Anyone have a pole barn / outbuilding built recently?

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Mar 2, 2004
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Kentucky
Looking to build a pole barn this year, something in the neighborhood of 30x40. It will essentially be a 2-4 car garage with extra space, two overhead doors, otherwise nothing fancy. Maybe covered awning off the side. I plan on recruiting a couple friends and doing most of the work myself, other than the slab (probably go with 5") and ground work.

Has anyone priced / built something similar in the last couple years? Trying to get a very rough estimate on what I can build this thing for. I know prices vary widely depending on where you're located and also aware of building material prices having skyrocketed recently, but I can take those variables into account.
 
One summer many years ago, I worked for a cement company mostly running the controls of a loading building that prefilled bins for loading the cement trucks. For your slab, be aware that there are a variety of cement mixes that have different strengths. The first thing to consider is the number of sacks of cement per yard of cement ( the more sack per yard the stronger the cement ). The cement is the more expensive part of the mix so as the number of sacks per yard goes up, the cost goes up. Typical sidewalk cement back then might be 7 and 1/2 sacks per yard, sometimes a little less or a little more. For bridges usually 9 or even 9 and 1/2 sacks per yard. And there are chemicals that bridge mix has added to it to make the final cement stronger. One of the chemicals slows down the cure time. Cement that takes longer to cure is stronger, than the same cement mix that cured faster. Another chemical makes the cement retain moisture longer while it cures. If a cement gets too dry while curing before it cures it will not be as strong as the same mix that maintained enough moisture while curing. Another chemical that was added to bridge mix made the cement have little air bubbles in it. That provides room for the cement to expand and or contract during freeze thaw cycles without cracking. Bridge mix had all three of those chemicals added to it. The company I worked for was near the borders of Pennsylvania and Ohio and sold cement to both states. Each state had there own preferred mix for bridges regarding how many sacks per yard it had, but both specified the addition of all three of those chemicals.

If you want to install a slab that is strong, and will last a long time, and have little chance of cracking, along with a good base, good depth, and rebar, a good bridge mix including those chemicals will produce a cement slab that will last a long time. The down side beside extra cost, is that you have to be sure to add enough texture to the cement because it can be slippery if you smooth finish it with a high amount of cement per yard, and if you end up with any high spots that you want to rent a cement sander to lower, it will be a tougher cement to modify once it is dry.

When I had to replace the cement walkway beside our house I ordered bridge mix with the extra chemicals.

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As for the structure, many areas have Amish who sell prefab structures like garages.
 
Look on Craigslist... lots of sellers on there with “as built” prices, with designs for snow load and hurricane wind.

Of course, concrete isn’t cheap, nor is electrical work, and those things may vary a lot by locality and what you want/need.
 
About that size would be around 15k just going by the auto trader magazines. Sliding door and utility door only.

Concrete could add 5-10k depending on thickness and / or quality.
 
Really. What was the name of the company?

Frenchs' Inc. That was over 40 years ago, so it may not be the same owners by now. Boy did that place poorly maintain there equipment back then. It was down right dangerous to drive there big front end loader with no brakes, and a bucket control that would not stay in the non-movement up / down detent. Back then I think Ohio did not even have requirements of inspections of motor vehicles, and that place spent as little as posable when it came to maintnce of there equipment.
 
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I built my shop about 20 months ago, It's a 30x40, 12' walls with a 2/12 roof pitch.

*My slab is 6" with 3' beams.....$11,000. My 2 lifts sit on a beam.
*I custom ordered a Mueller bolt together building, $10,000 & I erected it myself.
*If IIRC....The 2 roll-up doors ran @ $2,400
*Spray Foam Insulation.....$4,500
*Electrical....Already had a bunch of #10 & #6 MC & Outlet Boxes, The rest cost @ $1500.
 
Built mine last June.

30x40x12 (height is actually 12'6)
Bought the kit from a local Mennonite company and had a carpenter friend help me erect it. $13,700

Prepared the site myself using my brothers equipment.
Gravel $500

Concrete is 5 inch thick fiber reinforced 5000psi plus rebar.
I have a section of concrete that is 5'x16'x18 inches deep for a lift. Cousin who is a concrete contractor set up the rebar and finished it.
27 yards@ $100 per yard + rebar $350

Electrical- wire, sub panel, feeder wire, boxes, switches, outlets, conduit etc..
$1000. I helped another cousin who is an electrical contractor put in the electric to code.
I gave each cousin and my buddy $500 for the help. $1500

20210401_102418.jpg
 
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