Pole Barn House?

[willy1947]

Anyone every built a pole barn and used it as a house? Thinking of constructing something around a 40x60 with a small 1 bedroom apartment in it. Something I can do inexpensively and then use when I build a home later.

I'm not married and not dating anyone. I've thought about living in a pole barn for awhile and then building the home the future wife wants beside it.

What I can't decide on is Pole Barn or Steel Building? I'm not real comfortable doing it myself either. I won't have much help, BUT I can do most all of the interior myself. Things like wiring, HVAC, and I don't mind subcontracting out the drywall and plumbing.

Just wondering what people have done and how they dealt with banks. My first look into this, proved that they REALLY want to have a licensed general contractor do it /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I think I could save myself some money, if I did it myself.

Thoughts?

Dave

PS. My future tractor will help with this /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Boone]

One consideration is the amount of noise rain will make upon the roofing material you decide on.

 

[JazzDad]

Re: "I'm not married and not dating anyone."

And I bet it will stay that way if you live in a pole barn.
(But, of course, being a guy I don't see anything wrong with it.) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SPIKER]

it is pretty popular out this way, in fact that is my plans too. down stairs for tractor and work shop and upstairs for living in untill I can afford a log home... anyhow I'm putting in heated floors in slab and an inside hot water wood fired heat box I'll build myslef when I get some Stainless Steel ... as for materials, WOOD WOOD WOOD.

trying to do it in steel is lots harder, steel sweats and is much noiser when it rains or for any banging around too. and if you're GF make a lot of noise durring well then the steel will amplify that noise so maybe you SHOULD go to steel! lol.

anyhow retrofiting OLD barns has been popular for a while for similar things and store fronts, I have a gambrel roof with 2nd story and it is 50x40 and has 10 ' covered porch down the 50 lenght. upstairs has rough in framing done and I have some wiring started but left it like that almost 8 months now as $ ran out. have lots of time though! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Mark M

 

[B964]

I like the idea, BUT.. I think would be very hard to find a lender if building it youself. In my area getting a certificate of occupancy would require bribing the code inspector. Inexpensive? I would think to make it even livable would take alot of $.
The house I have now is post and beam from 1850's and I suspect may have been built as a barn then converted.
I would get the wife part done first, then you will have her to help.

 

[texbaylea]

There is a book on the market on building pole buildings. As I remember there were a few houses in the book. You will get your best price from E. R. Hamilton, Bookseller and he does have a web site.

 

[Slamfire]

With a gambrel roof there would certainly be enough room, how the authorities will look upon it may be a different story.
Another option is park a small camping trailer inside the barn, and live in that. Design the barn with an office so you have an excuse for plumbing. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[dummy]

Sounds like you're not in a big hurry either way. Why not pay as you go. Every "payday" use whatever money is comfortable for you and go purchase that amount of materials on your list. Storage can become an issue, but this way it's "paid in full" before you start.

 

[SPIKER]

my area has 0 codes, only ones are fed mandated water & septic, there is also already a small cabin there which was built by the previous owners and is built on piers, (old phone poles sunk about 4' down and the house/cabin was lived in by him and his wife for 10+ years... very small though it does have all the amenities of a home, well septic, electric heat and all... wwe use it for a party center for summer fun. I just ran out of usable BACK and part of the reason money ran out bad back makes it hard to do a lot of stuff when the air and weather goes down hill... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif


Mark

 

[JeffRey30747]

This isn't really a pole barn since it is standard stick framing on top of 2' cinder block walls. Center garage area on bottom is 30'x30' and one bedroom living apartment on top is 24'x30'. The side sheds add an additional 12'x30' feet of storage to each side. We did all of it ourselves except for the concrete slab and the drywall upstairs. What little we borrowed used the property for collateral so there were no mortgage hassles. I plan on starting the main house within the next year. That shouldn't be too bad since we will already be living in the backyard.

Jeff

 

[SPIKER]

jeffray:
I like it, looks good!... dream shop down stairs and the big screen upstairs! what more could you ask for??? (maybe an elevator and NO stairs lol!)

 

[EddieWalker]

Whatever you do, don't buy the book "How to build a Pole Barn" by Mathew Logan. Worse written book I've come across. Confusing, missleading and impossible to follow. Just read the posts from Mopower.

If you're financing this through your bank, then they will decide what you can and can't do. Each banker has a different level of trust in how you spend their money.

If you're paying out of pocket, then I'd recomend staying single story. You have the land, so space isn't an issue. The second story is much more expensive per square foot to build and requires more skill and engineering.

Consider your demensions to reflect available lumber sizes. Can you build your own trusses? How far of a span do your really need? I went 24 feet because it was an easy span to build for with off the shelf lumber. If you go 40 feet, then you're going to have to spend a premium on engineered trusses or glu-lam beams.

You don't need concrete in the barn, but the apartment needs a floor. Wood is too expensive to for pier and beam. So you must consider if you can poor a concrete slab. If not, figure $3 a foot, maybe more for a small job.

I'm a big believer in planing down to the smallest detail. I use a program by Broaderbund called 3D Home Design Suite Professional 5. Pretty easy to figure out. The real advantage is you can draw your walls, add furniture and get a real idea of how much space you need. You will also figure out where to put the toilet, shower, sink and vents.

Hanging sheet rock isn't very complicated, just a little physical. You can rent a lift for around $40 a day to do the ceilings and the walls are a simple one man operation.

If you take your time, plan everything out, do the research, there's nothing you can't do by yourself or with a few friends.

Every contractor you bring in is going to charge you for matrials, which might not be the cheapest available, but the most convienent for them to get, and of course they will need to make a profit for their time.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[jmc]

Dave,

Check out books on polebarn construction at the Monroe Co. Library. Link attached-you may be able to check online. I was researching this about 10 years ago at the library and recall a book that presented a lot of good reasons to do a house that way.

John

Monroe Co. (Indiana) Library

 

[BigMike]

Several books on the subject. Good one, with plans, is Practiacl Pole Building Construction, by Leigh Seddon.

 

[BigMike]

JeffRey30747
Man, that is a cool looking building. Did you get the plans from somewhere or just do them yourself?

 

[JeffRey30747]

BigMike,
The plans were just rough sketches that I drew in Autocad LT and a lot of on the fly "shadetree engineering". /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I could probably post the elevation and upstairs floorplan if I can remember where I put them.

Jeff

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One consideration is the amount of noise rain will make upon the roofing material you decide on. )</font>

I'm certain the apartment would have an 8' ceiling and good insulation in walls and ceiling. Otherwise the metal roof would be deafening. I decided to sit out a shower in my metal barn once, and had to stay in my truck. I thought there was a typhoon, but every time I looked out it was just a gentle summer shower.

 

[have_blue]

Lovely barn! A friend has the exact same building, and it is very impressive! I think a bank will spring for that one.

 

[MDNY]

Jeff, that is a very impressive site indeed and really affords you the type of comfort you need while building your house next.

 

[Slamfire]

Lol at your description of the noise made by a summer shower, my wife and I head for the porch when one comes, so we can listen to the rain on the roof. The skylight in the master bath just doesn't have the right sound. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif