2 Story Barndominium Floor Plans in Michigan

A two-story barndominium puts more living space on a smaller footprint. On a narrow lot, a wooded site where every tree cleared counts, or a parcel where the township setbacks leave a small building envelope, going up is often the answer. It also means a smaller roof and a smaller foundation for the same floor area, which in Michigan is a smaller area to carry snow and a shorter run of foundation to protect from frost. The trade is taller walls, a stair, and upper-floor bedrooms that need their own escape openings.

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What actually changes with this feature

The look is the easy part. These are the decisions that follow from it.

Upper-floor bedrooms and escape windows

Every sleeping room needs an emergency escape and rescue opening under the Michigan Residential Code, including those upstairs. The code also limits how high a window sill may be above the floor. On a tall steel wall, the windows are laid out between girts and posts from the start.

The stair takes real space

A code-compliant stair between floors takes roughly 40 to 50 square feet on each floor, plus a landing. Place it so it does not cut the open great room in half; a side wall is a good place for it, or a hall between the garage and the living space.

Tall walls in wind and snow

Sidewalls of 18 to 20 feet or more carry more wind than a one-story wall, and in Michigan they also stand beside drifting snow on lower roofs. The frame, the second-floor structure and the connections are designed for the snow load the code sets for your county or township and for wind at your specific site.

Heating two floors

Heat rises, and in an open two-story great room it rises a long way. Separate zones or a ducted system that returns air from high in the room keep the upper floor from overheating while the main floor stays cool. Plan the ductwork before the second floor is framed.

Up instead of out

A two-story plan halves the roof and the foundation for the same living space

A 1,200-square-foot footprint with a second floor gives about 2,400 square feet of living space under a roof half the size of a one-story plan of the same area. In Michigan that means less roof to design for the ground snow load the Michigan Residential Code's snow table sets for your county or township, and less foundation to carry below frost or to waterproof as a basement. The taller building catches more wind, so the frame and its connections are designed for wind, with the exposure determined for your specific site, and the bracing of tall steel or post-frame walls is part of the design.

Common ways to build this

Three common ways to lay this out. Yours does not have to match one exactly — this is a starting point for the conversation, not a catalog.

Classic two-story with a full second floor

30' x 40' footprint / 2,400 sq ft living / 4 bed, 2.5 bath

Kitchen, living room, a half bath and the mudroom on the main floor; four bedrooms and two baths upstairs. A small footprint that fits a narrow or wooded lot.

Great room open to the upper floor

36' x 50' footprint / 2,800 sq ft living / open to above

A two-story great room at the center with a balcony hall above, the primary suite on the main floor and two bedrooms and a bath upstairs. The upstairs bedrooms each have an escape window on an outside wall.

Two-story living block beside a one-story garage

30' x 36' two-story / 2,160 sq ft living + 30' x 30' garage

The house rises two stories at one end, and the garage stays one story under a lower roof. The lower roof is designed for the snow that drifts against the taller wall.

Ways to build this

This layout can go together several ways. These are the service lines most relevant to it.

Custom Plans

Custom barndominium plans and floor plans for Michigan land, designed around your site, your shop and the permit set your building department needs.

Steel & Metal Buildings

Steel and metal buildings in Michigan: red-iron frames for barndominiums, shops and barndominium-style offices, sized for your site's snow and wind.

Turnkey Builds

Turnkey barndominium builds in Michigan, from raw land to move-in: one agreement covering plans, site work, the shell and the finished house.

2-Story Barndominium: common questions

6 questions worth settling before this plan is drawn. If yours is not on the list, put it in the survey.

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Can a barndominium be two stories?

Yes. Both post-frame and steel frames can carry a second floor. The second floor is framed inside the shell like any house, and the frame is designed for the snow and wind loads that apply to your site.

Is a two-story barndominium cheaper than a one-story?

Per square foot of living space it can be, because the roof and foundation are smaller for the same floor area. The stair, taller walls and upper-floor structure take some of that back. Price both before you decide.

Do upstairs bedrooms need egress windows?

Yes. The Michigan Residential Code requires an emergency escape and rescue opening in every sleeping room, on any floor, with limits on opening size and sill height from the edition your permit is reviewed under.

How tall are the walls of a two-story barndominium?

Usually 18 to 22 feet at the eave, depending on ceiling heights and floor depth. Taller walls catch more wind, so the frame and connections are designed for it.

Does a two-story plan work with a basement?

Yes. A two-story house over a basement gives three levels on one small footprint. The basement walls carry the frame and both floors above.

Where should the stairs go in a two-story barndominium?

Along a side wall or in a central hall, so they do not cut through the open great room. Keep them near the mudroom and garage entry if the upstairs holds the bedrooms.

Want this drawn for your program and your parcel? That is where a build actually starts.

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Sources

Code references on this page are to the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, in effect since February 2016. An update based on the 2021 model codes was put on hold by a July 2025 court order, so the 2015 code still applies; the edition in force when you apply for your permit governs.

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Tell us what you want to build and we will draw this for your program, then confirm what it looks like on your parcel, which office permits it, and a realistic budget range. That conversation costs nothing.

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