Barn Plans With Loft

Shawn wrote in, looking to build a large shed in his backyard. "I saw a shed once, barn style, 20 X 24 with a full size loft. I can't get the one I want built in the area I live in so I am looking for plans, preferably free, to build my own."

I've written about free shed plans on a number of occasions. While I can understand the budgetary motivation to use a set of free plans for a small storage building, that all goes out the window when you're building a bigger barn. An 8 x 10 shed is one thing. A 20 x 24 barn is something else all together. A barn that size requires a significant investment in lumber and other building materials. I wouldn't ever put that investment at risk with a set of sub-par plans--even if your local municipality has loose construction codes.

There are lots of possibilities in the 20 x 24 range. Narrowing things down by the style is the first step. Gable, gambrel, or saltbox? Traditional or contemporary?

Among the gambrel barns with lofts, I really like the distinctive look of barnplans.com's garage shop. While I didn't see a 20 x 24 barn listed ... the garage shop plans are available in 16 x 24, 20 x 30, and larger sizes. The popularity of this design is largely due to what the designer, Dan-O, calls a "geometrically perfect Gambrel Roof pitch."

Geometrically perfect or not, it sure is sweet ...