Want to build a polebarn, where to start?

I also would suggest doing an insulation pack/vapor barrier beneath the roof metal. It does not cost that much and is a heck of a lot easier to do while you are putting on the outer metal than it is to try to do it after everything is in place. This insulation/vapor barrier lessens or eliminates the condensation problem on the inside surface. It is a hassle to deal with drips raining down on your stuff inside your building.

I always overbuild, which costs a bit more than it might have to. But nothing I have ever built has sagged or fallen down. You also need to consider the possible wind and snow loads and brace accordingly.

Undoubtedly when you have the building completed, you will wish you had built it bigger and had done something in a different way. At least that has been my experience. Good luck!

If you have a local building inspector, be sure and stop by and talk to him. He can tell you what is and is not acceptable. (For example, some places require a concrete slab plus a ratwall, others just a slab, and some places require no floor at all.

I put in electric (100 amp service) and water (two frostproof yard hydrants) before I even had the roof and siding done, and I haven't regretted it a bit. You'll get sick and tired of trying to work on your equipment with a long drop cord.

One thing that a lot of do-it-yourselfers scrimp on is the lot preparation. Make sure you have a level building site with good drainage in all directions before you drill your holes. You can't fix it after the building is up.

It cost me $65 an hour to have a guy bring out is Case 450 and level it for a few hours. That was cheap, considering that I tried it with a backblade first and...well, I'm not good at that. Then $12.5K for the materials on a 40x60, and another $12.5K to put it up. Concrete is included. Thing is, I'm in another state working all week, and needed to get it up.

Make sure your doors are big enough. I went with 12' wide doors, now I'm headin out after this to auger down and drop two more posts before they bring the concrete so have 14' wide doors. Now gotta take some metal down, fasten the cross-2x4's into the new posts, pull the old ones out, trim those cross-2x4's off, take all of the metal off of the doors, remake the door frames, and put all the metal and some new back on the doors. It's do-able, just could've been avoided with a little more thought on my part first. Good thing the concrete aint coming for a couple of weeks. When you think you know how big your doors gotta be, add at least a couple of feet. My doors are opposite of each other at both ends of the building, clear to one side so I can pass through the building without having to move stuff. Some guys center their doors for combines and stuff that can't make tight turns. Be careful where you position your doors too - it make a difference.

Mark

Kyhayman had a good suggestion on determining size. I should have asked him before I built mine last year. Now I'm looking for a place to build my second pole barn...

Dug

1. Estimate the largest possible building you could ever fathom needing, then double it. When its built it will be exactly half as big as you will wish you had built in 5 years.

2. If cost is the driver, forget the kits. Order rough lumber and use seconds metal siding. You will spend about 20% of what some of the kits cost and have a stronger building.

Midwest Plans Service offers a book of plans including details for making your own trusses.

You can't buy the high quality lumber the truss shops use so a home made truss with construction grade lumber will be at least half again as heavy.

You want laminated triple 2x6 posts. They are stronger and less likely to split than solid 4x6 or 6x6 posts.

You can't ever build it too big unless it covers the garden and laps over a property line.

Steel has jumped in price but last year I bought a building erected from Wick. They had the best price and decent quality. There were lower priced buildings, but the quality wasn't there.

Remember the trusses are on 8, 9, or 10' centers. That makes for really heavy trusses and takes a strong boom to put them up. You aren't going to lift one of those trusses with two hands on top the ladders.

Even if you go with a kit, let the various vendors show you their catalogs and their designs to give you ideas for details.

Door details will be the biggest pain with the need for special beams to hold trusses over wide sidewall doors. One of mine is steel, the other is laminated from four pieces of 20' long 2x14 clear douglas fir. More lumber you can't buy.

Gerald J.