil evaluation that comes first, lagoon setbacks, wells, access, power, 911 addresses, land prices.
- HOA, covenants and city bans — Arnold's 2021 ban and how covenants work.
- Property tax in Missouri — 19% residential, 12% agricultural, and the split.
Building systems, foundations and insulation
- Post-frame vs. steel vs. stick — designed for seismic category C, 105–115 mph wind, 30-inch frost.
- Shouse vs. barndominium — proportion, purpose and consequences.
- Slab, soils and frost — fragipans, perched water, montmorillonite clay, chert.
- Insulation and condensation — keeping a metal building from raining inside.
Costs, financing, insurance and build planning
- Barndominium cost in the St. Louis ring — published bands, the site package, county adders, five worked examples.
- Financing and appraisal — construction-to-permanent, Farm Credit's ten acres, USDA's numbers, Fannie Mae's rule, and comps.
- Insurance — what underwriters ask and what to bring.
- Comparing builder bids — making bids describe the same building.
- Build timeline — nine to fifteen months, and where they go.