Pole Barn VS Red Steel building - Need some more advice

[STx]

You can build a 3,000 sq/ft metal building with 2 guys and limited knowledge. I built a 2,000 sq/ft mostly by myself. I hired the slab and the roof, erected almost all of the framing alone and my wife helped me with the walls.

Completely finished, $60,000 will be tight for 3,000 sq/ft. I'm about $40-$45 into mine now and still have a fair amount of interior work and the septic to do before it's what I'd call done done. It's far enough that I can work in it though, so our house additions have taken higher priority. I overbuilt my slab, I could have saved about $5,000 there but, you'll eat that up with the extra square footage.

I had a lengthy thread about my build, from dirt work to where I am now. I made some mistakes along the way, which I openly admitted, if you think you might want to give it a go, look over that post, it includes all the things I wish I'd known when I started.

 

[EddieWalker]

Local costs usually have a lot to do with politics, code and labor. There isn't much you can do about those things, it is what it is. As for design, a rectangle is going to be the most cost effective. Then the width of your span. Metal has a huge advantage when going for a wider building with a larger span. Wood trusses have a limit where they are cost effective. Metal will require concrete and massive footings to support the load on a small point.

Cheapest building is a wood post pole barn. Concrete and labor never come down in cost, so you should always do it now.

Since you mentioned not wanting a normal looking barn and you are wanting something unique, consider what you will use on your walls. If you are going to side them, then it might be cheaper to go with stick framing. If you are going to pour concrete anyway, then stick framing makes more sense. Instead of thinking barn building, look at it as framing a house without any interior walls.

I personally like big Pressure Treated 6x6's in the ground with concrete around them for the floor, and a footing along the perimeter for stick framing the walls with 2x6's vertically. This allows me to put on Hardie lap siding on the exterior, insulate with fiberglass batts if I want to, and osb on the interior walls. The 6x6's add enormous strength to the walls for longer distances, and the sheething on the exterior and interior will totally eliminate any racking on taller walls. Then you add your trusses to the tops of the walls at the posts. If at a later day you want more square footage, it's super easy to add on to the side walls with a lean to type space.

 

[fried1765]

Local costs usually have a lot to do with politics, code and labor. There isn't much you can do about those things, it is what it is. As for design, a rectangle is going to be the most cost effective. Then the width of your span. Metal has a huge advantage when going for a wider building with a larger span. Wood trusses have a limit where they are cost effective. Metal will require concrete and massive footings to support the load on a small point.

Cheapest building is a wood post pole barn. Concrete and labor never come down in cost, so you should always do it now.

Since you mentioned not wanting a normal looking barn and you are wanting something unique, consider what you will use on your walls. If you are going to side them, then it might be cheaper to go with stick framing. If you are going to pour concrete anyway, then stick framing makes more sense. Instead of thinking barn building, look at it as framing a house without any interior walls.

I personally like big Pressure Treated 6x6's in the ground with concrete around them for the floor, and a footing along the perimeter for stick framing the walls with 2x6's vertically. This allows me to put on Hardie lap siding on the exterior, insulate with fiberglass batts if I want to, and osb on the interior walls. The 6x6's add enormous strength to the walls for longer distances, and the sheething on the exterior and interior will totally eliminate any racking on taller walls. Then you add your trusses to the tops of the walls at the posts. If at a later day you want more square footage, it's super easy to add on to the side walls with a lean to type space.

36' x 48' x 14' + 2 big doors, Morton building (unfinished inside) with 5" concrete floor, cost me just under 12K, 34 years ago.
I wonder what that would cost now?

 

[bigtiller]

Thanks ! I grew up in the Midwest so I knew about Morton and their quality. If you watch their construction YouTube videos you will see how they put the small things in place that leads the industry. They will build anything you design for them....for a price !! The building will be put up in June...I have to wait my turn.

Spend enough and they may give you a free sign. :drink:

 

[WM75Guy]

I like my Morton sign. It was a little pricey. But if you buy the sign they will through in a pretty nice building and a jacket. :laughing:

In all seriousness, Morton does built a high quality building. For us it was well worth the price.

 

[sw99]

I did a 30x54x12 red iron type steel building and it was under 12K delivered. I put it on my existing concrete pad and had it erected for 9K. So far i'm 22K into this after the electrician came over.

 

[sw99]

I like my Morton sign. It was a little pricey. But if you buy the sign they will through in a pretty nice building and a jacket. :laughing:

In all seriousness, Morton does built a high quality building. For us it was well worth the price.

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Good looking barn! My wife would love to have something like that.

 

[fried1765]

I like my Morton sign. It was a little pricey. But if you buy the sign they will through in a pretty nice building and a jacket. :laughing:

In all seriousness, Morton does built a high quality building. For us it was well worth the price.

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34 years ago I got the sign, but no shirt.
Maybe I should complain?

Your building looks GREAT !!

 

[WM75Guy]

Good looking barn! My wife would love to have something like that.

Thanks. Just say the 2 words that make a marriage work, "Yes dear".

 

[Peter 315]

I like my Morton sign. It was a little pricey. But if you buy the sign they will through in a pretty nice building and a jacket. :laughing:

In all seriousness, Morton does built a high quality building. For us it was well worth the price.

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Nice barn what size and how many stalls ?:thumbsup: