Help mme understand Pole Barns

[DennisH]

I have been looking at pole barn projects and just don't understand the benefit over conventional stick structure. I can understand the concept if keeping a dirt or gravel floor but pouring a concrete slab is not clicking in my brain.

If your going to pour a concrete slab why not just pour a slab and build a stick structure, seems to me you end up with the same thing and cost shoule be about the same.

What am I missing??????

 

[MarkV]

Dennis I think you are missing the cost structure. To stick build you are going to need a perimeter footing and a bunch more wood to frame it up. A pole barn depends on the poles to replace the footing and they can be 8' or 10' apart. There are advantages to a stick built structure but cost isn't one of them, particularly if you are roofing and siding with metal.

MarkV

 

[grsthegreat]

Here in idaho i can get a basic 30x40 pole barn (without slab) for under $9,000.

as you add detailing to it, price increases. Thats about $7.50/SF installed.


No way to get standard structure built for anywheres near that price.

My 30x60 carriage barn with 2 roll ups and one slide door PLUS side overhang came in at about $16/sf, but it has LOTS of bling. copulas, lots of windows.

I couldnt touch that price with a stick framed unit.

Now, where the prices get closer together is when they build whats called a commercial gert framed pole barn. thats one where they do a standard 2x6 framed interior wall along with the 6x6 or 8x8 main posts. they do this to allow standard insulation and drywall installs. You still do not need footings in the slab like conventional, but nearly as much lumber.

 

[gwiley]

I built my pole barn much faster than I could have a stick built barn, poured a nice fiber reinforced slab and use it for a shop. The walls are simpler because they do not provide structural support - just purlins between the posts so that I have something to attach the metal sheathing to. There is a LOT more wood in stick built buildings which translates to higher materials costs and higher labor costs (more time if you are the one swinging the hammer).

The next outbuilding will be pole construction rather than stick built - I am thoroughly convinced that this is the way to go for non-residences.

 

[Slab]

It depends. Are you going to hire someone to drill the holes for the poles and poor a slab? Two by four framing on a slab goes up cheap and easy. One thing I see on a lot of pole barns I don't like is the whole weight of the roof is held by nails into the poles.
One man can frame a wall with two by fours much easier than he can wrestle six by six poles.

 

[KennyG]

There is probably only a limited advantage to a pole barn if the walls are 8 feet or even 10 feet tall. However, 12 feet and above, conventional stud walls would get much more expensive and difficult.

 

[gwiley]

Posts are really not a problem - even pretty tall they can be handled by a few men. A tractor with a loader solves your problems when they get bigger than that.

As far as drilling the holes - rented a hydraulic auger for my bobcat which made short work of the holes for the poles.

 

[schweizer]

weight of the roof is held by nails into the poles.

That's why all top girts or roof girts should be bolted to the posts or let-in to the top of the posts, IMHO. I used 6x12 glu-lam beams on top of the posts on mine.

A 4" thick slab between the posts is a lot cheaper than digging and pouring a real footing + slab for a conventionally framed building.

 

[nybirdman]

The way they build the uprights around here:three PT 2x6's the third on the inside supporting the roof gird.The inside one is 5-1/2in. shorter the the other two uprights.This way the weight is supported on wood instead of nails or bolts.We just had a 30x40ft.built(no floor yet) for about $9,000.

 

[Rustyiron]

It's been my experiance that for the cheapest (unfinished) shell, a pole bldg. is the way to go. Now if you are in an area where you start talking about frost depth's AND you are going to insulate (and that generally leads to finishing the interior) you are quickly moving away from any logic in a "post frame" or pole bldg. In AL, I would guess that you have hurricane loads where up here, we have snow loads, not sure what that might do to your costs but if your can have a (2) post and 1 truss every 8', you'r building for cheap!
I'm sure you are safe in AL with a 4-5" slab with no special perimeter concerns ie; truned down slab, monolithic footing etc. so I believe that it'll be cheaper for you.