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Pole Barns Guide

bosco | Jan 14, 2010 |

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Pole barns, also known as cattle barns, are rectangular structures with no walls. They have roofs supported by poles and are often used to store hay. They have sliding doors which make the hay easy to access by machinery. Pole shelters have been around since the 1930s, after which their popularity waned until a recent resurgence. Pole buildings were popular decades ago because in rural areas there was mostly just wood and steel available for construction. The wood came from telephone poles – which is where a pole barn got its name. Farmers would bury the poles in the ground and use the steel as roofing. Years later, specially treated wood to ward off decay and moisture damage would be used and even higher roofs would be built.

Two main advantages of a pole shelter for today's consumer are the reasonable cost and the large capacity for storage. Another advantage is that someone can have a pole kit built by people specializing in the construction of such structures or they can develop custom pole barn plans that they can put together themselves, with a few friends of course.

Companies that build pole barns do so for both residential and commercial purposes, handling the design, planning, engineering and construction phases. Wood, steel and metal are common materials used in the structures. Pole shelters are used by all kinds of businesses, including fire houses, churches, auto repair shops and restaurants. Having the pole structure built by someone else is a preferable option if the potential project is huge, there are exceptional time constraints, or those involved in the installation have mediocre mechanical ability.

On the other hand, if time is flexible, the desired structure is small to medium in size, and if those doing the installation are good with their hands, kits may be the answer. Pole building kits can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of a shelter that must be constructed and installed off site. Most businesses agree that a consumer can save between 45% and 60% by using a kit rather than having a pole structure built and shipped in or built on site from materials sent in.

Kits usually include a truss, siding, roofing, trim, walls, color and size choices of doors, windows, lofts, and plenty of accessories, such as cupolas, widow's peaks or dormers for the roof. The availability and expense of the kits and accessories will depend on the manufacturer.