Barndominium Builders in Waxahachie, TX

Barndominium builders working in Waxahachie are building around the seat of Ellis County, an exurb south of Dallas founded in August 1850 and incorporated in 1871. The town is known for its Victorian and Gingerbread-style homes, several now bed-and-breakfast inns, and the Gingerbread Trail Festival that tours them. Around that historic core, Waxahachie has grown fast: 29,621 residents in 2010, 41,140 in 2020 (up 38.9 percent), and an estimate above 50,000 by 2025. A barndominium on the land outside town is a very different house from a downtown Victorian, but people come here for the same reason, a little more space.

The permit office is in town

For property in unincorporated Ellis County, the Ellis County Department of Development in Waxahachie issues the permits. The county's FAQ is direct about it: any activity on property requires a permit, and it lists examples that line up closely with a barndo project, including shops, barns, sheds, carports, ponds, tanks and pools. When you go in, the county asks you to bring your deed, a survey and photo ID. Its older web page also asks people to contact the department before buying property, building new structures, remodeling, splitting land or installing a septic system, and it now points to ellispermits.com for current forms, a pre-development meeting request and survey forms.

We like that pre-development step. Sitting down with the county before design is final catches questions about lot size, frontage, setbacks and the septic area while they are still easy to change.

What the septic application looks like

Ellis County's FAQ lists what to submit for an on-site sewage system:

• Aerobic systems: an application form, soil analysis results, a system drawing, a notarized affidavit that has been filed, and a two-year service contract.
• Other system types: an application form, soil analysis results and a system drawing.

The soil analysis drives the rest. It tells the designer what kind of system the ground can accept and how big the field has to be, which in turn tells us where the house, shop and driveway can go.

Rain is the design problem here

Wikipedia's climate data for Waxahachie lists about 40.8 inches of average annual precipitation and an average annual snowfall of zero. The annual mean daily high is about 76.1 degrees. A barndominium has a lot of roof. On a 40-inch rainfall site, gutters, downspouts and grading are not finishing touches; they protect the slab and keep clay soil around it at an even moisture level. We plan oversized gutters, downspouts tied to drain lines or splash areas well away from the foundation, and finished grade that falls away from the building on every side.

Lake Waxahachie and low ground

Lake Waxahachie, with its camping and fishing areas, is part of the local landscape, and the creeks feeding it and other drainages cross plenty of rural tracts. Elevation in town is around 623 feet. Before we set a pad on any parcel near a creek or lake, we check the flood map and the lot's natural drainage path.

A note on growth

Waxahachie has seen big plans before. It was chosen in 1988 as the site of the Superconducting Super Collider, which Congress canceled in 1993. Today the growth is steadier: neighborhoods, roads and utilities spreading outward. Land that is rural now may be next to a subdivision in a few years, which is worth weighing if you want long-term privacy.

What we build here

• Full barndominiums with living quarters and attached shop
• Shop houses where the shop is the main space
• Barndo kits finished out on your slab
• Interior finish-out on existing metal buildings

Call (469) 310-8310 or

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