Design your Australian barn with shed designer.
Design a custom Australian barn online: flat ridge, lean-tos either side, BlueScope steel, ShedSafe accredited dealers. Free comparable quotes.
Why choose Australian Barns?
Australian BlueScope Steel
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What is an Australian barn?
An Australian barn is a steel-framed rural building with one wide central bay and a single skillion-roof lean-to on either side, joining straight to the lower lean-to roof with no vertical drop in between. The shape sits low against the paddock, drains cleanly, and gives you serious working room without the build complexity of a raised-centre American barn.
It is the most common barn shape in rural Australia. Hay storage, machinery cover, workshop, occasional stables, hobby-farm feed and gear, all in the one shed. ShedDesigner's Australian barn templates run from a tight 9 metre central bay up to 18 metres clear span, with lean-tos sized between 3 and 6 metres each side.
Australian barn vs American barn
The Australian profile keeps the central bay and the lean-tos on the same plane. The American profile lifts the central bay above the lean-tos with a vertical wall step, giving more headroom in the middle but adding weight, cost and wind-loaded surface. For most rural-Australian buyers, the Australian shape wins on three counts: it is cheaper to engineer, easier under height-restricted council overlays, and quicker to build. The American barn earns its extra cost when you genuinely need the centre clearance for tall machinery, mezzanine stables or a loft.
If the raised-centre look is what you want, see the American barn sibling product. Either shape uses the same BlueScope structural steel and Colorbond® cladding.
Span, pitch and eave essentials
Three numbers shape the build.
Pitch. The standard Australian barn runs an 11 degree pitch on the central bay and 5 degrees on the lean-tos. The 5 degree minimum is not arbitrary. BlueScope's published warranty terms set 5 degrees as the minimum roof pitch for the full COLORBOND® warranty (BlueScope, COLORBOND® Sample Warranty for Sheds and Garages, 2024). Drop below it and the cladding warranty drops away too.
Span. Most Australian barn buyers land between 9 and 18 metres of clear central span without internal columns. Engineered portal frames push to 30 metres for hay or machinery configurations. The 3D designer flags any combination that needs a custom engineering review before quoting.
Wind region. AS/NZS 1170.2 splits Australia into Regions A, B, C and D. Inland NSW, Victoria and SA sit largely in Region A. Coastal northern NSW, the Queensland coast and the Top End cross into Regions B, C and D. Higher region equals heavier sections, deeper footings and tighter bay spacing. Your dealer engineers to the actual region for your block.
Before you get quotes
An Australian barn is a 30-year asset. Three process facts worth knowing before quotes go out.
100% Australian-made BlueScope steel. Across structural framing and Colorbond® cladding. BlueScope's COLORBOND® steel cladding for sheds and garages carries a warranty of up to 15 years against corrosion to perforation, with the exact period set by location and application (BlueScope, Garages & Sheds Warranty). Check your build on BlueScope's online warranty estimator. Sites within 1 kilometre of breaking surf are assessed separately.
ShedSafe accredited dealers, no exceptions. Every dealer on ShedDesigner is ShedSafe accredited under the Australian Steel Institute programme, which independently verifies dealer design and engineering against the National Construction Code and AS/NZS 1170.2 wind loading.
One design, multiple quotes. Your design goes out to dealers covering your region. Every dealer prices the same shed, in the same steel, to the same engineering, so the quotes you get back are directly comparable.
The 200 square metre rule worth knowing. In NSW rural zones (RU1 to RU6), farm buildings up to 200 square metres can qualify as exempt development under the State Environmental Planning Policy, provided setback and use conditions are met (NSW Department of Planning, Outbuildings in Rural Areas). Your dealer's quote includes the engineering documentation that supports your council application.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an Australian barn and an American barn?
An Australian barn has one wide central bay with a single skillion lean-to on either side, joining straight to the lower roof with no vertical drop. An American barn raises the central bay above the lean-tos with a vertical wall step, giving more centre headroom but adding weight, cost and wind load. The Australian shape is the dominant rural-Australian barn and is usually cheaper to engineer.
What span can I get on a single Australian barn bay without internal columns?
Standard ShedDesigner Australian barn templates clear-span 9 to 18 metres without internal columns, with 12 and 15 metres the most popular sizes. Engineered portal frames push to 30 metres for hay or machinery configurations. The 3D designer flags any span that needs a custom engineering review before quoting.
Can I add lean-tos to one side only?
Yes. A single-side lean-to is engineered as an asymmetric load case and is common where the barn sits on a fence line or against a slope. Lean-to spans typically run 3 to 6 metres. In Region B and above, the unsupported side usually picks up additional cross-bracing in the design.
What is the typical roof pitch on an Australian barn?
Industry standard is 11 degrees on the central bay and 5 degrees on the lean-tos. The 5 degree lean-to pitch is the minimum BlueScope requires for the full COLORBOND® warranty (BlueScope, *COLORBOND® Sample Warranty*, 2024). Below 5 degrees the warranty drops away, which is why every Australian barn template defaults to 5 degrees or higher on the lean-to.
Can I use an Australian barn as horse stables?
Yes, with two specifications worth getting right. The central bay needs at least 3.6 metres of internal clearance for floats and tall horses. Stables built into the lean-tos should be fully lined, both for horse welfare and for the BlueScope cladding warranty (which excludes unlined enclosed roofs). For a fully horse-focused build, also see horse barns.
Do I need council approval for an Australian barn in rural NSW?
Often, no. In NSW rural zones (RU1 to RU6), a farm building up to 200 square metres can qualify as exempt development under the State Environmental Planning Policy, provided setback, height and use conditions are met. Larger barns or sheds in heritage and bushfire overlays still need development approval. Other states differ.
Concrete slab or piers for an Australian barn?
Walled barns get a concrete slab as standard, sized by your dealer for the wind uplift and lateral loads in your engineering. Open-front and lean-to-only barns can sit on engineered piers or compacted hardstand, which is cheaper and faster to put up. Decide at quote stage so the dealer prices both options cleanly.
Can I claim an Australian barn on the instant asset write-off?
Possibly. The ATO's instant asset write-off has applied to eligible sheds in recent years. The $20,000 threshold for small businesses with aggregated turnover under $10 million applied through to 30 June 2026, and the Federal Government has announced the threshold will become permanent from 1 July 2026, though this was not yet law at the time of writing. Check ato.gov.au for the current status. Some farm sheds also qualify under the fodder storage asset rules. The threshold applies per asset, so packaging matters. Talk to your accountant before submitting your quote.
Other Barn designs
American Barns
Classic raised-centre barn with twin lean-tos. Tall machinery clearance, stables-ready, fully customisable in BlueScope steel.
Horse Barns
American or Aussie profile horse barn with breezeway, stalls and tack room. ShedSafe accredited dealers, BlueScope steel, designed to NSW welfare code.
Barndominiums
A barn-style steel home built to NCC Class 1a habitable standards, with the workshop, garage and living wing under one Australian-made BlueScope roof.