Pole barn order of operations

[Macinnis]

I recently had a 60x60 pole barn built. Ultimately, 20x40 of that will be an apartment for the wife and I to spend the weekends at our land before we build our retirement house on the property.

I choose a pole barn because I could get the structure up and finish the apartment out as cash becomes available.

As it stands now, I have a pole barn with a gravel floor, no electric or well on the property.

My thought was to finish the concrete next, then build the apartment and then do the well, septic and electric. Note - I save ~$4000 if I install the electric last as the apartment is deemed 斗iving quarters (must be 杜ove in ready to get that savings from electric company).

So here is my first question: do you agree with that plan of attack knowing that the concrete will be next years project, the apartment the year after that and the electric, well and septic the final year of my three year plan to finish it?

A friend who will help me finish out the apartment said to get get electric first as working from a generator can be a pain.

Second question: I need to have 4 of additional gravel installed, then 2 of foam insulation, then concrete to be at final grade. Should I have the plumber lay the pipe now, then the gravel? Or get the additional gravel, tamp the **** out of it, then trench for the plumbing? I have pros and cons for both methods, but wanted additional opinions.

Thanks!!!

 

[Citydude]

I had the same plan as we had the pole barn built, concrete then power up to it. We have a camper on site so no living quarters in the building. With that, having power ran to camper and pole barn was a game changer. I was sick of running a generator.

 

[EddieWalker]

I would get power to the building as quickly as I could. Then while you are saving up for the concrete, you can start running electrical lines.

Before you pour concrete, you want your drain lines installed. If you are going to have an island in a kitchen with a sink, you need to get those water lines under the slab too.

How will water get into the building from the well? Same with power from the building to the well? Most common is to go through the slab, so those lines need to be in place before you pour concrete.

 

[Macinnis]

I am planning on having an equipment room on an outside wall that is 10x10 or so. I plan on putting a few sets of 4” conduit in the slab for water and electric.

Ultimately, the breaker panel and all well related items will be in there...super insulated with a small heater so that it is literally the only room to worry about during winter.

Eddie: so do you recommend laying all of the plumbing now, and then adding another 4” of gravel and tamp it down. Or add the gravel now, tamp it and then, trench out where the plumbing will be?

Adding the gravel first and getting it compacted seems like more work, but it should be less likely to have those lines shift. Am I over thinking this aspect?

 

[GSVette]

I had a somewhat similar plan of attack for my shop building when we bought our property in 2016-then a court decision on water rights changed my order of build.

Not knowing the difficulty of getting the simplest septic system permitted in your area my opinion is based on my area. I got my well in as a condition of purchase and then because of the court decision we had to permit a building with a full bath and hot running water thus necessitating a septic permit and full electric install along with building. I put my DWV system in at the time the pole locations were drilled and then built the building, compacted the gravel base and poured the slab- DWV was stubbed through slab where bathroom was later built.

Bottom line-understand what risk might be associated with delaying well (permits/well log rules changing or non production at chosen drill site), septic install (environmental and health regulations change frequently often eliminating lowest cost, high reliability options) and power installation and cost only gets more expensive.

A side comment-having power and running water available at your property really makes staying in an RV much more enjoyable-when you also can dump your holding tanks without having to pull up stakes and head to a disposal location it multiplies the convenience factor even more.

 

[747driver]

Couple of things first. Since you live in a somewhat cold climate what is the frost line for buried utilites ( water, electric ) ? Do you know where the well will be drilled or hasn't it been determined yet in terms of location from the barn ? Have you had a septic perk test to know where you can put your septic system ? Is your electric service going underground ? If you elect to do the electric last then layout where you will need electric conduit buried under the slab before the concrete is poured. Or you can just form up a couple of openings and leave them open to the dirt and install your pipes later then fill in with concrete when done.

 

[Diggin It]

will be an apartment for the wife and I to spend the weekends at our land before we build our retirement house on the property.

How long will this be for? How many years? What are the plans for that space once the house is built and you move in?

Wondering if an RV might be a better option. Stay in it for those weekends. Then you'd have more shop space later. And no need for big money tasks like a septic system now. Plus you could use the RV to travel or vacation in.

Will the power company put power to a pole that you can plug an RV into?

 

[JimRB]

I got a temporary power pole placed when I built my pole barn. I ran a 250 feet 12 gauge romex extension cord to run a pancake air compressor and a circular saw. I did not need to fill in any dirt where I placed the waste plumbing and the water supply. The concrete company did their job. The house was built 6 months later. Never had a plan to live in the barn. Just planned on a wash rack, clothes washer and half bath in the barn attached to its own septic system.Barn has electric all run in plastic or metal conduit. Plastic to the subpanel, steel conduit in the walls and to light fixtures.