Pushing the budget..

   / Pushing the budget.. #1  

USAFpj

Silver Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2014
Messages
244
Location
SC
Tractor
1957 841 Powermaster
Need some input once again from you seasoned guys here- I'm about to amend a pole barn contract, and the cost to increase the 4in fiber concrete floor to 5in is $1556. To increase the 12ft wall height to 14ft is roughly $2K. This is for a 30x50, and now is the time to make up my mind:laughing: I would like the future option of both a 2 post lift, and a mezzanine, but a $3,500 savings by staying at 4in crete and 12ft wall height is enticing as well. Thoughts??
 
   / Pushing the budget.. #2  
Personally when I finally get to build a pole barn it will definitely be high enough for a couple lifts, wiggling under cars and equipment gets less fun every time I do it.
 
   / Pushing the budget.. #3  
Hi, neighbor. I'm in Easley, SC.
How about just going 5" in the area you will mount the lift? I have 4" concrete in my building with no issues so far. No lift, though - yet. I would not hesitate to put a mezzanine on it.
Also, I would definitely get 14-foot walls because that will allow 12-foot doors. Many campers and motor homes are taller than 10 feet, so a 10-foot door would not work.
Good luck.
 
   / Pushing the budget..
  • Thread Starter
#4  
bspeedy, who built your pole barn? Even with 14ft walls, I may stick with (2) 10x10 doors. I gotta control this budget somewhere:eek: Only issue with pouring a different depth, is that I have no idea where to put the lift now, and I may be getting a tracked dozer in the near future.
 
   / Pushing the budget.. #5  
I spent the money for the extra wall height, bigger door and thicker floor in 2013. Now that the "new" is worn off and all the check writing is behind me, I am really glad I got all the extras.
 
   / Pushing the budget.. #6  
Going from 4 to 5 inches is just under 5 cy, and assuming they haven't started work on the pad, Zero more labor. That's very expensive mud!

Edit: so, $500 in mud, plus 25% profit on materials, that additional inch should be in neighborhood of $750-900. 30 ft x 50 ft x 4" = 18.52 cy, so they would order 19 to maybe 20, although 1.5 yards of waste is way way high. For 30 x 50 x 5", it takes 23.15 cy, so, probably order 24 cy. It is one additional load with associated load and fuel surcharges, but that's still very high.
 
   / Pushing the budget.. #7  
A lift (or at least my Atlas 10K) doesn't need 5". 4" is fine....
No?
 
   / Pushing the budget.. #8  
A lift has more surface area than the vehicle tires. My forklift weighs 12,000 pounds with no load in it, and has a 7500 pound capacity. It has a higher ground psi than any automotive lift. If you are worried about it you can put 1/2 steel plate under the feet. I would definitely increase the ceiling height to 14 feet. I commonly lift my lift as high as it will go because then I can drive the forklift under it.
 
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   / Pushing the budget.. #9  
You only get 1 chance to make it exactly like you want it.
After that, it,s compromise and patch job repairs, and never will be as good as doing it right the first time.
Pay the extra now, and you,ll be happy from day 1.
 
   / Pushing the budget.. #10  
If I had to choose one it would be the additional concrete. A cracked floor would be hard to swallow.

I have a 4 post hoist in a 10' building with vaulted ceiling. I can raise vehicles too high to work on them.

My Sons each have 2 post hoists in 12' ceiling buildings. Their top crossbar on the hoist is up against their ceiling. You can't raise a vehicle any higher than that bar anyway.
 
 
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