Storage building/barn

['69FuryIIIConvertible]

It's becoming more clear to me where my focus needs to be, especially with my past experiences with paying to store my cars (damage to said cars and strong arming me for additional money), I'm shopping for land currently and will be clearing and building.

So I figured I'd ask for the input of those here as I trust you folks. My budget is limited, but my ability and those who can help me is vast.

Ideally I'd like to for now build something along the lines of a pole barn. Ideally I'd like to do a poured concrete floor, but realistically from a cost side of things I will likely level it and do gravel or lest one screenings.

I'm tired of paying someone else's taxes.

Nick

 

[polara71]

Nick, I built mine 13 years ago. In my price investigation I found a pole building to be the cheapest, wood frame and steel skin.
What you are looking to do is simple since the floor is or usually is poured after the structure is built.
After mine was up I framed in between the poles with dimensional lumber ( studs 16" oc). Then I wired it , outlets everywhere. I then insulated the walls and put OSB up horizontally instead of rock. The OSB looks better, can be replaced easier and i can hang stuff from it.
3/8 plywood on the ceiling with R38 between the trusses.

Point is once my building was up and the floor was in I could do everything at my pace ...

Good luck. Everyone said go as big as you can. I did, it wasn't big enough...

 

[BigblueC]

I would do as Dave said. Actually, when the price of building materials drops back down around here I will be starting on my own shed rebuild as my old pole shed has exceeded it's useful life.

My plan is to rebuild and expand the current pole shed. I'll prep for an eventual concrete slab by leveling the dirt, hauling in some gravel, and building the shed about 8-10" taller. Once the roof is up and can store my other projects, I'll start doing walls and wiring/lights over the following year. Followed by doors the next year, and concrete a year or two later.

Just keep in mind when it comes to garages it's not as big once you get all of your **** in there, so build it bigger than you think you'll need it to be.

 

[bigmoparjeff]

A few of my friends have had large garages built recently, and they have found the best deal to be from Mennonite builders. I did a quick check, and there are Mennonites in Ontario, so it's definitely something to look into when the time comes. All three are pleased with their buildings. Price, build quality, and construction speed were all very good.

Jeff

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Whatever size you need, double it.

 

[MoPar Maniac]

+1 on the Mennonites. There is a large Mennonite community in mid MO and I have a few friends who live there. Any time they need work done they call the Mennonites and its done right and right now.

Imo I would put in the concrete before inner walls, etc.
Your cars will thank you. And you don't have to put them outside for a few days while the job is done.

 

[CBODY67]

Rather than just "in the country", aim for "boondocks" with a tall security fence around it! What might be "quiet country" now can be "housing developments" in 20 years. You never know what might be, so plan in that orientation NOW.

Considerations include just how many cars you wish to keep in there? Two deep? How much work area? How much storage area? FACILITIES!! Living quarters, even if temporary (every car shop needs a comfortable old couch for visitors!). 220v-capable "juice", or just 110v. Concealed outside storage for parts cars/parts/projects. A secure "main gate", possibly with some sort of electronic monitoring (similar to a video doorbell?). Some sort of "gas" for heat, rather than pure electric? Of course, 10' wide doors is desired! 4 doors with the ppl door on the side.

I started looking at pole barns about 15 years ago. Ended up doing a full metal/concrete slab 40' deep, 50' wide 8' side walls, center support building. Ended up close to $35K when done. Just for the shell. Spray foam insulation and electrics are still to be done.

I needed a place to consolidate things for storage and in prep for future downsizing operations. The 10' wide door option will accomodate the wider mirrors on many newer pickups. Plus being easier to drive a car through. In a desire to save some money, I opted for one center pole support, but now kind of wish I had opted for an "open span" design.

Once you get the dirt "flat", put down some thick pcv sheeting and THEN pour the concrete on top of it. Will help decrease any moisture migrations through the slab, which should equate into less possible rust on bare metal from the vapors and such.

You know what you desire, how much you can spend, and how to modulate the expenditures. Time for "shop tours"!!

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[65sporty]

One of my friends put up a 30x40 with 12ft walls, pole building this summer. A friend that's a builder put up the pole structure, 4 of us put the steel on the roof, he had a concrete guy do the floor and 6ft approaches, I did all the trim, windows, entry door and the side wall steel, ran the power from the house to the box in the shed. He did the overhead doors and ran the electric for the outlets and lights. I believe he has at least $20,000 in it

 

[CBODY67]

Once you get that rural location found, it might be that you have to get a 20+ acre plot. So carve out where you want the shop operation, cross-fence it, AND plant some crops for sale wiht a few cattle, or similar. Having an "agriculture exemption" on the total property can be a hedge against future property taxes being higher than they need to be. With a dwelling, then a future homestead exemption might happen, too.

Don't forget water availability or how to get a good well drilled. Plus septic tank items, too. Might keep it "off the grid" with solar/wind electricy generation? Even an hvac system powered by geothermal energy, with a little help from normal electricity.

Several "ways" to play the game, so investigate!

CBODY67

 

[Scott 440 TNT]

I built a 5,000 sqft metal building on a slab, I added a dividing wall so I could rent half of the building out. This way I always have a positive cash flow and a great space for my junk.

 

[1970cat]

your floor can always be poured a section at a time as needed. no matter what, it's a big step up from the tent you started in

 

[70bigblockdodge]

boondocks" with a tall security fence around it! What might be "quiet country" now can be "housing developments" in 20 years. You never know what might be, so plan in that orientation NOW.

27 years ago we had no city water, no sewage. Now I'm getting a bunch of neighbors. Make sure you will be able to sell it, because the future will be here before you know it.

 

[live4theking]

I hope to build a garage/barn in the future. I say barn because I'd like to pattern it after a Dutch barn. I want to pattern after one so that I'll have overheard storage. I built my 10x16 shed this way and I've got tires, a fender, trunk lid, lumber... stored up there. This is just a picture of a shed just encase you're not sure what I'm talking about.

If I did this with a garage that was 32x40 I'd probably end up with a space overhead that would be almost 22x40 that you'd be able to walk around in, with lots of head room. Gambrel Roof Calculator. This is a fun tool to play with.

Before I was married I wanted to build like this, but I was going to live upstairs and have the downstairs to play in. I think the upstairs now would be for a wood working shop.

As others mentioned I would most likely use Amish or Mennonite builders. I may even use rough cut from one of their mills to help save on the cost.

 

[CBODY67]

When I first started thinking about "my own place", an investment, AND a place to play cars, my initial thoughts were to target a then-undeveloped area with good access. Probably about 5 acres.

I'd put the 30x70 (or so) building near the back of the property. With a good driveway area from the road, with the intention that the land in front could later hold a full-blown house, rather than just nice grass.

The layout of the building would be such that it was like the shop I was sharing with two other guys, with the main 4 doors on the front, an "office" area, with a side-rear drive-in door for a longer-term project parking or bad weather parking for what I was driving at the time. The office could also be temporary living quarters, if desired. With enough depth in the main area for work areas in front of each stall.

There would be upstairs storage, too. With a carport on the front of the building, that would also provide a deck on which "the weather" couild be enjoyed while doubling the covered parking space.

Then, when property values increased, I could sell it as a "work in progress", ready for that house on the front area. Future owners could turn the building into a garage/play room area, if desired.

It might be desired to be "away from everybody", but it's like parking in the deserted part of a parking lot to escape door dings, somebody else will like where you are and "they will come", even "uninvited", with their residences. Which is why you get more land, which might later be re-sold, than you might really need. Just not too much.

I also pondered how to use the sun-facing walls to build heat for a hot water storage system, as well as an insulated slab. In a time far before wind and solar were attractive. It might be a metal building, but I was going to use brick to hide that fact, making it look nicer in the process.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[polara71]

I hope to build a garage/barn in the future. I say barn because I'd like to pattern it after a Dutch barn. I want to pattern after one so that I'll have overheard storage. I built my 10x16 shed this way and I've got tires, a fender, trunk lid, lumber... stored up there. This is just a picture of a shed just encase you're not sure what I'm talking about.
View attachment 408832
If I did this with a garage that was 32x40 I'd probably end up with a space overhead that would be almost 22x40 that you'd be able to walk around in, with lots of head room. Gambrel Roof Calculator. This is a fun tool to play with.
View attachment 408827
Before I was married I wanted to build like this, but I was going to live upstairs and have the downstairs to play in. I think the upstairs now would be for a wood working shop.

As others mentioned I would most likely use Amish or Mennonite builders. I may even use rough cut from one of their mills to help save on the cost.

My home is a Dutch Colonial so it has a barn elevation. When I was planning my garage I strongly considered the plan you mention.
I chose the 12' ceilings with a 4/12 roof pitch because I didn’t want the garage to eclipse the house. I do have attic storage but its minimal. If the house was positioned differently I probably would have done it similarly to your plan .
Point is there are plenty of things to consider when planning these things out, many unforseen. A forum like this can pose a lot of questions for Nick to consider when planning.

 

[Rapidtrans777]

Lumber prices reached an all time unsustainable high price last month. Prices are coming down and hopefully by the time you are ready to build they will be back to normal. An $8 sheet of OSB at the beginning of the year is now about $20. Like others have said, build bigger than what you think you need. If you don't the day will come when you wish you did. I added another 14'×84' to my original plans and am glad I have it now.

 

[polara71]

Last weekend 4 x 8 OSB was $23.98 at the local Lowes. 12- 18 months ago it was $7.49.

They are having trouble obtaining treated dimensional lumber. Kid there said they get one truck in every 8-10 weeks and its mostly gone within a few days.

 

[BigblueC]

It's the same story here. I've heard lumber prices are up around 200% since April and one of the local building materials businesses can only get a (1) truck in every other week. I rode by a few days ago and their visible storage was empty.

Of course I chose to push off rebuilding my shed last year hoping to do it this Fall. What's another 6 months....

 

[stubs300]

How limited is the budget?
Have you looked into it yourself as to how much it will cost for what you want?
Have you shopped around? Doubt it! Good Luck
metal garages at DuckDuckGo
garages at DuckDuckGo

 

['69FuryIIIConvertible]

Where I'm looking I would be extremely safe from urban sprawl, IE surrounded by farm land, 15 minutes out of a farming town that is an hour from the nearest city (population 80k).

Ive been looking at properties with 2-5 acres, heavily treed on side roads, ideally I can find something that I can clear enough to build and maneuver, but still have a heavy forest to the road.

Out of sight, out of mind is what I want.

In terms of labor, I'm not hiring anyone unless I absolutely have too, my father is a master carpenter and so was his father, if it's made of wood, they could build it. My dad will be calling the shots and I'll do the labor, I have my own equipment now (two tractors, one with a loader), and have a lot of people I can rely on to help, including an extended family member who owns a contracting business and specializes in commercial and agricultural buildings.

I appreciate the thoughts on buying 20+ acres. But in this part of the world you're talking some serious money to do so, and a bank will not mortgage a piece of land without pre-existing structures, which means I'd have to pony up 500k and I can't.

As it is, it's hard to find land in this area that is zoned to build on, I've found quite a few and have inquired only to find out that because of environmental or watershed laws, it's zoned for recreation only and you cannot have any permanent structure. Other pieces of land I would have to go through 6 or 7 entities in order to even find out if I could build (think surveys for each costing $$$$$$)...

So my options in my budget are limited, construction and permit cost I can deal with....

I checked on one I'm interested in yesterday and the annual taxes on it are $500 less then what I currently pay Bi annually to store 4 vehicles.

Nick