HELP!!!! building a pole barn

[snooks]

Here is how it is done in my area (Central IL). We dig the post hole 3.5 - 4 foot deep in order to get below the frost line. Then we set a round concrete pad in the bottom of the hole in order to provide a solid base in which to set the post. Once the post is in, we will poor in a bag of Concrete mix. Some simply poor it in dry, I like to mix it per instructions. Then fill the rest of the hole with dirt.

Would seem to me that if the rock was below the frost line, attaching to the rock should work. As suggested, check the local building codes. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Inspector507]

If you're not in town, start at the Township/County offices. May try contacting a local builder/contractor to see who the right people to talk to are.

 

[snooks]

Local government such as the City Hall or County Clerk is the way it is in my area. Of coarse if you are in city limits, it is the city that governs the permits and outside the city the county governs the permits. Your governing body may or may not have building inspectors. Where I live, they do not and that is probably why we occasionally see some strange things like pole barns in the highway /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

 

[mopower440]

ok, heres a better question, how do i find out if we have building inspectors or codes enforcement officers? if we dont, then i wont have to even worry about any of that, wont even have to ga asking what i can and cant do, but how do i find that out? Like i said, im way out of city limits and if we dont have those people out here, that would help out im sure..

 

[em14]

Look for A County Code Enforcement Office or If no luck The County Engineer or if no luck as a county Supervisor or Counicil ... or just ask the County Tax Accessor. It's all about Taxes anyway!
Leo

 

[mopower440]

will do guys, thanks, now, about setting the posts on top of this rock, how do i go about anchoring the post to the rock and to the poured cement footings also, do i just get a drill bit made for concrete and drill a hole in the rock/footing and use an 'L' bracket to bolt the post to the cement/rock?

 

[jinman]

Here in Texas, we have County Commissioners and the office which does the actual inspection is called Public Works. In my area, all they are concerned with is septic systems. You might have similar terminology where you are located. Surely you will have a phone book with local government offices. If you can't find anyone, you could always check with the tax office or department of motor vehicles. Someone there should be able to steer you in the right direction.

 

[bebster]

Sounds like you might be lucky and not have a building inspector in your area. Best to be sure that someone won't come around later and make you change your structure, but if you can't find someone with that responsibility, then you're on your own to use good judgment.

BTW, most building inspectors follow a building code which is somewhat the same from state to state. That code is good practice, and in this regard requires that you support the building below the frost line. Do you know the frost depth in your area? (what state?). But the large rock in the ground sounds like it is below the frost line, so tying into it should be ok in the spirit of the building code.

 

[Phred]

If you decide you need to get the posts in the ground...
I bet you could make a pretty good dent in that rock with a bobcat and hydraulic hammer.
A local rental yard can provide, and deliver if you need it.

In a days worth of work you should be able to break up enough of the rock to get some posts in the ground.

If you go this route you may need a backhoe or better yet a miniexcavator, to clean out the broken up rock that the hammer creates.

One more thought.....
They make hammers for excavators. If you rent a miniexcavator with a bucket and a hammer, then you have all the tools need in one machine.

Fred

 

[bmac]

Just a quick check in my local telephone directory under the county listings showed Building Inspections. Of course, this was way too easy. Like others have said, call some county government office and tell them you need to talk yo a building inspector. Surely someone will be able to direct you to the proper department.

I would bet that there has to be inspections done on some types of construction even if you are way out in the country. They may not have codes for barns / sheds / garages etc. but only a call to the proper agency will answer this question.

<font color="blue"> how do i go about anchoring the post to the rock and to the poured cement footings also, do i just get a drill bit made for concrete and drill a hole in the rock/footing and use an 'L' bracket to bolt the post to the cement/rock? </font>

You will probably want to use a hammer drill with a masonry bit to drill the holes. As far as the bracket goes, they make brackets specifically to anchor posts to concrete (or in your case rock). Just ask you local building supply person. These are commonly used items.