Buying used Pole Barn??

[Floattubr]

Looking for your advice or suggestions. I have an opportunity to buy a 60 x 40 Pole Barn for 2500.00. Seems to good to pass up? I have basic skills and equipment but still intimidated by the hours needed to rebuild.
Thanks in advance for your help, Marshall in La Center Wa.

 

[slowzuki]

How far is the move? There are a few around that have had the roof split into 3 pieces and crane sets trusses with purlins/roofing attached on the truck to move to be set on the poles. Strip steel and wall girts and xfer to new building.

Others have hired just cutting the posts off and bracing and towing the whole thing to new location, drill new posts next to cut off ones and fasten.

 

[charlz]

Some time ago I did a little reading on here and maybe other sites. If you have to totally disassemble, move and reassemble, you will never get all the parts to go back together the way they were and you end up buying some percentage of new materials anyway. The consensus was over all it not worth the hassle. That said if the price is right for a large pile of used materials with which to build a new barn it might be worth it, but you are not buying a barn so to speak.

In my county you have to have a permit to build a pole barn and you have to have a permit to move or reassemble an existing one. Might want to check on that if you have not already.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

You will not get the screws to line up to reattach the metal to the wood. Also consider if the steel is screwed on or nailed on. It will be extremely difficult to get off if it is nailed. That being said with today's scrap prices you could get a big chunk of what you paid back selling the steel for scrap. You would probably be able to use most of the lumber. Then, if you could afford to, buy new steel. You could then reconfigure the size and shape if you wanted as well as meeting the needs of a permit if required. Still a lot of work anyway you look at it.

 

[dave1949]

If it is built with wood trusses, loading, hauling and unloading 40' trusses would be an expense. If a crane was used as suggested, you need a crane at each end of the process, which also adds to the cost.

With the amount of labor involved, I would offer $1 to make it disappear for the current owner if you really have a use for the materials and have the time. Like Charlz said, I wouldn't look at it as if I was buying a building really.

 

[Dr Dave]

If the tin is nailed, forget it. If screwed, you can save the tin, the ring shank nails on the frame are near imposible to remove, a saws all with metal blades will be required.

I bought an all steelbuilding last summer, it took about 2 weeks to unscrew and unbolt, many screw were striped, it was 40x60x12.

There was a pole building on the property also 32x45. The owner could not sell it, he paid a mover to move it about 8 blocks away. He lifted the poles right out of the ground, they drilled new holes and set it in place at the new location.

Dave

 

[Floattubr]

If the tin is nailed, forget it. If screwed, you can save the tin, the ring shank nails on the frame are near imposible to remove, a saws all with metal blades will be required.

I bought an all steelbuilding last summer, it took about 2 weeks to unscrew and unbolt, many screw were striped, it was 40x60x12.

There was a pole building on the property also 32x45. The owner could not sell it, he paid a mover to move it about 8 blocks away. He lifted the poles right out of the ground, they drilled new holes and set it in place at the new location.

Dave

Thank you, Thank you all. It's a 57 mile journey, so it has to taken apart. We were thinking to rebuild it as a 40 x 40 with a 20 x 40 open shed on the end.
Thanks again Gentleman for your input and advise. M

 

[Dr Dave]

If you have a menards, you can price a new one, a 40x60x12 was around $11,500. You would eat up alot of the savings in fuel alone. And you should also consider your time, if you can get a lot of free help, it may be worth it.

Dave

 

[SPIKER]

Like others said have to look at the materials, how it is constructed etc. Most times trying to dismantle move and re-assembly is not going to be a big $ ahead over simply buying the same materials delivered to your site. A 50 mile round trip is NOT going to be much ahead with gas/fuel costs for sure.

Getting Ring Shank nails out means cutting them off or destroying the top layer of wood 2x material. Screwed on steel can be removed easy enough but Nailed in the steel generally on painted stuff only be worth scrap by time you are done or will need total repaint. Getting nail/screw holes to align up is also usually impossible with the new gerts. The only thing that usually is good is the poles IF it was not in-ground too long or the poles were really good treatment in first place. Trusses getting taken down is issue as well as most are pretty flimsy until put up then you weaken them with nails at all the connection points. Getting the trusses off and down then moved & back to going up I would bet 1/3 would be damaged to point of having to repair rebuild or buy NEW to match...

Like someone mentioned offer to buy for a buck or walk away would be best point unless it has Aluminum siding material which can bring you that much in scrap...

Mark