Pole Barn size?

[ragkar]

In my township, a pole building must be 1000 sq ft or less to qualify for an ordinary zoning permit. Any larger requires a thousand dollar variance.

 

[wedge40]

I mulled this over for years.. I was going to go with a 32x48 with gambrel roof and a second floor. But ended up with a 40x56x12 with attic trusses. I had mine built because I'm a one man show. I live in central Indiana and do plan on heating it with radient floor heating at some point. Right now I'm getting the basic power hooked up and hopefully I'll have the floor in early next spring.

I'm not a farmer and dont see myself EVER getting a mobile home, so 12' high should be more then adequate.
All I can say is picking the over all size is kind of the easy part, there will so many more decisions to make afterwards. How will you heat it, will you divide it up at all to use it for "living" area. I plan on at the very least having a bathroom, shower and laundry in mine.

There are many thread on hear about pole design and layout. Size and height are two thing that are personal choices that you'll have to decided.

Good luck and when the building starts please remember to post photos.

Wedge

 

[MotorSeven]

As already mentioned, build it as big as you can afford. Most of us have tractors that can stack rolled hay 3 high. That's a bare minimum of 12' using 4x4 rolls and even then you might put a spear thru the roof. I say 16' high, then you don't have to worry.

 

[Duffster]

Cant see how that is benefical to them OR the customers????

The ONLY thing I see them saving money on is concrete and siding. (since siding is 3' and works out in multipuls of 9).

But ALL the 2x4's for wall girts and purlins, all the base boards, all the headers, etc has to be bought in 10' lengths and then a foot hacked off.

I would think a 100' building with posts on 10' centers would have been cheaper??? 2 less posts (one each wall), 1 less section of wall girts (nailers), FAR less labor measuring and cutting 1' off of everything, one less...you get where this is going.

Personally I always try to build in 8 or 12 foot increments. And preferably 12. Because lumber is standard in that size. it is divisible by 4 because plywood and drywall are 4' wide. and it is also divisible by 3 for the siding. Building on 12' intervals seems to net the cheapes square footage. EX: 24x36, 36x48, 48x96, etc.

They build them 10' OC also. With 9' they don't cut anything, 18' girts and 20' purlins. They probably couldn't stretch 2x4 purlins to 10 foot so they went 9'.

Some of it boils down to gimmick as well. Like Morton doing 7'6'' centers.