building pole barns in the sky

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This is a Cleary building, 42x72, I was originally going to go with 30x50 but I decided I want room to walk in front or behind the cars with toolboxes etc against the wall, It is roomy so its easy to park a car in and get out without bumping into something else or banging car doors on things. Figure what size building you want then add another 8 or 10 feet to the lenght and 4 to 8 feet to the depth. All of these pole barn companies advertise the cheapest price, when you add the Waynes coat, coopala, porch, windows, overhang, etc it adds up fast.

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I have a 44x40 pole barn here are my regrets, Should of had them spray insulate it, I have the walls insulated now and some particle boards on the walls. PIA to install, also think about under floor heat and a sink. I have 16' ceilings so height is not a issue, one more thing if you plan on putting a lift in have them pour 6" concrete in that area. Paint the floor also before moving anything in, that is the time to do it. Outlets also cant have enough and if you weld 220 is nice to have. Just my experience of what I should have done.
 
Thanks and Merry Christmas! I want to note that for not that much more money (like 500 or less) I opted for raised lower chord trusses so I have ample room for a lift inside, I was limited due to county restrictions on my roof height, the peak is less than 21 feet, I have a ten foot high door on the eve side so this eliminated people wanting to store their campers in my building, If I wanted, I could add a door on the gable end that would be much higher because of the raised lower chord trusses. Just something to keep in mind when choosing building placement. There is a previous suggestion about insulation and such, you may find that if you shop around you might get better pricing from different contractors, I didn't have the building company do my doors even, I had a regular garage door guy of my liking do it. Most of the building companies sub these things out, even the gutters. Only thing I had Cleary do is the shell, they have a 50 year warranty on their columns and 30 on the paint, something else to keep in mind as well, the local guy putting up a Menards or box store building will have a hard time offering a warranty that will match the big corporations.
 
Thanks for all the insight guys
I would put it behind the house, but I'm afraid that won't fly with the missus (it would kill the landscaping and view)

I had not seriously considered hight, but I will now

Height needs to be in the top 3 of must haves..... Initially when I built mine last year it was not a huge consideration and then I read a post on Garage Journal about lifts and the rest is history.

If you plan on doing car work you will want a lift in your life lol.....

JW
 
all good points except maybe the spray foam. Just got a flier here the other day from pest control company. They said they can not warranty against termites or mold because they can not inspect the wood behind the foam. I have foam in my shop and haven't had any trouble yet but I would rethink it before I did another one. I saw a house being insulated with blown fiberglass in the walls. They had something sticky on it and rolled it flush with the studs. That was the best I have seen. Back to the foam, I asked my installer about it after the fact and he asked me if I was having problems and I told him not yet. He said well the jury is still out on the foam and he would not be putting any more into residents so something must be going on. May be like the chinese sheetrock?
 
all good points except maybe the spray foam. Just got a flier here the other day from pest control company. They said they can not warranty against termites or mold because they can not inspect the wood behind the foam. I have foam in my shop and haven't had any trouble yet but I would rethink it before I did another one. I saw a house being insulated with blown fiberglass in the walls. They had something sticky on it and rolled it flush with the studs. That was the best I have seen. Back to the foam, I asked my installer about it after the fact and he asked me if I was having problems and I told him not yet. He said well the jury is still out on the foam and he would not be putting any more into residents so something must be going on. May be like the chinese sheetrock?
That is very interesting and disturbing at the same time, definitely something to keep in mind.
 
when they sprayed mine they covered up the ridge vents but I think I am going to open them back up by cutting the foam out of that area. I park a couple of my trucks in there so I am opening the garage door regularly and I think that helps by keeping the air from getting stale
 
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48x66 Note the fiberglass panel strip just under the roof, really helps with natural light. Constructed with Magic Trusses, keeps the interior open. And no matter how big you will fill it up and then some. Our floor was not concrete when we moved in and during the spring thaw so much moisture would come up from the ground it would drip from the ceiling on the inside. I put down 6" with rerod and stopped the problem. Hope this helps.
 
I have a 36 X 48 with full length overhang 12' wide on long side. Built on 2' stem walls, stick frame, 14' to celing. 16'X 24' MIL quarters in one corner. 2 10' X 12' roll up doors in front with man door in center. Currently set up to mod snowmobiles but soon to be site of 1940 ford pickup build.

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Make sure you get a big door.makes it easier to get in and out .I'm on the welfare and only can afford a 30x40.I don't have a current pic but my car is on a 22 ft trailer and I can back it in on either side.
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I would trade 1/2 of my pole barn for 1/2 of your trophys!! Good looking building. Do you have an issue with ventilation or is there a door on the side?
 
I would trade 1/2 of my pole barn for 1/2 of your trophys!! Good looking building. Do you have an issue with ventilation or is there a door on the side?
No back door and I have a bunch more trophys and plaques in the house!I don't weld but am getting AC
 
All good stuff here. I've had huge barns out in the country, then moved in town, on the golf course actually. The biggest thing I found by having to drastically reduce shop space is th overhead storage. I found great overhead shelves on Amazon that bolt to the ceiling, and bought a few that crank up and down as well. Keeps floor space open, and I place stuff that's not often accessed, and it works out well.

Another note, as was mentioned, the thing I found to be very important was the depth. I really missed not having a bunch of room in front of the notch, while still being able to walking behind the car as well. MAKE SURE it's extra deep. I promise you.
 
Started out with a 30x30... after staking out the yard... ended up building a 40x64. Built more garage than I could afford to finish out electrical and insulate.. but I'm doing that now. I don't regret doing it this way.
 
did some reading on the cities ordinances, it looks like with the lotsize i have, the largest building i can put up is 1280 square feet, thats 40X32
not quite as big as i thought i may need but i guess it will have to do

unless i can get the city to make an exception
 
No question. I went 14x14 doors and DO NOT regret that either. Builder made me and I'm glad he did.

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Know you were asking about costs and if you were to DIY the building (versatube or other steel building company) the biggest cost is more likely going to be concrete. I know the online estimates I've seen are around $6-10 a sq/ft for 4" thick slabs. If you are going with a a 2 post lift you will want a thicker pad (look at what your lift recommends) while 4 post don't really care.
 
I live in cold ND and see that you are in MI, so heat is important. I have a 40 x63 w 12' ceiling. I put pex hot water floor heat in the concrete and love it. If you can get natural gas that will be cheapest heat. I kept 1\3 unheated to save some money but have plenty of heated work space. Most 2 or 4 post lifts will work in 12 foot ceiling. Menard's has design center that will let you try different floor plans and door layouts and will give good cost. I bought one and staggered some item purchase to get on sale.
 
Excuse the heavy breathing right after I backed in the trailer I had to get the neighbors dog back in his fence.I could have straightened it up but this is a 30x40 with a 16 wide door.This is just to give ya a view.The pu fits in also


 
30x50 built into the bank. That's why the walls are stepped concrete. Have 6" Crete floors 10" walls with a 12" rebar grid throughout. Attic trusses give me 6 foot upstairs with 12 foot downstairs. Rolled insulation 6 inches thick then OSB walls inside. I can back truck and 20 foot deck trailer in and close the doors. Nice to have when coming home after a long haul for picking up cars.

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I like pressure treated wood.
Don't think it's any if much more than kill dried.
Use it down low anyway.
Screw the termites.
 
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