Machine shed decisions

Ken Macfarlane

Well-known Member
I have wanted to put up a machine shed for 5 years and didn't have the funds but I'm about done with tarps.

We don't have the cheap pole barn builders like down in the midwest, just trusses seems to cost as much as whole buildings down there.

The tin is about 0.80$ per ft2, trusses are 2.20 per ft2 for 30 ft span, 3$ / ft2 for 40 ft span, 5$/ft2 for 60 ft span.

2x4 and 2x6 is about 800$ per mbf in lifts so a bit if money there too.

Sure makes a tarp building look good.

Trying to get some pricing on steel trusses that take wood purlins now.

What are people paying for pole barns in your area?
 
I put up a Cleary 30'X48' building last year. 12' side walls. Still working on the interior, but as of now I have about $25K invested in it.

That breaks down to $800 for the grade work, $16,000 for the erected building, $6,400 for the concrete floor and slab in front, and the rest in running an underground electrical line, wiring, light fixtures, and miscellaneous.

However, in my exact location, per local zoning regs, it had to be built to the same specs as if I'd built it in town. That added about $2,000 to the price.

Not cheap, but it's a well built building and I'm pleased with it. I still need to insulate it and add heat. This is in Nebraska, BTW.
 
I'm in Canada right next to Maine. There will be no concrete as it is out of this world expensive here unless you know a guy to get rejected loads.

No builders here, they don't really do pole barns. Local contractor priced it but was crazy. They want to build stick framed buildings on concrete footings only.
 
Prices all depend.

Make the door big enough. Remember sliders and perhaps other doors the opening is actually smaller than the door, so if you need 16 feet, you better put in an 18 foot door, or the like. Get that figured out right.

Width and height - build it tall enough, as you only get one chance at that. A long narrow building will have cheaper trusses, but it will be a long narrow tunnel, harder to access stuff in the middle. Make it wider and shorter and you can park stuff side by side, doors are wider, easier to access and get bigger stuff in.

Lighting. I like natural light, plan for windows on the dark sides, unless security is a bigger issue and you want no light in. I hate roof panel lighting they always break down quicker than the rest of the roof and create leaks, panels up high on the sidewall are much better in my opinion.

Random thoughts you didn't ask for. ;)

I really like the shed I built a few years ago, wish I has put a walk in door at each end, wish it was 4-8 feet wider with the doors 2-4 feet wider, wish I had put window in the walk in door which would be easy to change of course. But all small stuff, glad I went a foot higher than the seller was going to make it, and glad I put translucent panels in the south sidewall and overall turned out nice. 48x81x15-3/4.

Paul
 
www.LesterBuildings.com 1-800-826-4439 is a name brand builder that has a nice website where you can design your own building and price it with different options. They are headquartered in central Minnesota with sales and construction offices in many parts of the US. I don't know if they are licensed to build in Canada yet. They have been in business for over 40 years.

Morton is another name brand building.
 
When comparing.....check on steel gauge. Some contractors go with the thinner gauges to make the price look better. re pole vs stick built on slabs....getting to be common here. Makes lining/insulating much easier. Horizontal fiberglas in pole sheds tends to sag over time. Studding gives good contact to hole it up.
 
Just my $.02....neighbour here is 70+- yrs old, built his first shed when he was 16 and is still at it. He is becoming more hesitant about pole frame structures due to the poor quality of Pressure Treated lumber these days. I know concrete is pricey but the next shed I build will be on a concrete wall.
 
I have a workshop already, concrete floors, in-floor heat etc, but it is only big enough for a single hay wagon at a time. I need parking for at least 5, preferably more 20-24 ft wagons.

The idea is the last 2500 bales will go into buildings on wheels for delivery to customers just before oct so boats/rv's/balers/mower etc will go in for winter.

In tarp building looks like a 38 x 80 on a stem wall is about right. The straight walls of a pole barn would work at 30 x 80 or 40 x 80 I think.

There is a local guy with a huge 12K telehandler if I put the trusses together on the ground and set them like Lyle N did for his sawmill building.
 

The farm in northern NH where I hung out as a kid seems to put up one of those fabric barns about every five years for the last twenty years.
 
Tensile strength is an important decision maker in pole barn metal, too. Gauge only tells how thick it is. Kind of like which is stronger - a 3/8" no grade bolt or a 5/16" grade 3 or 5. We would always use a minimum of grade "E" high tensile steel coil with G-90 galvanizing UNDER the paint - many only use G-60 to cut costs.
 
Nephew couldn't afford a pole barn, so he went to menards, got a 24x24 pole barn kit, with trusses on 24, obs decking and shingles. He said shingles saved him money over metal roof and purlins. He built it himself, with plans to add on in future.

So build in stages. Say make a shelter, roof only tarp sides. Expand when you can afford it.

I've seen some people on a very tight budget buy 24x24 carports: Metal pipes, metal on roof. Then later add metal sides and metal ends. Expand as needed.

I paid someone to build my 30x40x10. Like nephew, trusses are on 2 ft centers for snow loads, decking and 35 year shingles. Living in Indiana all my life, and having all metal storage sheds taught me about condensation and tools rusting. My pole barn has no condensation, no rusty tools, very well venelated with 1 ft vented eves. Cost of just the barn, no floor, no wiring, $12K, a dollar a cubic ft. I don't think you can buy a shipping container and have it deliver for $1 a cubic ft. I'm very happy with my design. Put translucent panels at top under eves for lighting. I would highly recommend transulcent panels. I put a 1500 cubic power vent in roof too. Real nice on hot days. I will Never insulate and seal it up, bad idea where I live, condensation, trapping moisture and mold if it isn't heated and air conditioned year around.

So if you want to insulate, better think about stick build and heat and cool it year around. Again not everyone lives with dew point temps in the 60's and 70's during the summer. Not everyone gets their shoes wet walking on grass in the morning half the year.

I never have had dry skin or crusties in my nose living in a humid climate either.
George
 
Have you ever thought of going to a quonset steel or modified U shaped steel shed ? They can be had in a lot of differant sizes and buildings are total clear spans with no beams. I have a standard 40x60 and a friend of ours has an 80x 150 and he has another smaller one. You can pour concrete walls and set building on them. I don't have a good picture of building but this is one of it in the back round and like I said it a standard model they make some that make this look like a toy.
a166293.jpg
 
Here the steel is cheaper than osb and asphalt shingles, not sure why.

The steel 24x24 car ports sell for 2400$ here and have to be frequently cleared in the winter or they collapse. Do like the idea though.

Again, this is unheated storage, not a workshop. You're bang on for containers, I looked at buying 8 40 ft containers and adding trusses. At 4000$ each I'd have 32,000$ of containers, not very economical unless I needed the lockable storage.
 
Ken,
Go to menards or any place to get price a pole barn package. Price it out both ways. If you have to worry about snow loads, I've seen trusses on 8 ft collapse in winter where I live. Don't forget you need purlins for metal roof. Nephew said that's what ran the price up. Get real quotes, post back please.

The people who built my barn gave me the same price for metal roof or 2 ft trusses, osb and 35 year shingles. The people who designed and built mine in Indana were from Michigan. So the design was for a heavy snow load. I happy.
George
 
Center section the height you need, add leantos on both sides as needed. Headers with trusses on 2' centers, plywood roof sheathing, tar paper and roofing tin. No condensation. If concrete floor, stick built walls on monolithic floor here. Footers if needed down below frost line. I would never build a building here with plastic vapor barrier, it goes bad and needs something to keep it from dripping, may as well sheath , tar paper and roof. Here because we don't get much snow we build the center section and a leanto on back, open front away from wind, east side here, or roll up door on each bay if security is needed....James
 
I priced out 45x60 a couple years ago, and it was going to be about $150 000. That's insulated, and it's in Canada so at least twice the cost of the equivalent in the US.

I just drove through the Mid-west (Ohio to Iowa). What beautiful country! I'd love to live there, and apparently the cost of building is very cheap compared to Canada.

This is an interesting thread.

Bye for now,

Troy
 
Price on steel here is no osb, just purlins. Labour on shingles cheaper because everyone and dog competing to install. Labour on steel cheaper because I don't mind doing steel on low pitch and its fast.

The truss pricing I got back most recently on a 30x60 ranged from 1800 to just under 3200$ depending on pitch, overhang and spacing. The contractors told me they would only erect 32" or less spacing trusses as it is a pain working on the wider ones to reach the next one. The wider spacing is cheaper and I could assemble them on the ground.

My CCA treated pole quote for 18 ft poles was 60$ per pole.

Wall purlins I can cut on my own mill, the building inspector will let them go ungraded.

I can also cut all the poles I want on my own property or I can swap them about 3-1 to get CCA poles back from Marwood the treatment place based on their current buying prices.
 
Ken FASTLINE tonight has all metal 50 ft X100 ft 16 ft high advertised erected price $25,500. Of course that is here in the south but might give you idea what you are looking at.
 

HEY GUYS!!! KENS IN CANADA!!! Price in Pa or SC don't even begin to apply.

Ken you have my sympathies. When I look in the farm papers and see these pole barn builders offering something like a 40x80x16 for $25K or some unreal number, I know they aren't meant for the north with trusses on 24 or even 16" centers for snow load, poles that have to go well below the frost line, etc. It's tough living in the Great White North sometimes.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top