Stick build vs pole barn

[popper]

Havnt been on here in a while but looking at buying a small house that has the ability to buld a 32 x 48 x 10 building in the back yard. Any pros or cons to one type or the other? I'm trying to keep the cost managable if thats possible.

Popper

 

[astroracer]

There are quite a few threads on this subject already. Do a Google search, you should find quite a few of them.
With that said a stick built requires you to buy ALL of the building material to put the building together.
A "pole" barn is just that, poles and girts to hang your siding on. You don't have to buy the "studs" all at once. A pole building can be put up in a week or so and you can finish it out with studs and insulation as your time and money allow.
Mark

 

[iamrfixit]

A stick built building requires some kind of foundation. For a building that size you need a good concrete footing to frost depth all around the perimeter to set the building on. The foundation can be a pretty substantial investment on a larger building.

With a pole building the posts are the foundation. They can be sunk in the ground usually on a small concrete footing pad at the bottom of the hole, and those will support the building. You can then just have a dirt or gravel floor or at any time during or after construction you can install a floating concrete floor inside the building. Much less concrete and digging involved with a pole building. A pole building is a good choice when you need tall walls or lots of sq ft.

 

[matt_i]

My opinion is a post frame is faster and cheaper to put up for enclosed space.

But you face the problems with wood buried in the ground (likely another generation's problem if you do it correctly and spec UC4B treated posts) and the costs can increase as you start to finish out the interior with wiring, wall covering, insulation, may need to cross-strap the bottom chords of the trusses if they are widely spaced.

There are some variations which might be allowed in your zoning area...a "trench foundation" with monolithic pour or a frost protected shallow foundation (FPSF...google a HUD .pdf document for more info) both give you stick frame potential at lower concrete & earthwork costs.

 

[Higgins]

Back in 98 we built a 3 car detached garage in Kayne Co. Due to the height of the building they required full footings that were 52" deep. The cost in 98 $$ was $13K. I can only imagine what the cost would be today!

 

[yeldogt]

Depends on what you want at the end ... taking a pole to a fully finished building will cost you close to a stick .. and IMO will not be as nice.

Some places you can't build a pole

 

[u2slow]

Some places you can't build a pole

^ That's what I ran into. My bylaws call it a farm structure... and I did not have the acreage or zoning to qualify as a farm.

Also check if there's different sqft maximums for a 'carport' vs an enclosed detached building. Made a big difference for me.