Do you need more space? If so, it’s time to start thinking new construction! But with all the options available, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. If you’re thinking about pole barn construction for your next project, we have a quick read to help you understand the benefits, the planning process, and even some of the steps involved with construction of a pole barn!
Read on to introduce yourself to the world of pole barn construction and the reasons why a pole barn is the perfect way to get the extra space you need!
Benefits of Pole Barn Construction
When considering the style of construction for your next project, pole barns are always a great choice. The main benefits of pole barn construction apply to almost any project, from pole barn garages to even pole barn homes!
The most popular reasons to choose a pole barn for construction are:
Affordability
One of the most popular benefits of pole barn construction is the reasonable cost associated with constructing your new outbuilding. Whether you’re in need of a small garage or an expansion arena, pole barns utilize unique techniques that ultimately use fewer materials than similarly sized stick-frame buildings. Because materials are the bulk of the cost of any building, that can easily give pole barn construction the edge for reducing your total cost.
Secondly, most other construction types rely on continuous foundations to ensure they’re safe and stable. Pole barns simply don’t need a foundation like this. While you’ll still want to build on level ground, the poles of the pole barn do all the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping your building sturdy. That means you can save a lot of concrete by only needing concrete under the structural columns to support the building. For larger pole barns, this can be a significant cost savings versus other buildings that would require you to contract out additional workers to prepare and pour a concrete or block foundation for the whole length of the building.
Depending on how you customize your pole barn, you could begin to add up costs between materials or add-ons. So, the actual cost of a pole barn can vary dramatically. But compared to a similar design using another building technique, pole barns will always be competitive if not in first place for affordability.
Open Spaces
Beyond saving you on materials, the unique style of pole barns being anchored by a series of poles means you don’t need interior walls for load-bearing purposes. The result? Wide open spaces! In modern design, the open floor plan is growing in popularity to allow property owners to make the most of their new construction. From creating a space to relax, to creating a commercial building fit for large ideas, pole barns provide enough space to make the interior a blank canvas ready for your perfect concept.
While a “base” model of a pole barn won’t include a variety of interior walls, the choice for the final design is up to you! Many builders have turned the interior of pole barns into anything from horse barns to workshops to homes or office space! Hanging drywall throughout a pole barn is just as easy as within stick-frame construction – perhaps easier because you don’t need to worry about load bearing walls. That flexibility is why pole barns are ideal for any purpose.
Speed of Construction
The last major benefit of pole barn construction is the speed at which one can be built. When thinking about new construction, the timeline in your head may be “months.” But the reality is that a pole barn can be built in just a few weeks on average. Between clearing the space, receiving the materials, and finishing construction, the whole process is unbelievably quick!
Adding a pole barn to your property is something where you can enjoy the benefits not long after finalizing your concept! By cutting the need for poured foundations (besides the footers) and possibly even the need for finding a construction team (as you can likely build the pole barn on your own) you can simplify the general process and keep things on your timeline!
Whether for personal use or commercial use, this speed of construction makes pole barns a fantastic option when you have an idea you want to get started on today instead of planning for years.
Cost for Pole Barn Construction
When planning construction, it’s only natural to focus on pricing. Pole barn construction is great for fitting into your budget because they can be scaled to a wide variety of sizes! At DIY Pole Barns, pole barn pricing is a major focus – we balance the important scales of remaining affordable while providing high quality materials. The end result is a pole barn that not only fits your budget, but also stays strong for years to come.
Getting a quote for your pole barn is easy and fun. Our Instant Quote tool lets you not only size out the right barn for you, but also offers a variety of options and add-ons that can personalize your barn perfectly. When you’re all done, you’ll get an Instant Quote you can lock in to start the short journey towards having your very own pole barn. If you are not sure of what you might need in your quote to fit your needs we have a trained staff of project consultants to help you along the way.
To help you get started, you can look at our pole barn pricing page to better understand the real cost of a variety of pole barn sizes. A pole barn kit can start as inexpensively as around $10,000 while still providing a surprising amount of space! As size increases or features are added, prices can range upwards of $30,000 to $50,000 or more.
Like any construction, the sky is truly the limit. But unlike other building techniques, pole barns are actually affordable for almost anyone with a construction budget and the space to get started!
Where to Begin with Pole Barn Construction
The process for pole barn construction when you work with DIY Pole Barns is as easy as it is straight-forward. Let’s walk through some of the major steps so you be a step ahead on your path towards a brand-new pole barn!
Planning Your Pole Barn
The first step is, of course, to start with a pole barn plan. Before using our Instant Quote tool, you should sit down and have a general idea of what you want out of your pole barn. Think of it like a self-questionnaire:
Question 1: What will you do with your pole barn?
The purpose of your pole barn is a core part of determining everything else like size and features. A pole barn garage needs to be big enough to fit the vehicles inside, whether by width or height for larger vehicles like RVs. If it will be a workshop, you’ll need space for equipment and material storage. If it’s a home, you’ll need to consider how you plan to segment the interior (if you choose to segment it at all!)
If you need inspiration, you can always look at our gallery of pole barn designs!
Question 2: How big should my pole barn be?
Knowing what you plan to use your pole barn for will inform your decision on size, but it shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. The size of your pole barn is its largest limitation in the long-term. Like any construction, it’s more likely to build a structure that’s too small than one that’s too large. But if you’re budget-conscience, you should take a long look at all the factors that impact your decision on the size of your barn: the available site, cost of materials, construction time, future resale, and long-term usability.
Ultimately, you need to make the barn big enough to get the use out of it that you need. Erring on the side of a slightly bigger pole barn is the safe option as long as it fits your budget! Play around with the Instant Quote tool to see what the real costs are of adding a few feet to the length or width.
Question 3: Do you have a building site planned already?
You can’t start pole barn construction without a clear site. Pole barn placement is important for a variety of factors. In the construction phase, it determines how easy it is to drop off and stage materials. Beyond that, placement will affect things like how quick it is to get to your pole barn. The more often you plan to use the barn, the closer you may want to place it to your home!
Placement can also affect your pole barn in less direct ways. If it’s placed in a valley, you could have issues with moisture. The direction your windows and doors could affect the general temperature of the interior during certain times of year as well!
Planning the placement for your pole barn is almost as important as planning the actual barn. So don’t forget to take time to think of the best site and position for your barn during your planning phase.
The placement of your pole barn can also have a large effect on your overall budget. If a large amount of fill or site work is required; that can delay your project and add a large amount of unwanted expense. The flatter the ground where you plan on building is typically the better.
Customizing Your Pole Barn Kit
Once you have your idea in place, the real fun begins: customizing your real pole barn design! DIY Pole Barns makes building a custom pole barn easy with our online tool that lets you size it up, plan doors and windows, and add features. We even have a great tool to help you envision your barn colors!
The Instant Quote tool is designed to be easy to use and informative. Not only does it provide you with the full scope of options we offer and some helpful information about more technical options, but it also provides you with a dynamic pricing display so you can see what each addition will change when it comes to fitting your budget.
Customizing through our tool takes a lot of work off your hands, especially when it comes to technical considerations like snow load. Simply enter your zip code and we’ll calculate the appropriate amount of snow load your barn needs to handle based on your location’s average snowfall.
From there, the customization opens include:
- Dimensions
- Doors & Windows
- Structural Options
- Exterior Options
- Interior Options
You can find out the material cost, estimated sales tax, estimated financing options, and labor cost estimates!
Choosing Your Pole Barn Flooring
Like we mentioned above, pole barns open some options up for how you keep the floor for your pole barn. Unlike other construction that requires a continuous foundation from corner to corner, you could leave your pole barn floor as dirt or gravel. Concrete is by far the most common floor for a pole barn, but other common options include asphalt, stone or even wood flooring. It is very common to leave the floor gravel or dirt for a period of time and then come back later to pour a concrete floor. This helps break up the expense while still getting you a dried in building.
What you plan to do with your pole barn flooring is really up to you and how you use it. For spaces that should feel more “homey” you’ll likely want a solid floor. This will help when you’re planning the interior with furniture placement and general usability. A proper floor can also help for pole barns that may experience a heavier-than-normal amount of rain.
Otherwise, feel free to leave the floor to the natural dirt or some gravel below!
Learn more about pole barn flooring options to determine the best plan for your barn.
Ordering Your Pole Barn Kit
After you finalize your design, the actual ordering process is pretty straight forward! Once you’ve locked in your price, we’ll send you an e-mail confirmation. Follow the steps outlined in the e-mail or simply give us a call! We can walk you through the final steps required to order your pole barn kit.
The plans for your pole barn typically only take about one week after finalizing to receive. Your actual kit will arrive approximately 4-8 weeks after ordering. This could vary due to time of year and how busy we are, always feel free to call in to check current lead times.
We’ll deliver it as close to your pole barn site as safely possible. Delivery will be performed to maximize safety for you, your property, and to make sure everything arrives undamaged. Now you’re ready to get started!
Preparing Your Pole Barn Site
While your pole barn kit is being prepared and delivered, now is the perfect time to make sure your pole barn site is prepped and ready. This means clearing the site to ensure you have adequate space to construct your pole barn and proper ground.
We recommended starting by measuring the area and placing stakes to mark the site where you’ll be constructing your pole barn. If there is growth in the area, you’ll want to remove that. If there is anything larger than a bush, you’ll likely want to make sure you get it removed to the roots to avoid long-term root issues if you plan to pour a concrete floor.
You won’t need to worry about much else other than having properly graded site. Most property owners choose a level site already, but if you need to, it can simplify the building process to get a professional out to fix grading issues before the kit arrives. We recommend having your grade within six inches of level to make the build process as easy as possible, the closer to level the better.
Basics to Pole Barn Construction
A DIY Pole Barn truly is something you can do with just you and a few friends or family. While this isn’t a step-by-step guide, we want to highlight some of the core parts of the pole barn construction process to help you better understand what it may mean for you if you want to build your pole barn on your own!
Poles
Pole barn construction is all about the poles. These poles are the cornerstone for your build. They make sure everything else holds steady so you can enjoy your barn decades down the road. Depending on the size of your pole barn, the number of poles you’ll need to place can vary. But the process is the same: you’ll dig a hole with and place a concrete footings at the bottom of the hole, set the post plumb, and backfill with soil or crushed stone.
With every pole bar package we supply a customer set of drawings to show you exactly where every post needs to be set. As far as depth goes, make sure to understand exactly how deep you should be digging based on your custom drawings and local building codes.
Trusses
Once the poles are set and the truss carriers are properly secured to them, you’ll be able to get started on the trusses.
Our trusses come in either standard trusses or scissor trusses, depending on the look and function you want out of your design. These trusses come pre built with engineered stamped for your state. There is a minor difference in installing the trusses depending on these choices, but ultimately the whole process is fairly similar.
Exterior
Once the poles and trusses are in place, you’ll be able to start on the process of building the exterior. This includes all of your wall girts, roof purlins, and then the roofing and the siding. Your pole barn kit will come with all the metal siding, roofing, and trim needed to build your barn from top to bottom, so it’s simply a process of placing each piece where it should go referencing your drawings along the way. If you have any questions during the build process you will have a project manager to help answer any build questions you have.
Have Questions? We Can Help!
Whether you’re deciding if pole barn construction is right for your project, or if you need some help putting the finishing touches on your barn-in-construction, our support team is here to help!
Call (937) 547-9100 or contact us online!
Our pole barn experts are just a phone call away, and we’re always excited to help you finish your project so you can start enjoying the benefits of a new pole barn on your property as soon as possible!
Find Your Perfect Pole Barn Today – Get an Instant Quote Online!
Do you have questions about pole barns? Call our knowledgeable staff at (937) 547-9100. If you’re ready to build your pole barn, lock in a quote with DIY Pole Barns using our Instant Quote tool!
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