18x24 carport on slab? or pole building?

[oldboyscout]

I desperately need a place to start storing some stuff and am on a seriously tight budget. I was thinking about pouring a slab and having one of those $700 steel carports put on it for now, with the idea of eventually adding walls.
should I consider a pole building instead? I know I'm going to hit ledge in some spots a couple feet down.
I'd appreciate anyones experience along these lines.

 

[johnrex62]

I would expect that the carport will ultimately be too small for a final solution. I plan on putting up a carport on dirt floor for my interim solution. I am currently displacing my cars from their carport for my tractor and radial saw. I need to move them, but would really need two 18x24 carports for my tractor, saw, trailer and odds and ends.

I don't see you being satisfied with the carport for long term in terms of storage space.

 

[oldboyscout]

I know the size is small, but there's no way I can go much bigger. I need space for my small tractor, workbench, mower, welder, some shelves, and some open space to work in. Implements will stay outside. I won't be getting a larger tractor unless I move.
Also, I know if I build a huge barn, I'll just keep getting more crap to fill it with, and I'm at the point that I really don't want more stuff to deal with.

 

[johnrex62]

My L3700 takes as much space as a car, with the fel and rotary mower attached it takes the full length of the bay. I have a 10" Radial saw and it takes the full width of the other bay to give me room to operate it. That leaves me enough room for a 4' wide shelf, a small air compressor and the Troybilt Horse tiller and push mower wedged in the cracks. Everything else is outside and I have a narrow walk path down the middle. Not comfortable for working unless I pull the mowers and compressor out.

I don't have much winter to protect things from and a roof is enough for most of our rainstorms and strong sunlight. I plan on starting with a single 18x24 on the dirt and adding another in a year or so. I haven't decided on the concrete floor yet, am leaning against just due to cost and the fact I don't do a lot of mechanic work. For the few times I do any work that a hard floor would benefit, I am thinking of rigging a couple sheets of 3/4 plywood to lay down to work ontop of. It would only be as needed and not exposed to the ground often.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I wouldnt go less than 20 feet wide for double car port and preferable 24 x 24. That way you can later park 2 cars in it if you want without banging the sides with the doors. I dont think it would cost much more for the extra 6 feet of width. Regardless of whether or not you want more "junk" to store, you will invariably get more so you may as well plan ahead a bit. Check pricing for difference in cost for the larger area. You may be able to swing it now.
I built a 30 x 52 shop/boat storage building 2 years ago and have outgrown it so l am getting ready to put a 14 x 30 shed on the back to move my boat into so I have more working room inside the shop. That is a little more work than I care to take on due to my age and health so I am awaiting on a quote from the contractor who built my shop originally to see how much the damage is going to be. I will go cheap on this phase and not insulate the walls, seal the interior or wire it but will spring for concrete floor. I think I can piggy back onto the existing electrical for lights and receptacles later. My son is an electrician, so I just have to con him into coming for a visit.

 

[Will_C]

You are spending some decent money on a concrete slab. My thought is that you can put up your poles and roofing for a pole barn and have the same structure as a carport-essentially you would have a carport, but one you can side, add doors and windows, and electricity as the budget allows.

Will

 

[grsthegreat]

dont know what kind of a budget your on, but personally where i live (Idaho) I see those portable sheds either collapse or blow apart in the winters here. Back in the day (1996) i had a 30x40 shop installed, with slab, and a loan of $90.00 / month. was cheap in my minds eye. A 10x5 closet in the storage yard rented for more.

You could always check on having a contractor set the posts and add some braces and a roof now, add the walls and slab some other time.

 

[oldboyscout]

the carports I'm talking about aren't the portable ones- but the square steel tube framing with steel roofing and bracing- they are snow rated and seem to hold up around here.
I'm looking at around $1200 installed (in a day), not including a slab.
Not sure how that compares to poles and roof of similar size, aside from labor.

 

[handirifle]

If it were me, and I were in your shoes, I would get a larger one, have concrete footings, only, poured for the metal framing, and lay a crushed rock floor, until I could later afford the concrete.

More square footage is ALWAYS better, especially if you are using it for storage AND a workshop. I have an 18x18 carport, like you describe, for my tractor, mowers, 12ft aluminum boat, and a few assorted other things. I also built a 24x30 stick frame workshop. The workshop and the carport are already crowded and I do not keep buying things.
You do not want to trip over stored items, just to work on some honey-do project.
The unmentioned advantage to a larger carport, is that you do not have to remove half of whats in there to get to what you need to use.

 

[Soundguy]

if on a budget, then how about the carport and gravel, retain t he gravel with a form board. you always can go back in an pour a floor if needed / add sides.. etc.


soundguy

 

[flusher]

I desperately need a place to start storing some stuff and am on a seriously tight budget. I was thinking about pouring a slab and having one of those $700 steel carports put on it for now, with the idea of eventually adding walls.
should I consider a pole building instead? I know I'm going to hit ledge in some spots a couple feet down.
I'd appreciate anyones experience along these lines.

Here's my 20x36 ft carport at the end of my gravel driveway. Sides are 9ft tall.



Carport was about $2700. I did the footings myself--there's about 6 yards of concrete in the footings at $100/yard plus cost of the rebar, forms, etc.
I paid extra for the side-draining roof option. I'll probably put sides on it one of these days.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

dont know what kind of a budget your on, but personally where i live (Idaho) I see those portable sheds either collapse or blow apart in the winters here.

Keep in mind, Grs, that in other states a strong wind is what we'd call a gentle breeze. Also, in other states the snow that falls in November doesn't stay until April.

 

[oldboyscout]

flusher, is that a concrete footer that runs along the ground?

 

[flusher]

flusher, is that a concrete footer that runs along the ground?

Yep, about 12" wide and 18 to 24" deep (because of the ground slope), 36 feet long. Had to do that to satisfy county building code for a structure this size. No ground augers allowed.

 

[oldboyscout]

I suppose I should check about code here. That may have some impact on my decision

 

[Soundguy]

around here we can get away with non permitted 'ag' structures if it has no power or water and land is A-1

 

[grsthegreat]

Here in Idaho, no portable structure needs a permit. If it is stuck into concrete and over 200 SF...permit time.

 

[Gary Fowler]

The only permit I needed when I built my house in Arkansas was a sewer permit. Perhaps if I had a bank loan or something, they would have wanted some additional inspections but the county was happy with the sewer. When I put in a sprinkler system, the county wanted inspection to assure I had a backflow preventer in place. That is about the extent of county requirements. I dont live in an incorporated area so no city regs to follow.

 

[RPW]

You might look at the 8x8x20 or 8x8x40 steel containers. You can also find the 8x9x40 containers. With a little bit of fabrication to replace end door with a roll-up and framing in a walk-through you'd have a respectable shop. Price is usually less than $3000 for the 40ft units. I've seen them converted into many different style offices/barns etc.

Good luck.

 

[oldboyscout]

yes I'm leaning toward just using gravel under a steel carport for now. I really could use a flat slab for welding and assembly projects but it'll have to wait.

What happens to these steel buildings when they're just bolted to a driveway with no footer?