Pole Barn Size - Best bang for your buck?

[fried1765]

Nobody with a 60x80 building wishes they had a 40x60.

There is no such thing as a storage building or a garage too big!

 

[zzvyb6]

There is no such thing as a storage building or a garage too big!

I have 1 of each. [ And I'm out of room ]. I'd want a bathroom in whatever building you choose. A compromise of the insulation deal is a small 'office' or work area partitioned off and fully insulated with heat and A/C. A full or partial upstairs storage area with an elevator or a crane adds convenience and practicality, too.

 

[rbtjr]

We have a 40' x 60' enclosed metal building with 20' roof overhangs on both of the 60' sides and concrete floors under the entire 80' x 60' footprint. The two 20' x 60' roof only areas have been great additions. Under one of the 20' x 60' areas we keep all of our attachments that are not PTO operated and also a trailer, diesel fuel tank, etc. All of our attachments are on dollies, which greatly improves the storage efficiency both inside the building and under that 20' side. We also went with 14' rafters and installed two 12' x 12' doors, one on one of the 40' ends and the other in the middle of one of the 60' sides. We wouldn't change anything about our design.

 

[ovrszd]

FWIW -

Here is the cost per sq ft for the building only, with construction. I.e. assuming a stone pad is ready to go and no concrete.
40x60 - $15.45/sqft
60x80 - $11.52/sqft

This is where things get very confusing for the new person to building construction.

I just built a new shop. 1872 sq ft. $42.75 per sq ft.

You can definitely build a lot cheaper per sq ft. But you can't build the shop I have for less than that.

So,,,,, by the title of this thread I am assuming a pole barn pop can construction. No frills. Not even an insulating liner under the metal. If that assumption is correct your numbers make good sense. Everything added beyond that changes the cost per sq ft dramatically. Dramatically.

 

[ovrszd]

We have a 40' x 60' enclosed metal building with 20' roof overhangs on both of the 60' sides and concrete floors under the entire 80' x 60' footprint. The two 20' x 60' roof only areas have been great additions. Under one of the 20' x 60' areas we keep all of our attachments that are not PTO operated and also a trailer, diesel fuel tank, etc. All of our attachments are on dollies, which greatly improves the storage efficiency both inside the building and under that 20' side. We also went with 14' rafters and installed two 12' x 12' doors, one on one of the 40' ends and the other in the middle of one of the 60' sides. We wouldn't change anything about our design.

And your cost per square foot was??

 

[cold1313]

I am assuming a pole barn pop can construction. No frills. Not even an insulating liner under the metal. If that assumption is correct your numbers make good sense. Everything added beyond that changes the cost per sq ft dramatically. Dramatically.

Correct - Just the building, gutters, doors (2 overheads) etc. Insulation and "stuff" for inside is not included. I'll be doing that.

 

[EddieWalker]

Interesting thread. I don't know the answer to the question, but have decided for my shop that I can save money by going longer for square footage instead of wider. My best price seems to be in the 32 foot width with wood trusses every 4 feet so I can put metal on the ceiling and blown in insulation. The main work shop will be 48 feet deep, but then I will add two more 48 foot long sections to it over time. For storage, there will be a lean-to on each side the full length of the building. Except for concrete, I plan on doing all of the work myself, which is also why I'm designing it this way. I will only concrete the first 32x48 section and gravel the others as I build them for tractor and implement parking.

 

[Crazydad]

Interesting thread. I don't know the answer to the question, but have decided for my shop that I can save money by going longer for square footage instead of wider. My best price seems to be in the 32 foot width with wood trusses every 4 feet so I can put metal on the ceiling and blown in insulation. The main work shop will be 48 feet deep, but then I will add two more 48 foot long sections to it over time. For storage, there will be a lean-to on each side the full length of the building. Except for concrete, I plan on doing all of the work myself, which is also why I'm designing it this way. I will only concrete the first 32x48 section and gravel the others as I build them for tractor and implement parking.

So your not using the steel trusses from Jordon in Dodson la. I am looking closely at them per your recommendation. I understand the wood because the 4 foot centers and flat ceiling. Just want to make sure you did not find anything negative.

 

[EddieWalker]

The front portion will have wood trusses so I can insulate with blown insulation. I've found that to be the most cost effective way to insulate when you do it yourself. Tje walls will be 12 feet.tall. That is also the most cost effective for a wood working shop. Then the back section will have the open metal trusses that will give me another 3 to 4 feet of height at the peak so I can get my backhoe in there. I need 14 feet for it. I plan on leaving the end open and closing in the sides. That area wont be insulated.

So your not using the steel trusses from Jordon in Dodson la. I am looking closely at them per your recommendation. I understand the wood because the 4 foot centers and flat ceiling. Just want to make sure you did not find anything negative.

 

[TheMan419]

Look at going 60 foot wide and then looking at your site plan with the thought of adding length later when you need it. I already wish we had done that with our stall barn. We could use the extra space, not for more horses, but just the usual accumulation of "stuff" over time.