# Pole barn house or?



## evermoor1 (Jul 3, 2010)

We have decide to not fix up the house on our acreage and were thinking about the pole barn house or modular. Any thoughts or experiences would be great.


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## Spotted Owl (Jul 5, 2010)

Be sure that a pole barn is a legal livable dwelling in your area. Around us some are and some are not, depending on where it is built.



Owl


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## Morakai (Mar 1, 2011)

I like the idea of building my own house some day. I got a lot of ideas from looking at the different houses on alternative site. Since you said modular, it made me think of this design on that site. Please feel free to look at the designs.

http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/plans/pods.htm


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

Check out straw-bale house construction. These are not limited to warm, dry climes. Someone near me in western NYS built one. There was an article in the paper a while back. We converted a pole barn to a wood shop. It is as tight a little space as can be. With some plumbing it would make a terrific efficiency apartment. Difficult to get it approved, though. Sue


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Pole barns are meant to be just that....barns. Plenty of open space, and cheap.

By the time you do the additional framing to make it a house, you would have been cheaper ( and I think you get a better, tighter house ) to have gone with conventional framing, either on a slab or some type of foundation.

Now what will follow this post is all the folks that have done the pole barn to house thing, but if you actually STUDY it, it makes little economic sense material wise to build a house within the shell of another building, UNLESS the building already exists and you had virtually nothing in the cost.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

We looked at doing a pole barn-house simply because the shell would go up very quickly and then we would be working inside and living there while we finished it. It was a viable option, but it wouldn't have saved us any money in the end. We ended up buying property with a modular home on it. It's a nice house - well built. I wish they would have used better windows, but we can fix that over time. The beam down the center causes us some trouble with our cell phones.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

My mom lives in what used to be a pole barn. They remodeled it and it is GORGEOUS and very very modern. Of course they did the work themselves, so saved lots of money. Stepdad's artwork looks amazing in the house and yard.


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## countryboy84 (Dec 8, 2010)

I am a fan of double wall pole barn houses. They are strong and can be super insulative. Means double the posts and 2x6s for the skirting but it is worth it if you are going to be building this type of house. If looking for cheaper and do it yourself kinda thing look at cordwood masanary. Easy and well just great all the way around.


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## djberg (Mar 14, 2007)

TnAndy said:


> Pole barns are meant to be just that....barns. Plenty of open space, and cheap.
> 
> By the time you do the additional framing to make it a house, you would have been cheaper ( and I think you get a better, tighter house ) to have gone with conventional framing, either on a slab or some type of foundation.
> 
> Now what will follow this post is all the folks that have done the pole barn to house thing, but if you actually STUDY it, it makes little economic sense material wise to build a house within the shell of another building, UNLESS the building already exists and you had virtually nothing in the cost.



TnAndy is exactly right. I design pole barns as barns and garages. They are great for that. But, whenever someone converts one of my plans into a home, they end up spending more than a conventional stud-frame home would cost. 

Pole barns are not really easy to build. It's a good bit of work to get the posts up, vertical and square with each other. If you're doing the work yourself, you'll do much better with a stick-frame house.

Don

TodaysPlans.net


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## jeff1981 (Dec 31, 2008)

Depending on how much living space you need, and A Frame might be a good way to have inexpensive and efficient housing.


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## DaynaJ (Dec 5, 2007)

insurance. Insurance co say's he has to put permanent doors, not garage doors, on it & put some kind of siding, brick, etc. to appear as a home in their pictures of the property. Probably doesn't help that they run an autobody, repair shop in approx 1/3 of the building. They buy & fix up, then sell anything from motorcycles to dunebuggies.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

My actual experience is that a frame built house ends up the best bargain. 

The actual framing and roof can be up in a couple of days, so that all the work inside can be done out of the weather. I've seen 2 men frame a 2,000 sq ft house and get the walls up in one day. Truck comes in and uses a boom to lift pre-made roof trusses up on top and the roof deck can go on the same day.

The modulars tend to be a teensy bit misrepresented as to final cost, retention of value, and quality of construction.

You've already got the property, so not an issue, but the very best value is to buy land with buildings already on it. Property around here is selling for less than the cost of building the buildings on it.


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

back around 1978 my FIL (who owned several houses) put up a pole barn house across the field from our house, it was cozy and nice, except they do tend to leak if they have metal roofs..when they rust around the nails..but otherwise it was fairly nice and it was well insulated for Michigan winters..had wood stove in center and had separated rooms for bath, bedrooms and a petition for the kitchen with a mud room entry 

it is still standing and people are still using it..but not my FIL as they are gone


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## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

I'd go cordwood myself. Could make a pole shed and then instead of using sheet metal fill it in with cordwood. You would have your outside and inside walls done in one shot plus you can use sawdust to insulate the house. It would be a real cheap way to put up an interesting house.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

PhilJohnson said:


> I'd go cordwood myself. Could make a pole shed and then instead of using sheet metal fill it in with cordwood. You would have your outside and inside walls done in one shot plus you can use sawdust to insulate the house. It would be a real cheap way to put up an interesting house.


Yes, interesting.

Is this your place or is it something that you find attractive to look at.
It has been my experience that the devil is in the details. For someone from central Wisconsin to consider such a design, I must believe they haven't lived in one. In much of the northern third of this country, frost goes deep and building requirements reflect that fact. So, you'll need 4 feet of concrete underground to support those stackwood walls. If those big, beautiful posts go into the ground, they'll rot off in no time. Moisture and temperature changes will open up cracks allowing winter winds to blow through your dwelling.

If you want something like this while you complete your Masters in Natural Art, it makes a great venue for your etchings and will return to nature in a few years.

But if you are wanting an efficient, inexpensive, long lasting year around home, erect a very small stick built home, designed to be expanded as the family grows. Millions have taken that option and it is still popular.


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## djberg (Mar 14, 2007)

Good points haypoint.

Evermoor, Where do you live? That will give us a better understanding of what type of construction is best for you.

I've had a couple tours of modular home factories and been very impressed with the quality of construction. A modular home should be a much better structure than anything that you can build on posts. Have you compared prices between modular homes, stick-built homes and post-frame homes in your area?

Don

Today's Plans


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

evermoor1 said:


> We have decide to not fix up the house on our acreage and were thinking about the pole barn house or modular. Any thoughts or experiences would be great.


We hired the Amish to build the church. We decided on the "pole barn" type construction just to keep costs down. They laid a concrete slab, set up poles, then put on the outside walls/siding over the poles, and put in the windows and doors. We did a lot of the work inside ourselves to keep down costs like insulating, hanging drywall, mudding, painting the concrete floor, wiring, running all the sound and video cables, etc. The Amish did build our staircase to the sound balcony and put up the knee walls there. Eventually the carpets were put in, and the walls plastered, Heating/AC installed, etc.
It worked out really nice for the church. You would never know it was simply a polebarn now that it's finished. And the cost of construction doing it that way was very low. The building cost about 25,000 before we added carpets/dual AC/drapes. It's the extras that add up.


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## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

haypoint said:


> Yes, interesting.
> 
> Is this your place or is it something that you find attractive to look at.
> It has been my experience that the devil is in the details. For someone from central Wisconsin to consider such a design, I must believe they haven't lived in one. In much of the northern third of this country, frost goes deep and building requirements reflect that fact. So, you'll need 4 feet of concrete underground to support those stackwood walls. If those big, beautiful posts go into the ground, they'll rot off in no time. Moisture and temperature changes will open up cracks allowing winter winds to blow through your dwelling.
> ...


A few folks in Wisconsin have built cordwood homes with good results (there is a local guy that built a cordwood shop). I would want the wood wall to start at least a couple feet off the ground (to avoid moisture. From what I understand soft wood is preferable because it doesn't shrink and expand so much. Regarding foundation construction, a stick built home would need the same type as a cordwood home so I don't quite understand what your point is. I would use treated post myself and build it like a park pavilion with cordwood as the infill. While cracking would be a valid concern I don't see it being any more of a concern than chinking on a log cabin.


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## just_sawing (Jan 15, 2006)

I am in the process of designing a pole barn house now.
1 The road as of now will not support cement trucks.
2 The house will bw built from wood sawed on site.
3 The cost of the foundation is 20 percent of the cost of the home.
4 The poles will not be full of arsinic
5 The construction allows 6 inches of insulation
6 The poles will sit on Footers so the building does not sink.
The other part is that I will bring the home in (Not Counting My Sweat equity) at 20K. 1400 square feet.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

We build a large pole barn for my hubby's shop/workroom/garage and then went back in and added a two story apartment to it. (we had the building built tall enough to do that). We have about 1200 square feet and LOVE IT. We did 80% of the work ourselves. Saved tons of money and it is beautiful. We may never build a "house" on our place. We did give up some things like: no dishwasher, no bathtub (just a wonderfully big shower), and closet space is on the light side. Since it is just hubby and me, it is prefect!


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

We have a 30X64' with a 10X64' porch pole house started. We have radiant in floor tubing and the plumbing in the slab. Granted we have not gotten very far as we are paying as you go.
So far I really like it. It turned out cute as a bug. I am hoping this will be the year we can finish it and get into it. For the money I think it has worked out for us. Esp since we can finish as we can.Its dried in and it isn't hurting it at all to sit.
Guess once we get into it I wiull be able to give an honest assessment of living in a pole house. But for now...i am glad we went this route


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## tiogacounty (Oct 27, 2005)

jeff1981 said:


> Depending on how much living space you need, and A Frame might be a good way to have inexpensive and efficient housing.


As a builder, I can agree that an A frame can be inexpensive. As for efficient, a true A frame (no side walls, rafters right to the floor) is perhaps the biggest waste of space imaginable. The lack of vertical exterior wall space, and horrible usable space to cost ratio, makes it a really bad choice.


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## tiogacounty (Oct 27, 2005)

oregon woodsmok said:


> My actual experience is that a frame built house ends up the best bargain.
> 
> 
> The modulars tend to be a teensy bit misrepresented as to final cost, retention of value, and quality of construction.
> ...


This is highly dependent on what part of the country you are located in, If you understand the difference between "HUD" code and state code products, and how well your local market has adapted to the benefits of off-site construction. In the mid-Atlantic, resale and quality issues are not significant. We have a strong market for higher end products that look and perform nothing like the stereotypical "double-wides". Others on this site claim that this is not the reality in places like OK and TX. YMMV


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

just_sawing said:


> I am in the process of designing a pole barn house now.
> 1 The road as of now will not support cement trucks.
> 2 The house will bw built from wood sawed on site.
> 3 The cost of the foundation is 20 percent of the cost of the home.
> ...


I would go with Stick Built on Concrete Block Piers.In your area you won't need 6 inches of insulation.

Lumber you are cutting is it Oak or Pine? I've used Oak but prefer Pine.

big rockpile


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## just_sawing (Jan 15, 2006)

The Poles will be Red Aromic Ceder
Banding Tulip Poplar
Clap Board siding poplar with the lower courses ceder/
Inside the paneling Box Elder
Cabinets Sassafras
Floor Joist Poplar 
Roof Rafters Red Oak
Pearling Sycamore
Shingles (Unless I use metal) Ceder
I will insulate the house as if in Canada, not so much for the Cold but the heat. AC cost money Heating is a way to get rid of Slab wood.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

just_sawing said:


> The Poles will be Red Aromic Ceder
> Banding Tulip Poplar
> Clap Board siding poplar with the lower courses ceder/
> Inside the paneling Box Elder
> ...


All sounds good.Make sure all your Lumber is dry.I would still go with Stick Built.Done the Pole Barn and always wish we hadn't.

big rockpile


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## JWK (Apr 8, 2006)

tiogacounty said:


> As a builder, I can agree that an A frame can be inexpensive. As for efficient, a true A frame (no side walls, rafters right to the floor) is perhaps the biggest waste of space imaginable. The lack of vertical exterior wall space, and horrible usable space to cost ratio, makes it a really bad choice.


+1,000

I live in an A frame. :hair

If anyone shows you plans for an "inexpensive" A frame home...:runforhills:

Hey tiogacounty, what would be your recommendation for a DIY stick built house? Let's say a family of four (hey, that happens to be what I have).


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## zukgod (Jan 28, 2007)

This is a great thread, my wife and I are trying to figure out what to do to build our home, that will hopefully be our last. We have been really leaning toward the steel framed pole barn style home, then build the interior the way we want. We want a simple two story farm house with a porch all the way around. I have seen it done in metal and it's beautiful, in my calculations it had been cheaper, but I am also not a builder. I would really like any info someone might have on this. Building a home is a huge investment. We will be in the northern panhandle of Idaho up around priest river. No building codes with the exception of septic, and electrical, actually one of the main reasons for buying in the area some actual freedom from government regulation.


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## Prismseed (Sep 14, 2009)

No personal experience but I've always been attracted to the idea of a converted cargo container home.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Prismseed said:


> No personal experience but I've always been attracted to the idea of a converted cargo container home.



That's one of those things that looks better from a distance. 
7 foot wide rooms is the worst problem add to that they are expensive on a perfoot basis.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Best deal out there is 2 x4 dual wall construction it won't cost $200 more and let's you have as much insulation as you want. 
The girls will love the deep window sills and cabinets you can build into the walls


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

TnAndy said:


> Pole barns are meant to be just that....barns. Plenty of open space, and cheap.
> 
> By the time you do the additional framing to make it a house, you would have been cheaper ( and I think you get a better, tighter house ) to have gone with conventional framing, either on a slab or some type of foundation.
> 
> Now what will follow this post is all the folks that have done the pole barn to house thing, but if you actually STUDY it, it makes little economic sense material wise to build a house within the shell of another building, UNLESS the building already exists and you had virtually nothing in the cost.


Yes...I built mine out for 10.00 a square foot. I had many building materials left over from customers building projects and renovations. Sinks..garden tub...50 gallon hot water heater. I got the building and land for nothing too. Otherwise I doubt it would be a bargain.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

I'm getting ready to build a 35' x 45' pole building / cabin with 35' x 8' covered porch on the end. It turned out a little cheaper than stick built for the same finished product.


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## philm (Dec 16, 2014)

Ill be buying a yurt to live in full time in a few years

http://www.shelterdesigns.net/yurt-photo-gallery


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## RomeGrower (Feb 27, 2013)

Is pole barn construction the same as what is considered now as timber framing? I used to think of it as post and beam. That's a far higher quality construction is it not? I also think it is much more beautiful.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Pole barns are wood treated posts in the ground set 8' to 12' apart with trusses on each post (usually one on each side) with girts and purlins for the siding and roof. Usually concrete slab floor if used as a living space, many use in floor heat in the slab. Some are built with poles in the ground with headers and house type trusses 2' apart. This makes it easier to put up a ceiling and insulate the attic space. Many stud up for walls between the posts to attach walls and insulate.

There are steel barn buildings built all from steel with steel siding and roof. Those need something added for interior walls and ceiling or the ceiling is sloped and roofing insulated. More like a loft living space.

Timber frame and post and beam are usually built on a floor deck with foundation....James


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