Q&A for How to Build a Pole Barn

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Can I build a pole barn with old metal racking?

Anthony "TC" Williams
Experienced Landscaper
Anthony "TC" Williams is a Professional Landscaper in Idaho. He is the President and Founder of Aqua Conservation Landscape & Irrigation, an Idaho Registered Landscape Business Entity. With over 21 years of landscaping experience, TC has worked on projects such as the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho. He is a Idaho Registered Contractor and a previously Licensed Irrigator in the State of Texas.

Anthony "TC" Williams

Experienced Landscaper

Expert Answer

Yes you can, but only if the racking can be anchored down and you feel confident it will work.

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Question

Is a 20 x 40 big enough for a 30 foot trailer?

Anthony "TC" Williams
Experienced Landscaper
Anthony "TC" Williams is a Professional Landscaper in Idaho. He is the President and Founder of Aqua Conservation Landscape & Irrigation, an Idaho Registered Landscape Business Entity. With over 21 years of landscaping experience, TC has worked on projects such as the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho. He is a Idaho Registered Contractor and a previously Licensed Irrigator in the State of Texas.

Anthony "TC" Williams

Experienced Landscaper

Expert Answer

Yes, if it' is built 20 ft. wide and 40 ft. long.

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Question

How much does all of this cost?

Community Answer

The cost is completely subjective. If you do it yourself, you will save a lot on labor costs. Other factors are the size of the structure, the quality of materials, cost of permits and extra features you may want. I'm having a 36x48x16 shop built. It's going to have two roll ups doors - 14x14 and 10x10. It will also have a man door, concrete slab and a storage loft inside. It's going to be skinned in metal siding and roofing with plywood underlay. Fortunately the county I live in doesn't require permits unless you do plumbing so I will save a little there. All in it's costing me $55,000.

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Question

Can I have a pole barn home built on cinder block? Would like it 3 feet off ground.

Community Answer

Yes, but it won't be a pole barn, it will be a normal house. Pole barn denotes a style of building that the posts go into the ground to build the main framework. When you build on a block wall you will not be putting the posts into the ground. Any time you build with a block wall foundation figure it will almost double your shell cost. A block foundation 4' deep, 30 x 40 is $15 - 20k. I build pole barns 40 x 60 x 16 and the kit cost to me is under $12k complete.

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Question

Will 4x4 spaced at 8 feet support a ten foot wall?

Community Answer

It's impossible to answer based on the detail provided. What kind of wall? What loads will it see? What kind of support will the post see? How deep is the post buried vs exposed? The big box 4x4's are usually crap. I'd use 6x6's, 5' in and 10' exposed, so a 16 footer.

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Question

Can I use 4x4x8' for a pole barn garage?

Community Answer

Not unless you want a 5 foot ceiling. You will need a minimum of 3 feet in the ground and typically 8 feet above, so you would be looking at a 4x4x12. But depending on the size of the building, it's usually recommended to use 4x6x12 in the corners, or even larger for bigger buildings.

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Question

Should I put a metal base into wet concrete or screw into the concrete with lead anchors and bolts when the concrete is dry?

Community Answer

If you're confident of where and what you're doing when placing the metal ties, then burying them in the concrete at pour time can be much stronger than screwing into the concrete.

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Question

Can I put the door on the long side when building a pole barn? Will that effect the structural integrity if it's between the beams?

Community Answer

The structural integrity is in the beams, not the sheathing, so as long as your poles are in the correct location, the door will have no effect on the integrity.

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Question

Can I build the pole barn first and put in the concrete last?

Community Answer

Yes, concrete can be poured right up to the baseboard (also called a rat run to keep animals of the sort out) after the barn is constructed.

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