Carter Lumber Pole Building kit info

[TMGT]

Looking for info on their kits, pricing seems decent, but haven't been able to find much in the way of reviews good or bad.
Anyone have any firsthand experience with them?

I've been wanting to add a shop at the house for a while and have been gathering info and trying to price out differnt options for buildings.

I liked the online price calculator for Carter Lumber and it seems good but doesn't have any details about the construction, I still have to call my closest location and see if they can give me more details on materials and construction.

I'm looking at doing a 40W x 48L x 14H with a 10ft lean too on one side. One man door and one 16x13 garage door, have to use vinyl siding matched to the house, would like to do the roof in metal. 1ft overhangs on all sides.

Brad

 

[LD1]

I never liked kits. I like to build how I want.

so if you decide to make any changes on the fly, like adding a window, or moving a door location, you may not have enough material.

And the few kits that I have looked at and priced, from both menards and carter lumber.....Never worked out to any savings. Rather they are just figuring the material list for you, and charging the spot price for said material. And whatever if any discount they offer through the package, if you just call them up with a material list.....which will be pretty lengthy for a building......they will work you out a price that already includes some discounts. But in either case, buying everything from one place.....either as a package or figuring material yourself....has never proved to be cost effective or beneficial for me.

IE: When I just built my shop last year, I bought alot of the lumber from carter. Good quality and good price. But they were the absolute most expensive on metal siding. Used a semi-local amish guy that rolls his own. And can do custom trim and custom lengths. Way better option.

For the garage doors, the Mennonite guy had the vest value (quality vs price). Garage brand doors...pretty good. Got the big one...18w x 12h, 3" track, insulated, solid jackshaft, HUGE springs, etc. He was a solid $1000 cheaper than any of the "door" companies or box stores for a similar door. Also got two 12x12 non-insulated doors. Just basic doors. Total for all 3 was $2400. And I was getting quotes of 2500-3000 for JUST the big insulated doors.

I am sure a kit will work just fine. But IMO, I think you would be better off designing and figuring your material list. And ordering accordingly. I dont think a "kit" really saves any money. And if you do get a kit, you basically have to design it any way....just in reverse to try to figure out what goes where.

At the very least, try to design it yourself and figure a material list.....then compare prices to a kit....apples to apples.

 

[TMGT]

I finally got a chance to call them today, talked to a really nice person about what I wanted. Looks like their stuff is less a kit and more materials list, I can change, add or subtract anything I want. Waiting on the detailed list from them but I removed their siding as i already have a supplier since I'm doing the house, and will be sourcing my own garage door.

So far I am happy with their customer service, we'll see how their pricing comes in for materials.

 

[JFoy]

Funny you bring this up as I was just talking to them last week about their pole barn and garage kits as well. I've done a fair amount of remodeling but never raised a building from the ground up myself. Their website says it includes plans so I called and asked what that meant but the guy didn't know.

 

[GManBart]

I finally got a chance to call them today, talked to a really nice person about what I wanted. Looks like their stuff is less a kit and more materials list, I can change, add or subtract anything I want. Waiting on the detailed list from them but I removed their siding as i already have a supplier since I'm doing the house, and will be sourcing my own garage door.

So far I am happy with their customer service, we'll see how their pricing comes in for materials.

When I built my pole barn I did the foundation/slab, then had a builder erect the walls, trusses, and do all the exterior metal, etc. He likes to use Carter's, but said he can figure a list out himself and come a bit under their package price, so that's what we did.

Fast forward to when I was ready to order the lumber to build a partition wall (40' wide by 13'4" tall, plus frame out a 12'x13' room) and buy liner panels to do the interior walls and ceiling on a 24x40 section (after the partition wall went up). I sent the same guys from Carter's a note with what I needed to get a quote. They said they were giving me the same pricing as my builder, since it was part of the same building. Short story is that both the lumber and metal were going to be far more expensive through Carter's than the local Menard's. The two numbers weren't even in the same ballpark. If I'd ordered everything from Menard's the first time I would have easily save several thousand dollars...no question.

 

[LD1]

Menards is always hard to beat. And I have never had an issue with quality of lumber. There is always pleanty of good stuff to select from, and the only time I have had them deliver was just a few months ago...material for a front 12x24 deck w/4x4 posts...back deck was 10x28 w/6x6 posts and elevated. No complaints at all about lumber quality. I always overshoot a few boards for the decking, because I never know if I may get a bad one, or cut one wrong notching around posts. If I have too many I return them. Only 1 board out of about 100 was bad. Split about from the end about 2' in. Guy said that 10' board would soon be an 8' board when I was returning.

When I did my shop, 84 lumber was the lowest price, even beat menards. And carter was just about the same as menards. Within $50 on $6k worth of lumber and OSB. Home depot was the highest. Some of the local companies and amish suppliers were right in the middle. But unfortunatally, most of the lumber I got from homedepot was junk. Had them come pick it up and Stopped at carter lumber on my way home from work for the balance. Live and learn.

When building my decks, Carter lumber was spot on the same price as menards. Talking about $2800+/- worth of treated lumber. BUT....menards had that 11% off deal that week or month or whatever. Tipped the balance in their favor. If it had not been for that 11%, I would have went to carter. But the prices carter quoted me on the estimate for all the stuff....their prices were cheaper than what they would quote if you just wanted 1 or two boards. Thats why they usually ask what you are working on, get a total material list from you, then e-mail you a price. Cause buying in bulk with them and you can save quite a bit. Menards...not so. The price you see online is pretty much the price you will pay. I did get menards to knock about $20 or so off each of the 6x6's I needed for the back deck. Since they were something like $65 for a 16' and carter was somewhere in the $42-$43 range.

Moral of the story is, lumber is lumber. I dont care weather that 2x4 comes from Menards, HD, Lowes, 84, carter, Amish, etc etc. Most these places use the same mills. Georgia Pacific or Weyerhaeuser OSB is the same no matter where you buy it from. So make them earn your business. I am not gonna go across the street and pay more money for my material because thats where the "pros" go instead of the dreaded "big box store"

 

[GManBart]

This got me thinking, so I had to go back and look at my records. When I was doing the ceiling for my shop (24x40) I needed 26 liner panels 12'3" long. From Carter's the quote was $26.16 per panel. From Menard's it was $20.84, but with the 11% off they were $18.55 each. That's $680 versus $482, for a small job. I didn't even bother getting a quote from Carter's when I ordered the steel for the walls since there was no way they could compete. Now I wonder how much I could have saved when I think about how much I bought from Carter's to do a 40x64x13'6" with a 12' lean to off the back. It was $200 less for just the ceiling...I think it would have been thousands less for all the exterior metal. Live and learn....make some calls!

 

[LD1]

Yep, call around. And don't feel obligated to buy from just one place, which the kits sorta force you into.

My shop I built with a block foundation and stick walls.

Lumber came from Menards, 84, and Carter.
Block, mortar and rebar from Menards
Overhead doors from a Mennonite guy
Metal from 80 metals(Amish guy)
Windows direct from jeldwin (brother works there)
Insulation was from Menards

Tot I spent about 28k for the 40x72. Only 40x40 is concreted, insulated, electric, etc

If I had to buy everything from a single source, I bet I would have easily spent 3-5k more

 

[Fossil Farm]

But Menards 11 percent off is a coupon for your next purchase from them. Not 11 percent off your current purchase. Unless you plan on buying more stuff from them fairly soon and don't misplace the coupon it may be a good deal. Their delivery prices and delivery schedules are hard to beat. Been really happy with that part of their operation.

 

[LD1]

But Menards 11 percent off is a coupon for your next purchase from them. Not 11 percent off your current purchase. Unless you plan on buying more stuff from them fairly soon and don't misplace the coupon it may be a good deal. Their delivery prices and delivery schedules are hard to beat. Been really happy with that part of their operation.

I guess there delivery is just store by store.

My last delivery, which also happened to my my first, was a royal cluster.

I work a schedule where I basically get a months of weekends off, then a Month to work em. I placed the order on a Thursday. One special order item and that was a 250pc box of headlock screws. They only stock em in 50pc. The 250pc was $90, the 50pc was $30. I only needed 150, so for the same price, I'd rather get 250.

Anyway, I was told there was a chance I'd get the delivery Monday, but if not, at least by next Friday and that someone would call next week to coordinate.

No delivery Monday, ok. Still waiting on that call. By Thursday afternoon I still hadn't heard so I called them. They said Monday was the soonest they could get it out.

Well, this was my last weekend off to get this done unless I waited another month. And I already had help lined up for that weekend. After about 10minutes of a very frustrating phone conversation, they agreed that they would slide me in next morning. First load out, but the special order hasn't showed up yet. I told them forget that, either give me 5 50pc boxes for the 250 price, or just refund me because Carter has them at the same price, in stock, and 15 min away.

They agreed to give me 5 boxes.

Friday, noon rolls around and still nothing. I call. They said their driver hasn't showed up yet and that he will be another 3 hours before he even gets there, but I will be the first load out.

So much for an AM load...:mur:

Load finally arrived at almost 8:30PM.