Barndominium Builders in Garden City, Kansas
Garden City runs building review for more than its own streets. Its Neighborhood & Development Services department houses a Building Inspections Division that reviews, inspects and approves construction in Garden City, in Holcomb and in Finney County, so one office sees most barndominium projects in this corner of the High Plains. We design and supply barndominiums, shop houses and metal building homes for owners with land near Garden City, from lots inside town to acreage out toward Holcomb and the county roads north of the river. A turnkey build is one route; the other is one of our barndominium kits, erected by a local crew or by other barndominium contractors you already work with, with licensed trade contractors handling plumbing, electrical and HVAC. Either way the permit set has to satisfy the city's list for a new house: a plot drawing with utilities, setbacks and drainage marked, a foundation plan with a rebar schedule, and truss layouts and details. We prepare the drawings against the 2018 residential code the city has adopted, so the submittal lines up with what the reviewers expect. Tell us about your land and we will tell you how the permit path looks for that parcel.
Garden City at a glance
- Principal county
- Finney County
- Building permit
- City building department
- Local facts on this page
- 5, each linked to its source
Before you build in Garden City
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.
City of Garden City Neighborhood & Development Services, Building Inspections Division
The Building Inspections Division of Neighborhood & Development Services issues building permits and performs inspections for Garden City, and the same division covers Holcomb and Finney County, so its residential application asks which of the three the project is in. Permits, inspections and contractor licensing are handled through the department's online portal.
Source: Building Permits & Inspections | Garden City, KS (garden-city.org)
- Residential code adopted
- Garden City's Chapter 18, Sec. 18-20, Buildings and Building Regulations, references the 2018 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, together with the 2018 International Building Code and the 2017 National Electrical Code.
- Permit coverage
- Garden City's application for new residential dwellings and additions, from Neighborhood & Development Services, asks the applicant to mark whether the project is in Garden City, Holcomb or Finney County, and warns that the permit will not be reviewed until all required information and documents are submitted.
- Documents for a new house
- Garden City's permit document list for a new house asks for a site plan with utilities, setbacks, required improvements and drainage marked; a foundation plan with layout, cross-section and rebar schedule; and the truss layout, truss details and floor layout.
- Contractor licensing
- Garden City's contractor licence information sheet requires proof of passing a code exam with a minimum score of 75%, with building contractor exams based on the 2015 version or newer, and trade cards for all electrical, plumbing and mechanical masters, journeymen and helpers.
- Ground under the city
- The Kansas Geological Survey notes that much of Garden City and Holcomb sits on terrace deposits along the Arkansas River, made up mainly of coarse gravel with some sand and silt, and that the river had been mostly dry for three decades because of falling High Plains aquifer levels (2010 report on the Finney County geologic map).
Source: Building Permits & Inspections | Garden City, KS (garden-city.org)
Source: New Residential Dwellings & Additions, Neighborhood & Development Services (garden-city.org)
Source: Required Documents for a Permit, Garden City (garden-city.org)
Source: Contractor Licensing Information, City of Garden City (garden-city.org)
Source: KGS--Geologic Map of Finney County Now Available (kgs.ku.edu)
Building on land near Garden City
Much of Garden City itself sits on old river terraces of gravel, sand and silt rather than on the loess that blankets the uplands farther north. The foundation plan and its rebar schedule are part of every new-house submittal, so the soil under the lot matters from the first drawing. On acreage, water is the other question: the High Plains aquifer is the main supply in this part of the state and its levels have fallen, so confirm the water source for a rural site early. Post frame homes and pole barn homes are common choices here, since a wide clear-span bay suits farm equipment and vehicles. Walk the parcel with its drainage in mind.
Where we build in this part of Kansas
Garden City, Dodge City, Hays & Western Kansas
- Garden City
- Dodge City
- Hays
- Finney County
- Ford County
- Ellis County
What we build in Garden City
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.
Have land in or near Garden City? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.
Building in Garden City: questions
Start the surveyHow much does it cost to build a barndominium near Garden City?
Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Garden City?
Who can build my barndominium kit in Garden City?
What should I check before buying land outside Garden City?
Keep reading
What usually comes next once you know what Garden City allows.
Barndominium Cost Guide
Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.
Read itIs a Barndominium Legal in Kansas?
Zoning, septic and who inspects, before you buy the land.
Read itHow Long Does It Take?
From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.
Read itSources for this page
The published pages behind the Garden City facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.
- Building Permits & Inspections | Garden City, KSBuilding permit authority; Residential code adoptedgarden-city.org
- New Residential Dwellings & Additions, Neighborhood & Development ServicesPermit coveragegarden-city.org
- Required Documents for a Permit, Garden CityDocuments for a new housegarden-city.org
- Contractor Licensing Information, City of Garden CityContractor licensinggarden-city.org
- KGS--Geologic Map of Finney County Now AvailableGround under the citykgs.ku.edu
Barndominium builders near Garden City
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.
Building in Garden City?
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.