I'm curious about the cost to construct a pole building. Especially when comparing different size buildings. Is there going to be huge difference between 30x40 and 32x48? Also there shouldn't be any difference in construction cost if you have a 9' or 12' high barn just material costs. No slab. Just the cost to but it up.
If anybody has examples of what they paid to have the barn built and the size would be appreciated.
Wedge
The biggest expense in any building is in the labor. Are you going to build it or hire it out?
The rectangle is the cheapest shape to build. Four walls and a simple gable roof. Change this around and the price starts to climb.
For square footage, longer is cheaper to build then wider.
There are all sorts of ways to build a building, but the cheapest is usually wood posts set in the ground and wood trusses, using metal to cover the sides and roof. This would be a bare bones building and can be in the $10 a sq ft range to have built for you, depending on snow loads, roof pitch and local codes. $15 a ft would be at the higher end of it, and anything under ten bucks would be pretty good.
You must compare apples to apples, so know what sized posts you are using and the gauge of the metal. Not all metal panels are the same, and even if the thickness is the same, the coating might not be. Some companies sell metal from a main supplier and put their name on it. Others make their own metal. I like Muellers. They make all their own stuff, and they do a good job of it.
The most common reason for leaks in a metal roof are the screws. If you get cheap gaskets on the screws, you will have leaks.
The biggest complaint on metal buildings is from condesation. It will litterally rain inside of the building on a clear day outside. Insulation will stop this, but it costs more money.
Door size and type will have a big affect on the cost. Sliding doors are the cheapest, but usually the most prone to problems. They also tend to be very difcult to seal up. Wind and bugs can get in through them the easiest. I like roll up doors, but a household garage style door is also good.
Metal panels are three ft wide, so to be the most cost effective, figure your dimensions in multiples of three.
Putting the drive through door at the gable ends allows you to go higher then on the sides, but it might limit you on how many doors you want.
Consider utilities. Electricity can be a simple part of it, or expensive, depending on your local laws and distance from where the power source.
Water is very nice to have in a shop. Another expense, but usually a cheap one. I really like having a sink in my shop. I have hot and cold water in this shop, but only had cold water in my last shop. That was fine for most of the year, but in winter, it sure is nice to have hot water, though I wouldn't spend the extra money to make it happen if it wasn't convienent.
And the last big expense is the floor. Rock is just terrible to have to work on. Concrete is the best for allot of reasons. Rolling, walking and just finding a part when it falls down. You will never regret spending the money for concrete, but you will always regret not having it. Do the concrete right away. The longer you wait, the more stuff you will put in there, and the tougher it will be. Concrete also gets more expensive every year.
Figure out exactly what you need, how big you want to go and look online for some buildings of that size. Then with some basic numbers and idea of what you want, interview some builders to get your prices. Always talk to at least five builders. The big mistake most people make is to hire the first one they talk to. I get hired this way allot and always wonder about the client making such a quick decision on such an important aspect of their lives.
Here's a good site to get an idea of prices. I don't know this company and have never bought anything from them, but they offer prices, which I use when estimating a the cost of a metal building. It will put you in the ballpark and then you can go from there.
Steel Buildings: Pre Engineered Metal Building Kits & Garage Doors - SteelBuilding.com
And Muellers will sometimes offer kits that are pretty good, but most of the time, you have to talk to their saleman to get a price for what you want.
Mueller, Inc. - Home Page
Eddie
