Want to put up a shop..

[Arc weld]

I'm looking at getting a shop built and could use some of you guys experience. I'm leaning toward a pole building because no concrete is needed. I can't afford a concrete floor right now anyway. I pretty confident the new laminated poles will last indefinitely and from what I can figure are quite a bit cheaper than putting in a grade beam for a metal building. I looked at fabric buildings but they seem to have gone up in price quite a bit from a few years ago. Originally I thought a 30x40 would be adequate. Price installed is $16-17,000! I was a farm show and got one quote for a 30x42 pole barn with 12'x12' door for $29,500. A couple other places said to figure about $25/sq.ft. Another place said about $20/sq.ft. but had a quote sheet at the show of $38,866 for 40x60 with a 14'x14' insulated door with chain hoist and a walk in door. This seemed like a way better deal, $16.025/sq.ft. I know it's cheaper per sq.ft. the bigger you go and I need to get a quote from them for a 30x40 but if they come in under $20/sq.ft. would seem like a way better deal than the fabric building but maybe going twice as big for not much more money is the better option? The pictures on their brochure look like very well built pole sheds. Is it common one place can be so much cheaper or are some places just lining their pockets? They all look well built. I have some stuff in a storage lot and had I known I would have put up a shop a long time ago. They keep raising the rates every 6 month's. I think the payments on the building won't be much more than the storage charges if I put a good down payment on the building. Is it better to put the building on the mortgage or to just take out a 5 or 6 year personal loan? Will a better building appreciate in value when I sell the property down the road? I don't live at the property but need a place to store and work on equipment. A couple guys suggested the DIY metal buildings you bolt together cause they're cheaper but I'm not real sold on those.
Just looking for your guys thoughts on putting up a building and what to look for.

 

[NewfieDan]

What will you be doing in the shop? Going by your screen name I would think that you may be doing some welding? Would a fabric building be the best idea with that?

As for me I would get a personal line of credit to finance. The rate is usually close to that of a mortgage. And once you have the credit it can be used for anything you want.

A more permanent building is more likely to appreciate more in value for resale at a later date. A fabric building is great for storage but they are not really designed to be a work shop. Too easy to get into for my taste.

What about wind? Is there a lot of wind where you are? Will the fabric hold up well enough? Or will it need repairs on a regular basis?

Can you get a larger door? Think down the road, will you want to store larger equipment/vehicles than a 12x12 door will allow? For example I have a a fifth wheel, but when I built my garage I only had a tow behind that was much lower. I wish now I had a 14ft high door. This is only food for thought.

My work shop originally had water issues. A grade beam will help to stop that. The original owner here never had it done. After about 9-10 yrs I had to put one in. Would have been cheaper and easier to put in first.

I lived in Alberta for 25yrs. Will you be working there in winter? Any heat needed? It can also be warm in summer. Will you want to open the door for a draft to help keep cool or to vent welding smoke?

 

[GPintheMitten]

Have you thought about building it yourself? I built a couple of pole barns with some help from friends. You can get a lot done on a couple of long weekends, or take a week off for a work/vacation.

 

[wolftree]

Make the doors at least one foot taller than you think you need, preferably two feet. Design for adding a shed roof on at least one side at a later date.

 

[flusher]

My 24x42 ft steel shop building cost $16K when I had it built in 2005. Includes two 10x10 ft roll up doors, 1 man door, one window, 12 ft tall walls.



Concrete floor (6" thick, #4 rebar on 24" x 24" grid, 4000 psi concrete) and outside concrete apron cost $6K.

Good luck

 

[KennyG]

Flusher, it looks like you've got several projects going at the same time. what is the old tractor?

 

[flusher]

Flusher, it looks like you've got several projects going at the same time. what is the old tractor?

That's a 1951 Minneapolis Moline BF wide front high crop tractor. That photo was taken a few years ago. The restoration was pretty much completed late last year. That tractor along with all my other tractors were sold last December while my place was in escrow. Sale was completed in mid-Jan this year and I moved back to the city.

 

[s219]

My 24x42 ft steel shop building cost $16K when I had it built in 2005. Includes two 10x10 ft roll up doors, 1 man door, one window, 12 ft tall walls.

View attachment 419310View attachment 419311View attachment 419312View attachment 419313

Concrete floor (6" thick, #4 rebar on 24" x 24" grid, 4000 psi concrete) and outside concrete apron cost $6K.

Good luck

That is a nice building, but it looks like you should have built it 84 feet long instead of 42! I know my barn should have been at least 50% bigger, but at the time it was already 4X bigger than the old one!

 

[rogerius]

I'm looking at getting a shop built and could use some of you guys experience. I'm leaning toward a pole building because no concrete is needed. I can't afford a concrete floor right now anyway. I pretty confident the new laminated poles will last indefinitely and from what I can figure are quite a bit cheaper than putting in a grade beam for a metal building. I looked at fabric buildings but they seem to have gone up in price quite a bit from a few years ago. Originally I thought a 30x40 would be adequate. Price installed is $16-17,000! I was a farm show and got one quote for a 30x42 pole barn with 12'x12' door for $29,500. A couple other places said to figure about $25/sq.ft. Another place said about $20/sq.ft. but had a quote sheet at the show of $38,866 for 40x60 with a 14'x14' insulated door with chain hoist and a walk in door. This seemed like a way better deal, $16.025/sq.ft. I know it's cheaper per sq.ft. the bigger you go and I need to get a quote from them for a 30x40 but if they come in under $20/sq.ft. would seem like a way better deal than the fabric building but maybe going twice as big for not much more money is the better option? The pictures on their brochure look like very well built pole sheds. Is it common one place can be so much cheaper or are some places just lining their pockets? They all look well built. I have some stuff in a storage lot and had I known I would have put up a shop a long time ago. They keep raising the rates every 6 month's. I think the payments on the building won't be much more than the storage charges if I put a good down payment on the building. Is it better to put the building on the mortgage or to just take out a 5 or 6 year personal loan? Will a better building appreciate in value when I sell the property down the road? I don't live at the property but need a place to store and work on equipment. A couple guys suggested the DIY metal buildings you bolt together cause they're cheaper but I'm not real sold on those.
Just looking for your guys thoughts on putting up a building and what to look for.

The same here in Ontario, ridiculous quotes. I was looking for quotes to build a pole barn 32x40 and the range was between 30K to 45K so I decide to build myself this year. You mentioned about laminated poles; where did you find that? I check around here and not available in Canada.

 

[jwayne14]

I looked at fabric buildings but they seem to have gone up in price quite a bit from a few years ago.

A couple guys suggested the DIY metal buildings you bolt together cause they're cheaper but I'm not real sold on those.

what is a fabric building?
any inputs on the diy bolt together buildings? they are attractively priced.

 

[Redneck in training]

Around here prices vary depending on quality. Morton building is top of the line and cost (in 2012) about $27/sqft, 36 x 75 ft, 12ft ceiling, insulated R19, rib sheet metal inside and out, two 4 X 4 windows, two man doors, one 12 X 12 roll up door, plumbing for toiled connected to septic, water line installed, reinforced concrete floor with 18 X 25 ft apron outside. $74000.
Morton Buildings

 

[AGRIMAN]

My old farm shop is a home built steel building 30x30. We cut and welded the frame, bought the metal from a local supplier, poured the floor (8'') all ourselves. $12k.

My new farm shop is a 40x40x16 red iron steel building. 3, 14' rollup doors, 6'' concrete floor with footers and all the electric power I will ever need $65k.

Insulation is a must and well worth the extra money to me. I used the bubble style in the old shop and I would not recommend it. The new shop has 6'' fiberglass with is much better, but I would recommend spray foam. At some point, I going to spray foam both of them.

 

[Arc weld]

The same here in Ontario, ridiculous quotes. I was looking for quotes to build a pole barn 32x40 and the range was between 30K to 45K so I decide to build myself this year. You mentioned about laminated poles; where did you find that? I check around here and not available in Canada.

I'm not sure if laminated is the right term for the posts but they are 3 or 4 dimensional lumber boards(2x6, 2x8) pressed together to make the posts. Each one is treated PWF for in ground use. I just got another quote for a fabric cover building from the show, $20,000 for a 30x40 and it says purchaser to supply large skid steer. I can get twice the size in a pole shed with a 14x14 insulated door for $38,800. I wouldn't be surprised if a same size pole shed from this builder was the same as the fabric building. Now I'm trying to decide if I should go with a bigger building like the 60 x 40? I'll have to talk to them and check their price on smaller sizes. I hope there wasn't a typo on their estimate sheet for the 60x40. The bolt together buildings don't have anything to stop condensation and I think still need a foundation.

I'm thinking if I can get payments around $500/month over 5 or 6 years having a better building will be worth it in the long run. I'm also wondering about resale down the road. I read somewhere that you only get $.50 on the dollar on resale of a farm type building but I think it would add greatly having it on the land for the next owner. I'm tired of paying stupid ridiculous storage fee's($325 for a 10x15) and having nowhere to store my equipment or work on it. For a couple hundred bucks more a month it seems like a no brainer to me. I'll also have to check with the county and see about taxes and building permits and such.

 

[newbury]

Around here prices vary depending on quality. Morton building is top of the line and cost (in 2012) about $27/sqft, 36 x 75 ft, 12ft ceiling, insulated R19, rib sheet metal inside and out, two 4 X 4 windows, two man doors, one 12 X 12 roll up door, plumbing for toiled connected to septic, water line installed, reinforced concrete floor with 18 X 25 ft apron outside. $74000.
Morton Buildings

<snip>
My new farm shop is a 40x40x16 red iron steel building. 3, 14' rollup doors, 6'' concrete floor with footers and all the electric power I will ever need $65k.

Insulation is a must and well worth the extra money to me. I used the bubble style in the old shop and I would not recommend it. The new shop has 6'' fiberglass with is much better, but I would recommend spray foam. At some point, I going to spray foam both of them.

Those prices just make me angry about appraisers.

I've 4 shops that cover 5,500 sq feet, all on thick concrete pad, no a/c but the two on the right had gas heat (until someone stole my LPG tank last year)

.

The red one is 40' wide, 60' deep, 12' high with a 1 bedroom apartment 15' deep across the back, w/ shower, toilet, kitchen and this does a/c sink etc.

They are all wired and well lit, w/ 400 amp service (including about 8 240V circuits).

The appraiser never even went to the shops and placed the value of the shops at about $8,000 (that works out to $1.45/sq foot).

I've also a typical metal carport near the house that has a brick "floor" and only 1 side closed in. It's 600 sq foot, has 2 fluorescent lights and he valued that a $15/sq foot, or $9,000. It's the top pic

That's about the cost of a new one.

If that LAME appraiser had valued the shops and apartment at $15/sq ft it would have added about $70K to the appraisal, and made the loan REAL easy to get.

So Arc weld, don't count on the appraiser adding value for ANYTHING you do. They can be blind.

 

[Redneck in training]

It is the same here. Year after the shop building was built we added a heated/AC guest room and office 12 ft deep on the north side of the building increasing total cost to about 100K. When getting appraisal for refinancing it added virtual $0 to value of our property. The good thing is that our property tax didn't increase. In fact our tax decreased due to general drop of property values.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I just got a quote on a 30 x 32 package deal 10' ceiling, 1 entry door and a 10 or 12 sliding door for a little over 9000. I think it even has the screws etc. In it. It is a pole building with metal roof and siding.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My 30 x 48' x 12' "kit" cost around $10K with 1 entry door, without overhead doors, and my assembly. I added 3 overhead garage doors, and later the concrete floor.

 

[SouthernSooner]

My 30 x 48' x 12' "kit" cost around $10K with 1 entry door, without overhead doors, and my assembly. I added 3 overhead garage doors, and later the concrete floor.

Hey buckeye, how much did it cost to add the concrete? I have a 30x40 shop with a dirt floor and I desperatly want to have a concrete floor! If I had the money, I would keep the 30x40 shop dirt floor and use as a barn and tractor storage, then build a seperate shop of modest size. But for now I think it would be cheaper to just add a concrete floor to the barn.

 

[Duwop]

Hey buckeye, how much did it cost to add the concrete? I have a 30x40 shop with a dirt floor and I desperatly want to have a concrete floor! If I had the money, I would keep the 30x40 shop dirt floor and use as a bar and tractor storage, and build a seperate shop of modest size. But for now I think it would be cheer to just add a concrete floor to the barn.

FWIW 8 yrs ago I had a 24x40 shop built and adding the concrete floor added 5k to the price in rural SW Virginia

 

[LD1]

$25/sq ft sounds really high for a basic pole barn.

I am in the middle of building my shop, but had gotten quotes about 6 months ago. Was quoting 40x64x12, left open on one of the 40' ends for me to finish, and (2) 12' sliders on the sides. I had material roughly figured at 11-12k. Quotes were around 18k. I imagine if I had them finish the front maybe a few grand more. But I would guess still under $10/sq ft.

Prices must just be really high up your way.

As it is now, I am building my own. Went a tad bigger, 40x72. And decided to do a 6 course block foundation with a 12' wall on top of that. Gonna have 2 12' sliders, 1 18' overhead door. There will be a wall in the middle dividing it into a 40x40 section and a 40x32 section. The 40x32 will be gravel floor and not much else. The 40x40 will be insulated, concreted, finished with OSB walls and metal ceiling, electric, etc. I am anticipating a total material cost around 25k. And that includes several loads of gravel for the drive and for the inside under the concrete, fill, and floor for the unfinished side