Kit outbuildings for your vehicle storage

[helmsmatt]

Hi all, Don't know if this is the best place for this post but I'll give it a try. I'm looking for some recommendations from any of you that built or had built outbuildings from a kit. I'm looking to build, as economically as possible, an approximately 30X 40 building for just keeping my Tractor, ATV, Motorhome, boat, and implements out of the weather. Also need an entry door tall enough for the RV. No insulation or custom interior. I thought a kit would be the least expensive option but I see so many outfits online that I don't know which are ok, better, or best. If anyone has some manufacturers they are pleased with I'd be glad to hear. I need to keep it lo cost because I have to pay for some serious excavating as I live on a mountainside with no real good level land and need to create a good pad. Thanks up front for any input.

Second on Versatube. We built two custom buildings from them. One was their most complex design, ever, to satisfy our needs. Worked very well. They have an on line design tool for simple buildings with simple customizations. This worked fine for our implement shed. I worked directly with one of their Engineers on our complex shavings shed/tractor garage/storage building.

 

[Capt99]

Try garagebuildings.com. Can use 3D builder to design and price out. They are building my RV/Tractor barn now. Only place I found that you can add a lean too

 

[bigbug01]

Hi all, Don't know if this is the best place for this post but I'll give it a try. I'm looking for some recommendations from any of you that built or had built outbuildings from a kit. I'm looking to build, as economically as possible, an approximately 30X 40 building for just keeping my Tractor, ATV, Motorhome, boat, and implements out of the weather. Also need an entry door tall enough for the RV. No insulation or custom interior. I thought a kit would be the least expensive option but I see so many outfits online that I don't know which are ok, better, or best. If anyone has some manufacturers they are pleased with I'd be glad to hear. I need to keep it lo cost because I have to pay for some serious excavating as I live on a mountainside with no real good level land and need to create a good pad. Thanks up front for any input.

From my experience. If you do a concrete pad, be sure and put a moister barrier underneath it. If you do gravel pad, the building has to have open air ventilation to prevent sweating inside. I did a gravel pad and a closed metal barn. Inside sweating/condensation was heavy from roof. We put a retroactive layer of double bubble roll insulation and it stopped 99% of the condensation. If you want seal it up and lock it on gravel, insulate the roof for sure. You can leave big open gables or sides or something to allow air flow and then not worry about it

 

[MHarryE]

that's disappointing. after reading the info on their site i would have thought water intrusion would not be an issue. i just estimated a 35 x 50x 16 ft high on their site. $25k. without doors. i imagine my excavaton and gravel will be close to $15k. yikes!

I can't remember their exact requirement but something like 1/4", possibly 1/8" per foot slope. Instead of constructing a level building - well/ 1/4" per foot over 27 feet is nearly a 7" difference overall and I don't think we got that. Next was a bead sealant to place on the roof portion as you set sheets in place. That was tough to get perfect. Ice dams formed in the winter so meltwater would not flow and if the seal was not perfect, we got leakage. I'm not saying don't, but its not as easy as it seems.

 

[HwT]

WARNING - If you build a completely enclosed steel building, and you don't insulate it, it will sweat, especially if you have a gravel floor. I have a 16' x 24' Future Steel building on a gravel floor and it's always wet in the summer - everything rusts. For years, I had a wooden shed and no rust problems. If I had my time back, I would have built a wooden pole shed. I live in an area that regularly gets hurricane force winds and pole construction is not only simple and inexpensive but very good in high winds. Steel's not always a problem, if there's plenty of ventilation, a steel roof on a wooden building doesn't cause a sweating problem. I'm planning to build an addition and it will be wood. I'll be using a sheathing material usually called "ranch wall", plywood or wafer board that's been textured and treated on the outside to resist the weather and it's half the price of plywood. I have it on the front face of my steel shed and it's standing up well. Many of the buildings in our provincial parks use it. There's an abundance of well engineered free plans for pole buildings available on university extension sites.

 

[sodamo]

I built a 24x31 Versatube last year. A bit custom as 1 side was 8ft, otherside 10ft due to location. I locally sourced the tin. About 3400 for building, 1200 for the tin. Ran the tin vertically as I put gutters. Already had the concrete slab. Very happy with it.
Cottage Carport is the thread if you’re interested in details.
View attachment 692007

 

[TractorGuy]

From my experience. If you do a concrete pad, be sure and put a moister barrier underneath it. If you do gravel pad, the building has to have open air ventilation to prevent sweating inside. I did a gravel pad and a closed metal barn. Inside sweating/condensation was heavy from roof. We put a retroactive layer of double bubble roll insulation and it stopped 99% of the condensation. If you want seal it up and lock it on gravel, insulate the roof for sure. You can leave big open gables or sides or something to allow air flow and then not worry about it

I can attest to this. Rain seeps under the walls of my building and wets the gravel several feet in. It drys out but I wish I could figure how to stop it from coming in.

On one side I rolled heavy black plastic and left it up a few inches on the outside wall. That side slopes down to keep it from standing by the building. I covered the plastic with the same crushed red brick I have inside but the rain still wets the brick inside a good 3 feet.

 

[WM75Guy]

i hear you. Materials are getting crazy. I should have done this a couple of years ago, but I just decided to get a new tractor and am finally running out of room in the shed and garage!

Metal especially, although lumber is having the same issue. Builder will be starting on our 30'X40'X12' cover on Monday. Metal will come down 6' on the long sidewalls, so I can still walk out all 4 sides but have some protection. Just something to park the horse trailer and other trailers out of the weather. Will probably put gravel under it or maybe asphalt millings. When we were working on the cost the metal supplier told us if we didn't order the metal right away, they had an 11% price increase that would take affect in 2 days. Needless to say we went ahead and ordered it, knowing the builder had several projects ahead of mine.

 

[ebnozn]

Phil: would you mind sharing who did this work for you? Am I correct in thinking it's kind of like a square-tube pole barn? (You could PM me if you want...) Thanks.

And here's another vote for outdoor cats if your local government allows. I am not a "pet" guy, but my cats work overtime and are well-trained cold blooded killers, God bless 'em.

Phil: I'd like to add a 2nd request (PM also OK) for who did the work. I am thinking about building a similar size bldg and concrete pad for storage of new tractor, a few implements, SxS, log splitter, etc. in Blanco County... thanks!

 

[3gunr]

I just had a 28x35 carolina carport enclosed garage with 2 10x9 doors and a 36 inch walk door installed for 11,700, I absolutely love it.They put it up in 8 hrs . There are some pictures on my thread , Garage finally up.