What should i build, garage, pole bard, steel

[dirtyb115]

Hi all. I know another building question. Ive been reading trust me.
I currently have some acreage that i plan on building a house on in the next 2-5 years. In the meantime i have alot of grading work, tree clearing, ect..
It is a real pain to have to trailer my equipment back to my house everytime i have to do any maintenance on it or for the winter ect.. and my bobcat sits out there exposed. At any rate, i would love to have a building where i can store all this stuff (chainsaws, bobcat, attachments, ect ect ect.) I was thinking pole barn due to cost, however i really want a concrete floor so maybe that is not the best option? When i build the house ill have a 2 car attached garage, so dont need storaage for cars, but i would like it to be big enough to hold the bobcat, dirtbikes, lawnmower and still have room for a small workshop area. So any info would be great.... What size should i be shooting for, what style, cost? I plan on building it with the help of my buddies. Thanks!!

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

I'd vote pole barn - once you add 4-6" of crusher run in it to level the floor, you should have about 4-5" of sill board still sticking up to use as the forms for the poured floor. (this is pretty common around my neck of the woods)
as to size, I tend to think 30x40 is a good general purpose size for a tool shed.
good luck!

 

[scgargoyle]

The size is easier to figure- Calculate all the space you think you will ever need and build it 3 times bigger, It'll be almost big enough....

 

[SteelDust]

Why are you thinking a pole barn would exclude you from having a concrete floor? My 36x30 pole building, with full concrete floor would easily house everything you listed with plenty of room for a workshop. Especially if you build with 12' eaves and add a storage loft for seldom used items like I did.

As far as cost, I had mine built in 2004 for $16k, with permits. Lumber was sky high at the time, metal was cheap. Mine is 36x30, with 12 foot eaves, concrete floor, metal roof and siding, 2 10x10 roll up doors, and one man door. That price didn't include electrical, the loft I put in, insulation and finishing the interior.

I would think doing the labor yourself, and the price of lumber being down from when I built (OSB was $20 a sheet then, it's $7 now). You could easily get it finished off for around $10k. I would build something nice now, so that you have it to use while the house is being built and beyond. Once the house project starts it's always harder to pull money from that to put into shops and outbuildings.

 

[YM-135trac]

Hi all. I know another building question. Ive been reading trust me.
I currently have some acreage that i plan on building a house on in the next 2-5 years. In the meantime i have alot of grading work, tree clearing, ect..
It is a real pain to have to trailer my equipment back to my house everytime i have to do any maintenance on it or for the winter ect.. and my bobcat sits out there exposed. At any rate, i would love to have a building where i can store all this stuff (chainsaws, bobcat, attachments, ect ect ect.) I was thinking pole barn due to cost, however i really want a concrete floor so maybe that is not the best option? When i build the house ill have a 2 car attached garage, so dont need storaage for cars, but i would like it to be big enough to hold the bobcat, dirtbikes, lawnmower and still have room for a small workshop area. So any info would be great.... What size should i be shooting for, what style, cost? I plan on building it with the help of my buddies. Thanks!!

Cargo container pretty secure, in full shade(they get too hot in sun) plus i'd put a low jack thief component on equip., if it was me. you will need one when building/future, lotsa stuff walk-off then too.

 

[dirtyb115]

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like pole barn is the way to go.
I have found a few places that sell kits, and it looks like that may be the way to go.

 

[keving]

Hi all. I know another building question. Ive been reading trust me.
I currently have some acreage that i plan on building a house on in the next 2-5 years. In the meantime i have alot of grading work, tree clearing, ect..
It is a real pain to have to trailer my equipment back to my house everytime i have to do any maintenance on it or for the winter ect.. and my bobcat sits out there exposed. At any rate, i would love to have a building where i can store all this stuff (chainsaws, bobcat, attachments, ect ect ect.) I was thinking pole barn due to cost, however i really want a concrete floor so maybe that is not the best option? When i build the house ill have a 2 car attached garage, so dont need storaage for cars, but i would like it to be big enough to hold the bobcat, dirtbikes, lawnmower and still have room for a small workshop area. So any info would be great.... What size should i be shooting for, what style, cost? I plan on building it with the help of my buddies. Thanks!!

My suggestion is pole barn. Yes, build it 3 times bigger than you think you'll need. Another suggestion is to include an awning/shed roof off the long side. My barn is 40x72 with a 60x16 shed roof and that has proven to be the best storage area for implements/diesel/wood and frees up space inside the building. What ever you do, post pics! Good luck.

 

[EddieWalker]

What is your budget?

All things considered, a pole barn is the cheapest type of building to put up, but it does have it's limitations. Most notable are how big you can make it. From what you've said, that shouldn't be a problem.

If the budget is tight, or if you are after maximum sq footage, then pole barns allow you to build now, concrete later. The problem with this is if you will ever pour the concrete. It's always expensive, but the longer you wait, the more it will cost. I know of people that have been putting off pouring concrete in there barnds for 30 years or more. The other issue is making space in your barn to pour the concrete. Once you start filling it up with "stuff", it's very dificult to clean it out again.

If you are going to pour concrete, then stick built has more apeal to it over poles. This is what I did because I wanted concrete, and I'm a home builder, so stick building is pretty simple for me. I like having studs on 16 inch centers and knowing that there's nothing in the ground that will ever rot on me. My walls are 12 feet tall, and that has proven to be a perfect height. IT gives me allot of space to work on wood projects, or bring in a vehicle for repairs. I was even able to carry my hot tub into there with my FEL!!!!

Door size is important in your planning. I went with a 10x10ft roll up door. It's a good size and probably the smallest size that's still practical. If I did it again, I might consider 12 foot wide just for the added ease of backing my trailer in through it. I can do it fine with 10 ft, but it's tight and if I'm in a hurry to get a load of concrete out of the weather, the added width would be nice.

To save money up front, plan on being able to add lean-to's to either side after it's built. You can do it from the beginning and spend the money, but you can easily add them in later on when you have more money and use that money for more square footage or finishing off the building.

Metal roofs are pretty standard and easy to install. If you go for a pitch steeper then 4:12, be warned that it's very slippery.

The wider your trusses are, the more they cost. Going for a longer building is cheaper and easier then a wider one. Same square footage, but less money on those big trusses. My shop is 24 feet wide and I built the trusses myself, in place. I could have gone wider, but that was a very easy width to build by myself with standard lumber.

Spacing of your trusses determines your purlins. I like them on 4ft centers so that I can use 2x4's on the flat. If you go wider, then your purlins will have to be on edge. That means backets and more money to attach them, but fewer trusses. It's a math game that you'll have to figur out what works best for you.

I have 100 amps in my shop and don't have any problems. It's enough for my welder, air compressor and power tools.

Add a sink. It's very handy and something that gets used almost daily. If it's a code issue, plan on it for after you pass your final inspection. You can run the drain out into the woods and water the plants. My first barn didn't have hot water to it, but I still used it all the time.

Eddie

 

[dirtyb115]

budget lol,,, that never works. I started out looking at 5k pole barn kits, now im trying to stay under 15k. Stick built is an interesting option, i have a buddy that used to frame houses, and he said that he would be more than happy to help me out. Just curious, how much did you end up spending doing your stick built?

 

[wedge40]

I'm curious how big of cost difference there is between stick built and pole barn.
I haven't gotten the quotes for what I'm interested in yet. I'm looking at 30x40 with Gambrel roof. Second floor sound enough to live in if needed.

Wedge