What would you do in my situation

[Caterpillar Cowboy]

Getting ready to build my first 'living arrangements' which is going to consist of a shop with an attached living quarters. Property has plenty of room to build a nice house whenever I decide to settle down. I'm really torn between going pole barn vs steel building route. My living quarters 'large apartment' is going to be attached, but a separate structure for all practical purposes, this should help to keep shop vapors out of the home space, and keep it a little bit lively vs a big old box building. Shop size it's self is planned to be around 40 to 50 wide, by 85 or 90 long, May go bigger if a 'on sale' building is available.

Thoughts about pole barns, from experience with my dad's shop they were very easy to 'customize' from hanging stuff on the horizontal stringers to we even added a perimeter loft for additional storage. It's nice to be able to just run a screw into wood when you want to hang something. I am looking at this as a long term building though, I'm in my mid 20's, so I would like to keep this shop around for a long time, and do it right the 1st time,

Which leads me to thinking about a steel framed structure, They seem to be tough as nails and withstand the test of time. I have no greater fear than having a large shop built, and having to move all of my stuff out of it, find a place to store it while I repair or rebuild it because I went cheap on the original when I was younger.

I've seen types for the main building poles where there is a metal form sunk into the concrete, and the post sits on it must be lag bolted in, anybody have experiences with these, make it seem like replacing posts as needed 30-40 years down the road would be a do-able thing.

 

[sberry]

I lived in mine a long time, it was super convenient. The big thing is layout, doors, floors utilities.

 

[Cyberbear]

While I understand that pole barn type construction is popular all over the nation, I've never been a fan of that type of building. A pole barn is no doubt great for protecting farm equipment, and the like, but I prefer something more weather tight for my expensive tools, machinery and automobiles. Having to occasionally replace a rotten pole seems like a difficult task on a completed building, perhaps not. The ones I've seen were simply put into an auger hole w/o any concrete footings, and those widely spaced poles often carry a lot of weight.
My personal choice is a monolithic slab and footings, stud walls with drywall and exterior stucco, all under roof trusses with a 5:12 pitch. When done properly, this is a one time build with very low up keep. I've done several and never had regrets.

 

[bazzateer]

If your going to have both buildings seperate have you thought about steel for the workshop and wood for the living quarters?

 

[StevenMorgan]

you'll get a lot of ideas if you start searching "hangar home" around the internet. Many pilots love buying land, building their own airstrip and put an all-in-one building on it. I've been in some very nice ones. sprayfoam insulation to make it weathertight is a little easier to stomach when you know you're in it for the long haul

 

[Sureshot]

I have two pole buildings and the place is for sale. I have already got one lined up for the new place. Replacing poles and all the other BS is from the inexperienced. Unless you have local conditions that dictate special steps I wouldn't give it a second thought.

Years ago I was going to do something similar and lately before the current purchase had also considered something similar. My plan was to plan out the whole yard/place. Build the shop and the garage portion of the house. That way you can add the house you want down the road and all the systems will be in place and the yard will be mostly healed and in good shape. Put your power, water etc on what will be the common wall with the house. You can frame the garage doors and put a slider or french door in for nicer living until it becomes the attached garage. Put the garage on pilings so it is built to spec for attaching the house.

What you have planned is also great for a single guy and the pole building will work just great.

 

[astroracer]

Go with wood. A pole barn is no more difficult to make weather tight then any other building method. Mine is 30 x 74 and the only wind or cold infiltration I get is around the garage doors.
Standard pole building construction is 4 x 6 posts with 2' on center gerts with T-111 siding or OSB with vinyl. Wrap the entire building with 2" of foam and a house wrap and it will be air tight.
I would recommend in floor radiant heat to keep the cold out of the slab in any "living areas". This was the only issue in mine last winter with the ungodly cold we had. The floor was kind of chilly after standing on it all day. The shop is kept at 51 or 2 degrees when I'm not out there and kicked up to 60 or so when I am working. It is very comfortable normally and you would have no clue you where in a "pole building" in my insulated and drywalled shop area.
Mark

 

[My Old Tools]

I did a weld up metal building on slab, insulated, then built a 2x4 framed apartment inside it and insulated it as well with bats. It is very efficient and you can't really tell from the inside that it's metal. Above the apartment is decked for storage. Heat pump provides central heat and air.

 

[Krash Kadillak]

If you are eventually going to build a house on the property to live in, what about buying a large, used travel trailer (or mobile home)? I'll bet the cost per sq ft would be a lot less, and you don't have to take the time to build it before you live in it. Then, you don't have to plan your shop with the living space. You can plan the whole thing for the way you want.

All you have to do is set up the utilities and sewer connection. Check zoning, of course.

 

[bwringer]

What, none of you live with women?

Or is this just a temporary arrangement?

If companionship, a family, or considerations of resale value are potentially in your future, put the house a goodly distance away from the shop. No one wants welding fumes, air compressor noise or the racket from grinding anywhere near the living quarters.

 

[My Old Tools]

At the time I was single. After I 'acquired' a wife, I was forced to buy a 'real' house.

 

[sberry]

I was 48 and living in my shop and getting more *** than a toilet seat from cute girls less than half my age. There will be some that think its cool and dig very imaginative use of conduit for towel racks and cloths hangers.

 

[rsanter]

How about thinking out of the box.
Bigger is better and you will want to go bigger at some point.
I prefer the steel building over the pole barn.

Build a large steel shop and divide it with an area that is a covered breezeway.
Make a 2 story apartment on the smaller side and the shop on the larger side.
Your daily driver parks in the breezeway.
The breezeway will prevent fumes from getting into the apartment and at some time in the future when you build a nice house on site you could always gut the apartment and enclose the breezeway to have a much bigger shop

Bob

 

[fireman0977]

Not sure where you are in WY. I am on the border of Cheyenne and Colorado. As for rotting posts. It won't happen in this area unless you have bad soil. Only bad soil I have found in WY was in Midwest north of Casper that we actually had to get a special type of concrete for because it would eat it away.

As for posts in the ground. I have pulled posts that have been in the ground for 30-40 yrs in my area that look better then the posts do above ground.

Price out both and see what the difference is. I'd be planning on 100-150k for what your wanting to do. I bet the pole barn and metal building are pretty close in price for something as big as your hoping.