Loft Barns: Your Questions Answered

Chatting with customers who are considering a loft barn for their acreage, rural block or lifestyle property, the same questions tend to come up.

What exactly is a loft barn? What size do you need? Do you need council approval? Do you need a concrete slab?

So here are the straight answers with everything you need to know.

In this article:

What is a loft barn?

A loft barn is traditionally a high-walled timber building with an A-frame roof and an internal loft that creates a usable second level. Often featuring classic barn doors and timber cladding – painted, stained or even left to weather naturally – they add genuine character to any rural or acreage property.

The loft sits within the barn’s roof space, making use of the generous ceiling height that comes with the A-frame design. It’s often accessed via internal stairs – sometimes even just by a simple ladder – and is a space with potential for a number of uses, subject to its size and any approvals that may apply.

At Greenspan, our Cedarspan design – a precision PreCrafted timber barn – is available with an optional internal loft. This is one of our most versatile and popular Cedarspan configurations – two usable levels within one characterful structure, built to last and designed to belong on your land.

How big is the loft space?

In a Cedarspan loft barn, there is 2.4m of clearance at the highest point of the loft, tapering towards the sides. Its footprint will depend on the overall size of the barn – Cedarspan sizes range from 21m2 through to 200m2 – and loft spaces are typically comprised of 1.8m panel increments. It’s possible to create a generous space with a combination of height and footprint opening up a range of possibilities.

To accommodate the loft, the barn requires 3m ground-floor walls – something worth factoring in when planning your design. Optional gable windows can be added to bring natural light directly into the loft space, a detail that makes a real difference to how the entire interior feels and adds a striking design feature to the exterior. Download our Design Price Guide for current dimensions and pricing across the full range, or speak with your Design Solutioneer, who will walk you through all of the options that work best for your intended use.

Do you need a concrete slab?

Not necessarily. Your Cedarspan can either be placed on a concrete slab or our pier-mounted grid floor system. It’s down to you, your site, and what you intend to use your Cedarspan loft barn for.

If vehicle access is a priority – for example, you plan to use your barn as a garage, machinery shed, or workshop – a concrete slab is the practical choice. For other uses, our raised timber floor system might be a better alternative.

The pier system means the building sits lightly on your land with minimal groundworks – this makes it ideal if site preservation is of importance or where there is sloping, rocky, or difficult terrain. It also keeps your options open for relocation if circumstances change down the track.

The floor framing and supporting piers are built from treated timber with a 40-year guarantee against termite attack, and the elevated design eliminates ground contact, allowing airflow beneath the building to prevent moisture build-up.

For more detail on what to look for in a timber floor system – including termite protection, weather sealing and insulation – read our full guide here.

How much does a loft barn cost?

Pricing depends on a number of factors such as size and the design choices made. Download our Design Price Guide for current pricing for the different sizes, and the numerous personalisation choices that are available. The design decisions you make determine the final cost – from wall height, to cladding choice, to your selection of doors and windows, and any add-on features applied, such as porches or verandahs.

As a PreCrafted building, a Cedarspan loft barn offers significant cost and time-saving advantages over a traditional build – a fixed price upfront, controlled manufacturing, and installation typically completed within a week.

Who will install my loft barn?

Cedarspan barns are supplied as a precision PreCrafted ‘flat-pack kit’ – manufactured at our Wetherill Park factory, then delivered to site as modular, pre-built and ready to install panels. This makes it a fast and easy process – most installations are completed in under a week.

Installation can be handled in one of two ways: a DIY project for those with the relevant hands-on skills, or by a builder or carpenter – we can put you in touch with an experienced installer in your area, or you can, of course, use your own trusted tradesperson.

If you’re going to DIY or use a builder who isn’t familiar with our system, we’ll provide a detailed installation guide and training, while also being at the end of a phone through the process.

Do I need council approval for a loft barn?

In NSW, RU1, RU2, RU3, RU4, or RU6 rural-zoned properties can typically add a farm building of up to 200m2 without council approval under exempt development provisions. Outside NSW, or on non-rural zoned properties, requirements vary by council. We recommend checking with your local council before proceeding – and your Design Solutioneer can provide general guidance as part of your consultation.

You can also read our guide Do I need council approval for my rural building?

Can I add automated doors for vehicle access?

If you’re looking for easy drive-in and out access, we recommend fitting our handcrafted barn doors to your Cedarspan. Gate automation can then be added to these, allowing the doors to swing open at the press of a button. A practical solution for vehicle access and a distinctive feature in its own right.

What can a loft barn be used for?

The combination of a generous ground-floor footprint and an upper loft level makes a Cedarspan loft barn one of the most versatile building configurations available. From creative studios and workshops to farm storage, garages with mezzanine storage above, cellar doors and rural retreats – the two-level layout opens up possibilities that a standard single-level barn simply can’t match.

The right use for your barn will depend on your property, your plans, and any approvals that may apply. Your Design Solutioneer can help you think this through and configure a building that works for what you have in mind.

Real loft barns – from real customers

With so many ways to use a loft barn, every owner puts that upper level to work in their own way. Here are a few of our favourite Cedarspan customer stories.

Built for today, ready for tomorrow

John had 10 acres in the NSW Central West and a clear brief – the ultimate garage and workshop for his classic cars now, with room to become something more down the track.

His Cedarspan 40100 delivered exactly that. At 7.4m x 18m with a big 3.6m x 7.2m loft overhead, there’s room for several cars, a full workshop, and storage for every part and offcut a project could need.

Look closer, though, and the loft is only half the story. Behind the workshop walls, John laid in the plumbing and cabling for a future conversion, so the loft barn that houses his cars today is ready to become whatever he needs it to be tomorrow.

Two barns, two lofts, one country lifestyle

Michael and Margaret-Anne had a hectare of land near Stroud in NSW and a plan to downsize. What they ended up building was a complete country homestead, one Cedarspan loft barn at a time.

They started with a Cedarspan 3060 garage and workshop – its 3.6m x 5.4m loft giving them handy storage and the amenities they needed tucked below it while they lived on site as owner-builders.

Then came the matching barn alongside it, this one a slightly larger Cedarspan 3090 with a generous 5.4m x 5.4m loft tucked into the roofspace. Its open balustrade and skylights spill light into the space below while the space beneath it houses a clever floorplan.

Two barns, two lofts, and a rural life built exactly the way they wanted it.

A barn worth weathering

Geoff bought a property on the NSW far south coast with one long-held dream in mind: an all-cedar barn to house his classic cars and give him a workshop to tinker in.

His Cedarspan 3080 became exactly that – a 5.6m x 14.4m western red cedar barn, with a 3.6m x 5.4m loft overhead for practical storage and a cedar-lined alpine porch for a cup of tea between jobs. He installed it himself, novice mates and all, and it went up beautifully.

Now the cedar is silvering with age, the neighbours keep commenting, and Geoff, in his own words, is a “very happy boy.”

The barn that took a tree and kept standing

Wayne would have settled for a steel shed. Carol, in her words, “doesn’t like ugly.” Their compromise was a Cedarspan, and 16 years on, they’re very glad of it. Because as a former tax auditor, Wayne knows a good investment when he sees one.

Their Cedarspan 2040 gave Wayne his workshop and storage on the ground floor, and Carol a light-filled loft above for painting and sewing – a space that runs almost the full footprint of the building. Then a storm brought a neighbour’s tree down onto the roof.

A lesser building would have crumpled. The Cedarspan came away with a few cosmetic marks and one small insurance claim.

The most photographed barn on the river

When Catherine took over The Riverboat Postman – the century-old mail run that serves the Hawkesbury River’s boat-only communities – she was working out of the back of a truck in a car park. What she needed was a proper home for it, one that looked like it had always belonged in the maritime village of Brooklyn.

A heavily personalised Cedarspan 2020 became that landmark. Its 3m walls make room for essential loft storage on two sides, its gable windows and pitched roof echo the heritage buildings around it, and its pier-mounted floor keeps it safe above the tide.

Three years of red tape to approve it. Two days to build it. Now it’s, by Catherine’s own reckoning, the most photographed Cedarspan there is.

Can I see one in person?

Cedarspan barns can be viewed by appointment at our Drummoyne Display Centre in Sydney and our Black Forest Display Centre in Adelaide. For those in other areas, we can offer virtual tours or alternative options for viewing. If you’d like to book a time to visit us, please call our team.

You can also get inspiration and hear the stories of other Greenspan customers who have built loft barns for a variety of purposes on our Project Gallery.

Alternatively, head to our Instagram or Facebook pages for further inspiration.