Pole barns can be a great alternative to a more substantial outbuilding or garage when looking for shelter and storage facility alternatives. You can get them set up pretty quickly, and they aren’t always as expensive as you expect. That all depends on the quality of the kits and the team you work with. Whatever type of pole barn you get, you have to be sure that the product you get meets your expectations in terms of its capacity, function, and ease of use. Ask the right questions when choosing a building and deciding on the best approach. Here are some tips to get you started.
Important Questions To Ask When Choosing The Best Pole Barn
How Big Should It Be?
This is your starting point when choosing a pole barn for your property. It has to be the right size. This can be a little bit of a hurdle because you don’t want to go too big or too small. Too big, and you might end up paying out a lot more money for something that dominates your land and feels like a lot of wasted space. Too small, and you might lose out on valuable space just for the benefit of cutting costs. You need to be sure there’s room for everything you need under one roof. You may also want to consider the potential for expanding the amount of goods or vehicles in the barn in the future. It might seem over-sized now, but will it prove to be a wise investment in a few years? Measure up your land for a rough idea of what you need and see how that relates to the products offered.
Open, Enclosed, Or Combo?
Then, there’s the style of pole barns. Some of the best models on the market right now are open barns. This means there are no walls at all, just a heavy-duty roof on all those supportive poles. It’s the most simplistic approach for protecting in bad weather. It could be more than enough as a place to park machinery in wet weather or somewhere to let livestock shelter in a storm. The downside is that an open structure means you can’t contain anything in that space against its will. You also can’t get much protection from the wind, unwelcome critters, or any intruders.
The more secure option in that regard is the enclosed pole barns. These barns have the same efficient approach of using pole supports instead of foundation, but you also get four walls around the sides. These walls provide that necessary barrier between the elements, any unsavory characters, and your property. You can lock expensive machinery in there, store goods without the risk of them getting eaten, and provide much better protection against bad weather. You end up with a more intrusive building on your property, so you have to be careful with the size and design. Still, you can find some attractive kits where the metal panels are treated and painted.
DIY Kit or Fully Installed?
The best suppliers of pole barns for sale will give you two options when choosing your ideal building. You’ll see that the stats and general description for the barn are the same, but one is typically cheaper than the other. That’s because you can get a barn as a kit or fully installed by the company. A DIY kit has its perks and not just because of the lower upfront costs. As long as you have enough skilled people on-site with you to prep the ground, set up the poles, do the concrete work, and finish the building, you can do it yourself. This means completing the project to your specifications, on your timescale, and without anyone else on your property. This could be the best option on a working farm or family home with lots of kids and pets around.
The downside of a kit is the pressure of getting everything right. You’ll be given the best starting point possible with all the right parts made from quality materials. However, if you’ve ever struggled with flat-pack furniture or a greenhouse kit before, this sort of building kit is on another level. You have to be confident enough in your abilities and have the right support. Otherwise, you’re dealing with a structure that might be a bit wonky and not as secure as it should be. Hiring professional help is more costly but worth it for the lack of stress and the result.
Working With The Best Pole Barn Suppliers
Whatever you need and whatever the purpose, it helps to work with experienced suppliers that understand metal building construction inside and out. The best companies are there for you every step of the way. They will start by offering the customer support needed to help you decide which model is best for you. They can guide you through the different forms, the pros and cons, and what they have available. Some providers even go as far as offering custom design tools to help you adapt buildings to suit more precise needs. This could be as simple as changing the color to something more appealing or as complex as adding lean-tos or extra windows for practicality.
Then, there’s the factor of the installation process. If you want to build a barn yourself, you need to be sure the company offers complete kits with quality parts and will ship them to your property. If you prefer the idea of expert installation, make sure the team has the skills and experience to set that up for you. This is where it also pays to read any case studies and online testimonies about the brand. Are they able to meet expectations on the quality of their products and services? Are clients happy with how the work was carried out? Find a company that meets your expectations, search their product range to find the right fit, and get in touch with their sales team. They can have you set up with the perfect pole barn and give you the support you need.