Cost to Build a Pole Barn
Depending on the size and features of your project, a pole barn will cost around $40,000 or up to $85,000 for a larger project. This price may vary during the course of the year as steel and lumber prices fluctuate. At Walters Building, we buy our lumber directly from the mills and roll our own steel panels. We use our own manufacturing capabilities and substantial buying power to offer our pole barns at a great value to our customers. We are not the cheapest pole barn builder - but we offer the best value!
How to Compare Pole Barn Prices:
-
- What steel are they using in the pole barn package?
Not all steel is created equally.
Zinc is added to steel to prevent it from rusting. The zinc added to the steel is measured in ounces of coating per square foot and given a G value based on how much zinc is applied. (G-40, G-60 or G-90) The higher the G value, the more rust protection in the panel. Walters only uses G-90 steel. That is 1.5 times more than steel with a G-60 rating.
The thickness of steel is measured as by gauge. Most discount pole barn builders sell a 29 gauge steel panel. Walters Buildings only uses 28 gauge panels. That means our steel panels have 20.4% more steel in them than the competition.
The hardness of the steel is measured in pounds per square inch. (PSI) Commercial steel will have a PSI rating around 40,000 PSI. Structural steel will have a PSI rating around 80,000 PSI. At Walters Buildings, our structural steel actually averages out to 92,000 PSI.
- What columns and trusses are used in the pole barn package?
Just as not all steel is created equally, the same can be said for types of lumber. Walters Buildings' columns are made with southern yellow pine #2 lumber. (Or better) These SYP columns are stronger than solid sawn post and join the untreated upper portion with the bottom portion treated to .08 pounds per cubic foot retention of chromated copper arsenate. (CCA) We warrant our columns for 50 years if any preservative treated material should fail due to decay or insect attack.
Our girts and purlins are 1650 MSR or better lumber.
- Is the Pole Barn custom-designed and engineered?
When a storm is coming, a pole barn is only as good as the engineering behind it. Walters Buildings custom-designs all of our pole barns with our team of engineers according to your local building requirements. Whereas some pole barn builders may used engineered trusses - our buildings are fully engineered for every column, truss and connection. Your project is only as good as its weakest link.
- Is labor included in the pole barn package?
It's easy to find a pole barn package online. In the past 10 years lots of companies have moved into the marketplace hoping to sell high volume pole barn packages at a discount. These are usually priced at rock bottom prices with inferior material and you are responsible for building the package yourself. However, building a pole barn yourself is not always as easy as they make it out to be. Often this requires a crane to place the trusses. If this option is desirable - please head over to our careers page. We are also always looking for new builders!
- Is concrete and insulation included in the pole barn package?
While a pole barn will cost you between $30,000 and $70,000 - that is just the base building. The majority of our projects will have concrete, electrical and insulation as part of the project as well. We will also have projects with excavating, plumbing, HVAC, drywall and overhead doors as part of the final project.
- What steel are they using in the pole barn package?
Finding the right pole barn builder to partner with on your project can be difficult. Chances are good that the specifications on your project do not match between various builders' quotes. They will use different lumber, different steel, different connections and even different engineering calculations. When you partner with Walters Buildings, our expert District Managers will be happy to walk you through our competitors quotes versus ours to explain the difference. We may lose a few jobs to our competition - but in the long run we build trust with our customers that we will provide honest insight into their post frame project. Contact one of our District Managers today to have them help you navigate your project proposals.