Building a Backyard Office with a Metal Building Kit

Affordable, Customizable, and Built to Last

Aaron Williams

December 5, 2025

Remote work is here to stay, and many people need a dedicated workspace separate from the main house. Whether you're tired of working at the kitchen table, need a quiet space for video calls, or want to keep professional boundaries between work and home life, a backyard office solves the problem.

Indaco metal building kits offer an affordable alternative to expensive prefab office pods—with the bonus of complete customization and room to grow. You choose the size, the layout, where the windows and doors go, and how you finish the interior. The result is a workspace that's truly yours, built to last for decades.

Why Choose a Metal Building for Your Backyard Office?

When researching backyard office options, you've probably encountered prefab office pods—sleek, turnkey units that cost $15,000 to $40,000 or more. While these look appealing in photos, a metal building kit offers several advantages worth considering.

Cost: Metal building kits cost significantly less than prefab pods. Even after adding foundation, finishing, and utilities, most customers spend 30-50% less than comparable prefab options. That savings can go toward better finishes, larger windows, or simply staying on budget.

Customization: Prefab pods come in fixed sizes with predetermined window and door placements. With a metal building kit, you specify exactly what you want. Need an extra window on the north wall for better light? Want French doors instead of a standard entry? Planning to add a bathroom? All possible—and all decided by you, not a manufacturer's catalog.

Durability: Steel-frame construction handles weather that would challenge other materials. Wind, rain, snow, and intense sun are no match for properly engineered metal buildings. Many metal buildings are still in service after 50+ years.

Speed: While not quite as fast as having a pod delivered, metal building kits go up quickly—often in a matter of days for the structure itself. The kit arrives with everything pre-cut and ready to assemble.

Expandability: If your needs change down the road, you can modify or expand a metal building. Prefab pods are essentially fixed units.

Choosing the Right Size for Your Backyard Office

The right size depends on how you'll use the space and what your property can accommodate. Here are the three main options to consider.

Compact Office Studios (Indashed 6x8)

For those who need a simple, dedicated workspace without a huge investment, the Indashed 6x8 building offers a budget-friendly solution. This compact structure provides just enough room for a desk, chair, and some basic shelving or storage.

Think of it as your focused work zone—a place to escape household distractions, take video calls without interruptions, or handle paperwork. It's not meant for all-day occupancy or elaborate setups, but it's perfect for someone who needs a few hours of quiet workspace or a home base for administrative tasks.

The Indashed comes as a complete kit with pre-fabricated walls and flooring, designed for straightforward DIY assembly. At this size, you're looking at the most affordable entry point for a separate backyard workspace.

Standard Home Offices (20x20)

The 20x20 building is the most popular choice for dedicated home offices, and it's easy to see why. With 400 square feet, you have room for a proper desk setup, filing and storage, a small meeting area or reading nook, and comfortable circulation space.

This size works well for full-time remote workers who spend most of their day in the office. You can add a bathroom if you want to avoid trips back to the house, incorporate multiple workstations if you and a partner both work from home, or simply enjoy the spaciousness of a real office environment.

The 20x20 also provides enough space to create distinct zones—a work area near the windows for natural light, a small sitting area for breaks or client meetings, and storage along one wall. You're no longer cramming everything into a tiny footprint.

Multi-Purpose Buildings (20x40 and Larger)

Here's where metal buildings offer something prefab office pods simply can't match: the ability to serve multiple purposes in a single structure.

A 20x40 building gives you 800 square feet—enough to divide into two distinct spaces. Many customers use this approach to create an office plus a guest suite, an office plus an Airbnb rental unit, or an office plus a mother-in-law suite. The beauty of this strategy is that you're building once but gaining two functional spaces.

For example, you might design one half (20x20) as your personal office, complete with desk, bookshelves, and a small bathroom. The other half becomes a self-contained guest unit with a sleeping area, kitchenette, and its own entrance. You can share utilities and save on construction costs while creating two valuable spaces.

This approach particularly appeals to those considering an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) for rental income or family. Instead of building a standalone rental unit that sits empty when not occupied, you incorporate your own workspace into the same structure. The shared wall and roof reduce costs compared to two separate buildings, and you're maximizing the use of your property.

Customizing Your Backyard Office Build

One of the biggest advantages of metal building kits is complete customization. You're not limited to whatever options happen to be available in a prefab catalog.

Windows and Natural Light

Natural light transforms a workspace. You can specify exactly where you want windows, how many you want, and what size works best for your needs. Large windows create an open, airy feeling that makes the office feel more spacious. Smaller, strategically placed windows provide light and views without creating glare on computer screens.

Think about sun orientation when planning window placement. South-facing windows provide consistent light throughout the day but may need shading in summer. North-facing windows offer steady, even light without direct sun. East-facing windows bring morning light, while west-facing windows catch afternoon sun (and heat).

Door Options

Your door choice affects both function and aesthetics. A standard walk door works fine for a basic office, but you might prefer French doors that open wide to connect with your yard, or sliding glass doors that create an indoor-outdoor feeling. For dual-purpose buildings, separate exterior doors for each space maintain independence—guests or renters use their entrance while you use yours.

The location of your door matters too. Position it where you want the main pathway from your house, and consider how the door swing will affect your interior layout.

Interior Layout Flexibility

With an empty shell, you control the interior layout completely. Want an open plan with all your workspace visible? Prefer to section off a small area for storage or equipment? Planning to include a bathroom (highly recommended for all-day use)? All of these decisions are yours to make.

For larger buildings used as combination office and guest space, you'll need to plan room divisions, a small kitchenette area for the guest side, and separate bathroom access. This planning happens before you start finishing the interior, allowing you to route utilities and frame walls exactly where you need them.

Exterior Appearance

Metal buildings don't have to look industrial. With 17 color options, you can match your home's exterior or choose complementary colors that tie the backyard office to your overall property aesthetic. Wainscoting (two-tone color schemes with a different color on the lower portion of the walls) adds visual interest and residential character. Trim details around windows and doors complete the look.

The goal is to create a structure that feels like an intentional part of your property, not a commercial building dropped into a residential yard.

Making Your Metal Building Comfortable and Livable

A metal shell is just the starting point. To create a comfortable workspace, you'll need to address insulation, climate control, electrical service, and interior finishing.

Insulation

This is non-negotiable for a backyard office. Without insulation, your metal building will be unbearably hot in summer and freezing in winter. Insulation also prevents condensation that can damage electronics and create moisture problems.

For most backyard offices, faced fiberglass blankets offer a good balance of cost and performance. They install between the metal framing members and provide a vapor barrier. For even better performance (especially in buildings with climate control), spray foam creates a superior air seal that maximizes energy efficiency.

Our complete metal building insulation guide covers all the options, R-values, and installation methods in detail.

Ventilation

Even with climate control, proper ventilation matters. It prevents stuffiness, reduces moisture buildup, and helps maintain good air quality. Ridge vents and soffit vents provide passive ventilation, while mechanical options like exhaust fans offer more control. See our ventilation guide for specific recommendations.

Climate Control

Mini-split heat pump systems have become the go-to solution for backyard offices, and for good reason. These units provide both heating and cooling, install relatively easily (especially compared to traditional HVAC), operate efficiently, and scale well to small building sizes. A single mini-split can handle most backyard offices up to 400-500 square feet.

Installation typically involves mounting an interior unit high on the wall, running refrigerant lines and electrical through the wall to an exterior compressor, and connecting to your power supply. Many homeowners hire an HVAC professional for this work, though some handy DIYers tackle it themselves.

Electrical Service

Your office will need power—outlets for computers and equipment, lighting, and the mini-split system. Plan for more outlets than you think you'll need; it's much easier to install extra capacity upfront than to add it later.

Most building codes require a licensed electrician for permanent electrical installations. This ensures proper grounding, adequate circuit capacity, and safe connections. Your electrician will typically run a dedicated circuit from your main house panel or install a small subpanel in the office building itself.

Don't forget data connectivity. Running an ethernet cable from your house to the office during construction is easier than troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues later. If your office will be far from your house, you might need a Wi-Fi extender or mesh network node.

Interior Finishing

Drywall is the most common interior finish choice. It's affordable, familiar to most contractors, and creates a professional appearance. Install it over your insulation, tape and finish the seams, and you're ready to paint.

Some people prefer wood paneling or shiplap for a warmer aesthetic. Others leave some of the metal exposed for an industrial look. The choice is entirely yours—this is your workspace, after all.

For flooring, laminate, luxury vinyl plank, and tile all work well over a concrete slab foundation. If you've built on a pier and beam foundation, add plywood subflooring first, then your finish floor on top.

Foundation

A level, properly sized foundation is essential. Most backyard offices use a concrete slab—it provides a stable base for the building and a finished floor in one step. The slab should extend slightly beyond the building footprint and be properly reinforced.

Pier and beam foundations also work, particularly on uneven terrain or in areas where drainage makes a slab difficult. This approach elevates the building slightly and allows air circulation underneath, which can help with moisture management.

Whatever foundation type you choose, it must be level. Even small variations will cause problems during building assembly and can lead to issues with doors and windows down the road.

Planning Your Backyard Office Project

Before you order your building kit, take care of a few essential planning steps.

Check local requirements first. Zoning regulations vary significantly by location. Your city or county will have rules about setbacks (how close to property lines you can build), maximum building sizes, height restrictions, and whether you need permits. If you have an HOA, they may have additional restrictions. A quick call to your local building department will clarify what's allowed on your property.

Prepare your site. You'll need a level area with good drainage and access for material delivery. Think through utility routing—how will you get electricity from your house to the office? If you're adding plumbing for a bathroom, where will the lines run? Consider sun orientation for window placement and how the building will fit into your overall yard layout.

Budget realistically. The metal building kit is typically the most affordable part of the project. Factor in foundation costs, assembly labor if you're not doing it yourself, interior finishing materials, electrical work, plumbing (if you're adding a bathroom), and your climate control system. Even with all these costs, most customers still spend far less than they would on prefab office pods.

Getting Started with Your Backyard Office

Ready to create your ideal workspace? At Indaco Metals, we'll help you design a metal building that fits your property, your budget, and your vision—whether that's a compact 6x8 studio or a larger dual-purpose structure.

Use our 3D Builder tool to visualize different sizes and configurations, or contact our sales team to discuss your specific needs. We can help you think through the details—from choosing the right size to planning for windows, doors, and any other custom features.

Shawnee: 3 American Way, Shawnee | (405) 273-9200

Sand Springs: 17427 W 9th St, Sand Springs | (918) 419-6053

Whether you're working with a contractor or planning a DIY build, we'll make sure you have everything you need to create a backyard office that works for you.