stick or pole build?

[gmgrunt]

Hello all, Can some of you guys that have built give me some info on pole vs stick costs? I was thinking of a 36 x 48 with attic trusses and was thinking of laying up 2 rows of block then 12' side walls on top of that for a 13' 4" total height and finishing inside walls with steel. I was thinking this way I could hose the place out and not worry about getting the walls ( if drywalled ) wet......but curious about the costs of stick built vs just building with poles. If anyone out there has recently built something close to this size and has numbers on the difference It would be a huge help for me to determine which way to go. Thanks, Jeff

 

[zcar751]

I put up a 24 x 40 metal building for $7200. Two friends built the same size one stick built for $13000 and one pole for $10500. That doesn't include concrete cost. Hope that helps.

 

[tomroblee]

I can understand your description in terms of a stick built building, but I'm not sure what you intend for a pole building.

The big savings for post frame (pole) building is that a continuous foundation isn't required. The poles are set into holes in the ground. This pretty much rules out having two rows of block (which would also require require having a footer).

I have seen some buildings built with a poured concrete stemwall a couple of feet tall, then framed with posts spaced about 8' apart. (Several firestations in Southern Indiana used this type of construction as well as one of my neighbors.) I guess that I would think of this as a variation of stick framing rather than post framing because it used a continuous foundation.

I have seen garages of various sizes build with a slab on grade foundation. This is just pouring a slab with thickened edges, but no footers. This is more common in warmer climates where frost heave isn't an issue.

My country home is a 36' x 64' footprint stick built with attic trusses. A few years later I had a 36' x 48' x 10' pole barn built. The fellow who built my house also gave me a bid on a stick built barn of the same size. He proposed building slab on grade (no foundation) and was about 20% higher than what I eventually paid. That isn't an exact comparison because I didn't really get into the quality of doors, etc with the stick builder.

 

[volaredon]

I put up a 30X36 stick built and have ~18K in it with concrete, siding, windows and all \but I added a lot to the original plans/drawings, if i'd have "stuck" to the plans and done it 100% myself and not had to pay anyone to do anything for me I'd have been closer to ~12,500 I'd guess. I changed from the plans' 4/12 to a 6/12 roof and added 2X10 ceiling joists and put in a doubled up 12" LVL down the center to support the ceiling, and I made the walls 2' taller than the plans called for. the plans I bought were for just an "open" building, no ceiling/attic. I paid out ~$3500 for "assistance" these guys helped me with the walls, and did all the ceiling joists, rafters and roofing for me.
I did ALL the vinyl siding, soffit and fascia. I also did ALL of my own electrical. from sub panel to 2 separate 220V circuits to digging and tying the sub panel into the house wiring.

the amount I have wrapped up in it to date, also includes a gutter crew that came out and made my seamless gutters on site.
I say all this as a long way of asking "what are you getting for the prices quoted? Just a bare building? or is that wired, sheated insulated and all? Concrete or gravel? There are too many variables that other post-ers have not specified that will make a HUGE difference in price. 100% done by yourself? 100% contracted? or some sort of mix like mine was? How many and what kind of overhead doors? How many man-doors and windows?