Finney County, Kansas Garden City, Dodge City, Hays & Western Kansas

Barndominium Builders in Finney County, Kansas

Finney County does not run a separate building department for its rural land. Its zoning regulations require a permit from the Building Inspection Department before a residential building goes up, and they adopt Chapter 18 of the City of Garden City's code, so a house on unincorporated county ground is reviewed by the same Garden City division that permits homes in town and in Holcomb. The county's own Planning and Development division enforces zoning and subdivision rules outside the cities. We design and build barndominiums, shop houses and metal building homes on land across Finney County, from half-acre rural residential lots to forty-acre agricultural tracts. Owners choose between a turnkey build and one of our barndominium kits finished by a local crew, with licensed trade contractors handling plumbing, electrical and HVAC in either case. Every permit application in the county goes in with an approved site plan, and the parcel's zoning band sets the minimum lot size, the setbacks and how the wastewater is handled. Start the survey with your legal description and we will work out which district your land is in and what that means for the build.

Finney County at a glance

County: Finney County
Building permit: County (unincorporated land)
Local facts on this page: 5, each linked to its source

Tell us about your land

Before you build in Finney County

The local answers that shape a build here, each taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so we confirm them again against your parcel before drawing.

County-issued permitWho issues the permit

Building Inspection Department (City of Garden City Building Inspections Division, under Garden City Chapter 18 as adopted by Finney County)

Finney County's zoning regulations require a permit from the Building Inspection Department, with an approved site plan, before any residential building is constructed; agricultural properties over forty acres skip site-plan review. The regulations lift the building codes for people engaged in agricultural pursuits on land zoned Agricultural, and they define agricultural purposes by how the land is used, so confirm the status before assuming a farm home qualifies.

Source: Finney County, Kansas Zoning Regulations (Rev. 03/10/21) (garden-city.org)

Zoning minimum lot sizes: The Finney County Zoning Regulations set a 40-acre minimum in the "A" Agricultural district, 2 acres in "S-E" Suburban Estates and one-half acre in "R-R" Rural Residential, with a 35-foot height limit in the residential districts.
Septic and sewer: Private water and sewer systems are reviewed to KDHE standards and the Environmental Code of Finney County. In Rural Residential areas, new lots of five acres or less must join public sewer within 400 feet or use an aerated on-site system with at least a 1,000-gallon-per-day treatment tank.
Residential code: The Garden City Building Inspections Division, which reviews construction in Garden City, Holcomb and Finney County, enforces Chapter 18, Sec. 18-20, which references the 2018 International Residential Code for One- & Two-Family Dwellings.
County planning office: Finney County's Division of Planning and Development enforces zoning and subdivision regulations in the unincorporated county, and the current zoning map is on the Finney County GIS map.
Floodplain maps: The City of Garden City posts the proposed digital flood insurance rate map for Finney County and the Kansas floodplain development permit application used for building in a mapped flood hazard area.

Building on land near Finney County

Under the county's Agricultural zoning a home site starts at forty acres, with a minimum lot width and depth of 660 feet. Owners who want less land look for parcels already zoned rural residential or suburban estates, or apply to rezone. On those smaller tracts, wastewater drives the layout: sewer if a line is close, an aerated system if not. Pole barn homes and post frame homes both suit this open country, where a big equipment bay and the living quarters under one roofline is a common request. Pull the parcel on the county GIS map before you buy, and check the flood maps if it sits low.

Where we build in this part of Kansas

Garden City, Dodge City, Hays & Western Kansas

What we build in Finney County

Kits, custom plans and turnkey builds. The parcel decides the budget more than the floor area does, so we price against your land rather than a rate card.

Custom Plans

Custom barndominium floor plans for your Kansas parcel: septic sized to bedroom count, the well sited clear of it, and the values your county publishes.

Barndominium Kits

Barndominium kits for Kansas land: steel or post-frame shell packages sized to the snow, wind and frost values your own city or county publishes.

Turnkey Builds

Turnkey barndominium builds in Kansas: one contract from land check and septic permit through shell, finish and move-in, with licensed trades.

See every service

Have land in or near Finney County? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.

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Building in Finney County: questions

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What does a barndominium cost to build in Finney County?

It turns on the tract. A forty-acre agricultural site with a new well, an on-site wastewater system and a long lane costs more to prepare than a rural residential lot near a sewer main, before the building is even priced. Our barndominium cost guide gives sourced ranges and explains what pushes them up or down.

Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Finney County?

For a home, plan on yes. The county's zoning regulations require a Building Inspection Department permit and an approved site plan before a residential building is constructed, and the review is done by the Garden City division under the 2018 International Residential Code. The agricultural-pursuits provision is written around land use, so a house is not automatically covered. See our permitting service.

How small a lot can I build on in Finney County?

That depends on the zoning district. The regulations allow homes on half an acre in Rural Residential and two acres in Suburban Estates, but the Agricultural district requires forty. A smaller lot also has to meet the county's sewer and on-site system rules. Tell us about your land and we will read it against the district table.

Can local barndominium contractors finish a kit you supply?

Yes. Many owners pair our building package with barndominium contractors or framers they already know, and we provide the drawings that crew works from. Others hand us the full build. Browse the floor plans and note any changes you want before the permit set is drawn.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what Finney County allows.

Barndominium Cost Guide

Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.

Read it

Is a Barndominium Legal in Kansas?

Zoning, septic and who inspects, before you buy the land.

Read it

How Long Does It Take?

From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.

Read it

Sources for this page

The published pages behind the Finney County facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Barndominium builders near Finney County

Nearby places we also build in. Across a city limit or a county line the permit office, zoning and septic rules can change, so each has its own page.

Garden City

Finney County, Kansas

Ford County

Kansas county

Dodge City

Ford County, Kansas

Building in Finney County?

Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which office permits it, what it will allow, and a plan to fit.

Start the survey