Monroe County, Indiana · Southern Indiana
Metal buildings in Bloomington, IN.
We supply garages, shops, barns, barndominiums and more across Bloomington and Monroe County. Our work reaches from the city to the wooded acreage around Ellettsville and Lake Monroe, and anywhere else you’re building. Inside the city, most accessory buildings stop at 20 feet tall.
Most city districts
20 ft max
Residential Estate district
30 ft max
Total accessory area
Capped by district
City rules
Updated Nov. 2025
Bloomington’s Unified Development Ordinance governs the city. Outside city limits, Monroe County’s own zoning applies.
What people build around Bloomington
City lots fill Bloomington, and hilly, wooded acreage surrounds it on every side.
Detached garages
Garages go up behind houses in the city. Tubular steel is usually the answer.
Acreage shops
Shops go up on wooded and hillside lots, where the building pad takes some planning.
Barns
Hay and equipment barns go up on the county’s farm ground. Red iron takes over past eighty feet.
Finished space
Steel truss is the fit here. Drywall attaches to the frame, so there’s no second wall to build.
Permitting metal buildings in Bloomington and Monroe County
Inside the city, the Unified Development Ordinance sets height and total size by district.
Height
- Most city districts cap accessory buildings at 20 feet.
- The Residential Estate district, with lots of 2.5 acres or more, allows 30 feet.
Total size
- The city caps the combined area of accessory buildings on a lot, and the garage counts toward it.
- Going past the cap takes a variance from the city’s hearing officer.
Farm & engineering
- Under state law, a building used only for agriculture on the farm isn’t built to the building code.
- Occupied buildings are Risk Category II wherever they sit.
- We provide the engineered drawings your permit needs.
The existing garage counts. Bloomington caps the combined area of accessory buildings on a lot, so a garage you already have uses part of the allowance. We start with what’s standing and size the new building to fit what’s left.
We also serve Ellettsville, Spencer, Bedford, Martinsville and Nashville. See Southern Indiana or all of Indiana.
Start with a conversation
Let’s talk about your Bloomington project.
Tell us what you’re planning and where you’re building. We’ll help you work out the next steps.
- Tell us what and whereSend us the size, how you’ll use the building and the address.
- We check the siteWe confirm who permits the address and which code and loads apply.
- You get a clear recommendationWe recommend the frame that fits and price it against the alternatives.
Or call
417-218-8348