Small Farmhouse Plans

What makes a small farmhouse plan

Farmhouses were built to support work: muddy boots, canning, big family meals and long days outside. A small farmhouse keeps that practical DNA in a compact footprint.

• A porch at least 8 ft deep. Deep enough for a rocker and a table, and for shade on the south or west face in summer. Many farmhouse plans wrap the porch around one corner.
• A real mudroom. A dedicated entry, usually at the side or back, with a bench, hooks, boot tray and often the washer and dryer. This is the room that keeps a farmhouse clean.
• A cook’s kitchen. More counter and storage than a typical tiny house: a farmhouse sink, a full-size range, and a pantry closet or wall of shelves.
• Simple, steep gables. A clean gable roof, often 8:12 to 12:12, with standing-seam metal. Shed dormers add light and headroom upstairs.
• Board-and-batten or lap siding. Vertical board-and-batten reads as modern farmhouse; horizontal lap reads traditional. Both are affordable and easy to install.

Tiny farmhouse plan sizes

Tiny farmhouse plans start where a studio becomes a real home and go up to the size of a modest full house. Porches are usually extra and not counted in heated square footage.

Not sure where you land? The tiny house size calculator sizes a home around your household and storage needs. If you love the look but want something smaller, a tiny cottage plan shares the porch-and-gable character.

Layout: mudroom, kitchen and porch

• Mudroom by the work entry. Put it on the side facing the barn, garden or driveway. A 6 x 8 ft mudroom fits a bench, a stacked washer and dryer and a utility sink.
• Stack the wet rooms. Mudroom laundry, bath and kitchen sink on shared or nearby walls keep drains short, which matters on a septic system.
• Kitchen at the heart. Give the kitchen the back of the house with a window over the sink looking out at the land. An island with seating can replace a dining table in plans under 800 sq ft.
• Bedrooms on the quiet side. Group bedrooms away from the mudroom and porch traffic.
• Plan the porch for use, not show. Orient it to catch evening shade and the view, and run the roof far enough out to keep rain off the door.

Try your own arrangement on the tiny house layout planner, and pick up more ideas in tiny house layout ideas.

Designing a modern farmhouse tiny house

The modern farmhouse tiny house takes the same vocabulary and simplifies it: white or charcoal board-and-batten, black window frames, a single steep gable, a standing-seam metal roof and a small shed-roof porch. Inside, think shiplap or painted plywood walls, open shelving, a farmhouse sink and light wood floors. The look scales down well: even a 200 to 400 sq ft tiny house on wheels or a loft plan can carry it. Keep trim minimal and let the roof shape and siding do the work; fussy details cost money and fight the clean lines.

How much does a small farmhouse cost to build?

A farmhouse costs about the same per square foot as other small homes on a foundation. Porches, metal roofing and a larger kitchen push toward the upper end of each range. These are typical industry estimates for a finished home with plumbing and electrical, excluding land, well, septic and power:

The same 800 sq ft farmhouse owner-built at a mid-range finish runs roughly $152,000–$208,000. An 8 ft deep covered porch adds cost too, though usually less per square foot than heated space. Model your own project with the tiny house cost calculator and read how much a tiny house costs for the hidden line items.

Foundations and homestead sites

Most small farmhouses sit on a crawlspace, which raises the porch to a classic two or three steps and keeps plumbing serviceable, or a slab on flat, dry ground. In cold climates, a frost-protected shallow foundation can cut excavation cost. On rural land, budget for the site before the house: a driveway, a well, a septic system sized for your bedroom count and a power line or off-grid system. If you are going off-grid, size it with the off-grid solar calculator. Some rural counties set minimum dwelling sizes, so check our tiny house zoning guide before you buy acreage.

Pros and cons of small farmhouse plans

Want a more rustic feel? See small cabin plans, or put a farmhouse in the backyard with ADU plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size is a small farmhouse?

Most small farmhouse plans range from about 400 to 1,200 sq ft of heated space, plus a porch. Around 600 to 850 sq ft is comfortable for a couple or a small family on one floor.

How much does it cost to build a small farmhouse?

As a typical industry estimate, expect about $150 to $330 per sq ft owner-built and $250 to $500 per sq ft with a builder, depending on finishes. An 800 sq ft farmhouse built by a contractor at a basic finish runs roughly $200,000 to $264,000 before land and utilities.

What makes a house look like a modern farmhouse?

A simple steep gable, board-and-batten siding in white or dark tones, black window frames, a standing-seam metal roof and a covered porch. Inside, open shelving, a farmhouse sink and light wood floors complete the look.

Can a tiny house be a farmhouse?

Yes. A tiny farmhouse keeps the porch, mudroom-style entry and farmhouse kitchen in 400 sq ft or less, often with a sleeping loft. The modern farmhouse look also works on a tiny house on wheels.

Can Tiny Homes Blueprint change Plan 12-2418 to a farmhouse exterior?

Yes. Swapping the stone-and-siding exterior for board-and-batten and a metal roof, or deepening the porch, are common modifications. Contact us for a quote.