Barndominium Builders in Bossier City, LA

Barndominium builders who know Bossier City start with the terrain, because it splits the area in two. Bossier City sits on the east bank of the Red River, directly across from Shreveport, and most of the city is flat river land at about 164 feet above sea level. The northern city limits are noticeably hillier. Push north and east into Bossier Parish and the land keeps rolling. Whether your barndominium goes on the flat or on the rise changes how we handle water, soil and floor height.

Comparing the two kinds of lots

On the flat, near the river. The city's own history notes that its flat terrain and backwater flooding from the Red River lead to occasional severe flooding. In March 2016 torrential rains flooded parts of Bossier City and displaced upwards of 3,500 people. On low ground like this we pull the flood zone first, then set the finished floor height, then design the pad. River-bottom soils in the Red River valley tend to be heavy clay; the USDA's Perry series, mapped on Arkansas and Red River alluvial plains, is very slowly permeable and 60 to 85 percent clay in the upper subsoil. That kind of ground needs a soil report and a slab designed for swelling and shrinking, and it can limit a conventional septic drain field.

On the rise, to the north. Higher land usually means less flood exposure and better drainage, but it brings trees to clear, slopes to grade and longer driveways. A barndo on rolling ground may need a cut-and-fill pad or a stepped design with the shop at a lower level. Drainage still matters: water coming off a slope has to be routed around the building, not under it.

Who you will deal with

Bossier City is the largest municipality in Bossier Parish, but the parish seat is Benton. Other communities include Haughton, Plain Dealing, Elm Grove, Princeton and Taylortown. Land inside Bossier City answers to the city; land outside it answers to the parish or to whichever town it sits in. We check jurisdiction, zoning and any subdivision restrictions on metal exteriors for your exact parcel.

A parish that is growing

Bossier Parish went from 116,979 people in 2010 to 128,746 in 2020, a 10.1 percent increase, while Bossier City itself grew from 61,315 to 62,701. Faster growth in the parish than in the city suggests people are choosing land within reach of Bossier City and Barksdale Air Force Base, the headquarters of the 8th Air Force. Growth also means more subdivisions with covenants, so read the restrictions before you buy.

Weather a Bossier barndo has to handle

Bossier City has a slightly above-average tornado rate compared with the U.S. average, with severe storms most common in the warmer months. The climate is humid subtropical, with about 51.41 inches of precipitation a year. The record high is 110 degrees F and the record low is -5 degrees F, and freezes and ice storms regularly occur in winter. That range is wider than many people expect in Louisiana.

Here is how those conditions translate into the building:

• Tornado-season wind: a continuous load path, anchor bolts sized by the engineer, braced wall and roof framing, and overhead doors with a wind rating. Large shop doors are the weak point in many metal buildings, so we treat them as structure.
• Ice and hard freezes: water lines inside the insulated envelope, a plan for any plumbing in the shop, and roof edges and gutters that handle ice without tearing loose.
• Heat and humidity: closed-cell spray foam against the steel to stop condensation, plus HVAC sized for humidity, not just temperature.
• Rain on flat ground: grading, swales and gutters that move about 51 inches of annual rain away from the slab.

The state code behind the drawings

Louisiana's construction code moved to the 2021 International Residential Code and related 2021 codes, plus the 2020 National Electrical Code, effective January 1, 2023. Residential work is now inspected for energy code compliance, roof installations follow revised nailing patterns for high winds with secondary barriers against leaks, and GFCI protection is required on most 110-volt outlets and some 220-volt outlets. We design to those requirements from the start.

Getting around

Bossier City's road history goes back a long way. Shed Road, which operated from 1874 to 1886 over about 9 miles, was the first all-weather turnpike in the American South. Today the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway runs along the east side of the Red River and the Walter O. Bigby Carriageway extends north. Those corridors are part of why north Bossier land draws attention.

What fits here

Shop houses with deep bays, single-story barndominium homes with wraparound porches, and two-story layouts on hilly northern lots where a walkout shop level makes sense. On low ground near the river, a raised slab or an elevated barndominium can keep living space above flood height.

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