There are three types of tongkonan which are classified according to their function in society. A tongkonan layuk ('grand tongkonan') or tongkonan pesio' aluk ('aluk maker') is the original ancestral home in which the aluk of a particular adat territory were established. The Grand Tongkonan is the seat of a kinship grouping that traces its descent from a single founding couple.
Tongkonans are classified into three categories based on their social significance. A tongkonan layuk or tongkonan pesio' aluk is the ancestral home where the aluk of a particular region was first established. The Grand Tongkonan represents the heart of a kinship network that descends from a single founding family.