Pole barn or all steel barn

[TWG]

I am going to be moving my sawmill and landscape business to a new place. I will be putting up a building that's about 6000 sqft. So I have been trying to get an unbiased opinion on a pole barn, wood poles and metal sheeting or an all steel building. I'm sure there are pros and cons for both and would like to hear all of your thoughts.

I'm planning on it being 60 x 100. The property is commercial zoned with about an acre and a half that is usable. I will be having someone else put it up and I hope to get it done before winter. I'm sure there will be other questions but don't want to make this post too long. Thanks for your help.

[DWyatt]

In my day job we work with several commercial building contractors that build steel buildings ranging in size from small personal shops to 150k sq ft under roof. From what I'm hearing, you wouldn't even get delivery from Butler on a building that size until next year. A pole barn would suit you well and should cost significantly less money. 

Keep them posts out of the ground. You can go either continuous foundation with brackets for the posts. or perma-columns. Personally, I like the continuous foundation with brackets being anchored after the foundation is up. No worries of critters digging under the slab, easier to air seal for better efficiency if conditioned, and setting the brackets after helps with quality control.
 

[hedgerow]

TWG  I throw out my thoughts. I grew up around what I call red iron buildings 60's-70's time frame. . All steel. My folks had a truck stop and my dad had a small fleet of trucks. Every building we had was all steel. They were nice and strong. Forty plus years ago I starting farming. I needed a building for a shop and equipment storage. I priced a red iron building 40X120 14 side wall. I couldn't begin to afford an all steel building. I ended up putting up a pole type building. In the last forty years I have put up and have had many pole style buildings put up on my farms. Last one was put up in 2011. I would use the Perma-columns if I were doing a building today. I get along fine with pole sheds.  The last three buildings I put up we did pack the poles in rock to help the water drain. You will also need to check your local code to see if you can put up a pole building or not. 

[fluidpowerpro]

I will be having someone else put it up and I hope to get it done before winter. I'm sure there will be other questions but don't want to make this post too long. Thanks for your help.

I hope things in CT arent like here because if they are, and you have not selected a builder yet, its doubtful it will be done before winter.

I have a friend that spent a good part of last fall getting quotes on a pole barn. Everyone in our area is so busy it was hard to find anyone to even quote. 
He finally put money down in January which put him in line to have his built in August.

[rusticretreater]

I ordered a 30x41 steel building Aug 2, 2021.  At the time they told me six months out.  It was closer to nine months.  Due to rain rain rain, my foundation was a month behind being put in.  They are putting in the building right now.  So it was 10 months for me.



 

[loghorse]

my son in law went with a four foot frost wall 60 x160.60x 60 shop inside the rest cold storage. remember to go with a steeper pitch on roof if in snow country.

[loghorse]

the whole thig was stick built.

[TWG]

Thanks for your response, 
So DWyatt you put a full footing and foundation under the pole barn. Most just put the poles in concrete and and pour a haunch when pouring the floor. 

I have spoken to a local Pole barn builder that said he could get started in October if I can get the permits and site work done. I know it will be a tight schedule and not sure if it will happen.

I probably can't get a steel building this year they are further out as far as lead time.

[DWyatt]

I put a full footing with block stub walls. Stick framed from there up. Worked better for me because most times it's just me and Dad here with minimal equipment. 



 

[TWG]

Very impressive, I assume that the roof is trusses put in with a crane.

[Tom K]

If you want to get it done this year then a pre-engineered metal building is probably not going to work. We ordered a small (40'x130') metal building yesterday and the estimated ship date is mid December. We deal with 2 different metal building manufacturers and they are both 5-8 months out. We aren't a Butler dealer, but I have heard they (along with Varco Pruden) are both 12-16 months out.

PEMB (Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings) become more economical when you get into larger buildings. The size your looking at would be more economical with a pole barn then a PEMB. The level of finish, details, and heated/cold storage would make the difference as to whether a pole barn or stick framed would be a better option. If it's just cold storage then a pole barn is usually the way to go. If you plan on insulating and heating/cooling then a stick framed structure would be the way to go. 

The most economical way to keep pole barn columns out of the ground is by using a perma column, or they do make plastic sleeves also. Setting them on a frost wall is the best way, but also the most expensive. 

In the size structure your looking at traditionally a PEMB would be about twice the cost. If you will need to get a commercial building permit those numbers would be closer as there is more involved to make a pole barn meet commercial codes. I should also note, a PEMB is a heavy "red iron" structure. Typically frames 20-25' apart with metal girts & purlins, nothing like the picture Rustic posted.

[DWyatt]

Completely agree with everything Tom K stated. If you're on YouTube, RR Buildings has a couple builds that would be in the realm you are talking about. They use sono tubes with wet set anchors on some and some have full foundation walls with brackets anchored after.

For me the foundation wall was the way to go. Bedrock is 8"-12" from the surface so I dug to bedrock, drilled dowels into the bedrock, then poured the footers and built up from there. I am also insulating and heating the whole thing. It's small compared to yours (48'x48') but doing it as stick framed allowed me to build the walls in 16' sections and stand them up with the tractor and tie together with the double top plate. 2x6 walls on 24" centers. Trusses were set with a big boom lift.

[aigheadish]

I went with a local company, just this past winter, that appears to build pole barns anywhere east of the mighty Mississip. I've been very pleased with them they are called DIY Pole Barns (hopefully that plug is allowed?). Bought in Decemberish (I think), building by 2nd week of February (here is the post). 

The company I bought from was ready faster than I was. Quality seems good, price was better than competitors and it was built very quickly. For what it's worth the price, since then, after just now instant quoting the same barn as I built, was only a couple grand more expensive. About a year prior to that the price had increased by maybe 1/3rd or more. They are quoting 4 week lead time and that's what I saw as well. 

Let me know if you want more details from a local perspective. While I think they do a lot of business through their website I went to their store and talked to people.

[TWG]

By the looks of it I will not be able to get a steel building so I will probably have to go with either a pole barn or stick built.

Aighead, I had seen your post back in February and will look into them. I have a local guy also.

[kantuckid]

One means to see how the many pole barn contractors build their bldgs is to use google search and you find lots of construction details out there to see. Many metal roofing companies have contractors as part of their websites. Lots to survey-in my area alone there are 4 or more different brands of metal roofing (one is a manufacturer) and each one has contractors who build their styles within a regional area. 

Used bldgs in steel frame appear on web sales venues. My local school district sold both a large steel gymnasium frame and a very nice greenhouse this past year at auction.