Barndominium Builders in Loganville, GA

Barndominium builders working in Loganville have to ask a question most towns never raise: which county is the lot in? Most of the city is in western Walton County, but the city limits extend west into southeastern Gwinnett County. The two counties have different permit offices and different rules, so a barndo plan on one side of the line can look different from the same plan a mile away. Loganville itself grew fast, from 10,458 residents in 2010 to 14,127 in 2020, on about 7.4 square miles.

Roads That Tie It Together

Loganville was incorporated as a town in 1887. US 78, the Atlanta Highway, runs through the middle of town, 5 miles east to Monroe and 32 miles west to downtown Atlanta. Georgia 20 runs 10 miles northwest to Lawrenceville and 15 miles southwest to Conyers. That road network is why the area has filled in so quickly, and why open land for a barndominium increasingly sits east and south of town, deeper in Walton County.

The Walton County Side

Walton County's ordinance on lots served by septic, effective since August 2004, sets clear minimums. A lot on public water needs at least 25,500 square feet of usable soil area; a lot on a private well needs at least 51,000 square feet, of which 25,500 must be usable. There are width minimums of 100 feet with public water and 150 feet with a well where the system goes, and every lot must keep an equal-sized replacement area open.

For barndominium owners the less obvious parts of the ordinance matter more:

• The county may require a larger lot for outbuildings, large homes, pools or tennis courts, so a separate shop can push the requirement up.
• Slopes over 5 percent, slow percolation, drainage needs or difficult foundations can also trigger a larger lot.
• Easements, rights-of-way, flood-prone ground and land within 50 feet of streams or wetlands are left out of the usable area.

The Gwinnett Side

Parcels on Loganville's west side fall in Gwinnett County. Gwinnett is far more suburban, and many of those lots are in platted subdivisions with covenants. We read deed restrictions before anything else there, since a covenant can rule out metal siding or a large accessory building no matter what the zoning says.

Rivers Nearby

The Alcovy River rises in eastern Gwinnett County, about 5 miles northeast of Lawrenceville, and flows south through Walton and Newton counties for a total of 69 miles. Western Walton County, where Loganville sits, drains to the Upper Ocmulgee sub-basin. Creek frontage near town is attractive, but the 50-foot exclusion in Walton's septic ordinance and any mapped floodplain limit where the home and drain field go.

Building Choices That Work Here

Loganville lots are often smaller than true rural acreage, so a barndominium here tends to be compact and well planned:

• A two-story or loft layout to keep the footprint small
• An attached garage or shop bay instead of a separate building
• Exterior finishes such as wainscot, stone or board-and-batten to fit in with neighboring houses
• Spray foam insulation to meet Georgia's energy code and keep a metal shell quiet and dry

The Piedmont Underfoot

Walton County is in the Piedmont region. USDA's Appling series, a very deep, well drained upland soil with a clay subsoil, is typical of that landscape. Clay drains slowly at the surface, so we grade the pad to shed water and keep gutters discharging well away from the slab.

Talk to us about a lot near Loganville: call (678) 501-7569 or

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