How to Construct Pole Barns

Pole barns are as dependable as a good pair of blue jeans—built to endure, offering great value, and adaptable to your needs. If you’ve ever visited a local farmers’ market or used a carport, horse riding arena, covered picnic area, storage facility, or auto-repair garage, you’ve likely encountered pole barns.

A pole barn is a structure supported by poles that are set into the ground and secured with concrete. The poles support the roof, and the walls are optional. No foundation is necessary, and flooring can be left unfinished. Pole barns can be built in various sizes. The framing runs horizontally to the posts, ensuring strength and stability. Typically, the posts and frame are made from wood, with options for metal or wood siding. Roofs are commonly constructed from galvanized steel, though shingles can also be used [source: Burch].

Features can vary widely, including cupolas with weathervanes, attics, covered porches, skylights, and windows, as well as Dutch doors, barn doors, sliding doors, and overhead doors. The roofline can set the tone for the style of the structure, ranging from the barn-inspired gambrel roofline to a carriage-style design, ideal for an open-sided 'run-in' stall that is enclosed on three sides with one side open [source: Burch].

Pole construction is known for being one of the most cost-effective building methods, and from a builder's perspective, it's also one of the simplest. The materials needed are relatively inexpensive. Curious about the materials used to construct pole barns? Keep reading the next section to find out more.

Pole Barn Materials

Before beginning the process of building a pole barn, it's important to consult with your local building inspector to determine if you need any permits, zoning variances, or other waivers for the project. Be sure to inform the inspector if the structure will be used for storage or agricultural purposes, as these typically have fewer building regulations. The inspector may request plans or blueprints, along with a property survey, to ensure compliance with setback guidelines. You can also learn how deep the post holes should be dug [source: Franklin].

To build a pole barn, you will need the following materials:

You will also need these tools for building a pole barn:

Pole Barn Construction Process

When choosing a location, remember: location, location, location. Select a flat, graded site with a well-drained foundation. The area should be at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) wider and longer than the building's footprint. Next, decide on the desired size of your pole barn. These structures are commonly built in 8-foot (2.4-meter) sections, allowing them to vary from 8 to 16 feet (2.4 to 4.8 meters) up to 24 to 40 feet (7.3 to 12.2 meters) in length and width. The barn's intended use will help determine its final dimensions [source: Fetterville].

Carefully mark the centers of each post hole using stakes, ensuring the structure's corners are square, at exactly 90 degrees. Dig the holes to the appropriate depth based on your local soil conditions. Check that the poles are properly aligned and vertical. Brace them and verify everything is level and square before pouring concrete into the holes. Let the concrete set for several days [source: Burch].

Secure the stringers at the tops of the poles, making sure they are level. The first truss is the trickiest to install and may require multiple people, ropes, poles, braces, or even a backhoe. Additional trusses can be braced against the existing ones. Install the purlins across the length of the trusses. For tin roofing, overlap the sections and secure them with screw-in roofing nails. Apply caulk under the overlaps. Installing a roof cap follows. Keep in mind, plywood and shingle roofs demand more time, effort, and precise measurements [source: Burch].

If you are adding walls, mount girts at ground level all around the building, ensuring they are level. Nail the girts to the posts in multiple rows, placing them close enough to attach the siding. Install plywood or metal sheeting, taking care to leave space for windows and doors where necessary [source: Burch].

Your cows and chickens are requesting that you insulate your pole barn—discover how to do so in the next section.

Insulation for Pole Barns

Proper insulation offers a variety of benefits. It helps regulate the temperature inside the pole barn, ensuring it's safer for animals, more comfortable for people, and even prolongs the building's lifespan. Insulation also tackles two common issues with pole barns: extreme temperatures and moisture [source: Barn Insulation].

Any pole barn used to house animals should have reflective insulation to protect livestock and poultry from heat stress. While temperature, humidity, airflow, and solar radiation all contribute to heat stress, the issue worsens once the temperature exceeds 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 degrees Celsius). At this point, the absorption of solar heat from the hot roof and walls can become problematic. Since livestock and poultry don't have efficient cooling mechanisms, they can struggle to regulate their body temperature. Heat stress can result in lower milk production, reduced fertility, and even death. Reflective insulation helps manage indoor temperatures, reflect heat away from the barn, and control condensation [source: Barn Insulation].

Reflective insulation's vapor-retarding properties help fight moisture. Without proper condensation control, anything stored inside the pole barn may be damaged due to moisture buildup in the walls and ceiling, leading to dripping, rotting, mold, and fungus. Since reflective insulation is nonabsorbent, it won't degrade or promote mold and fungal growth [source: Barn Insulation].

There are two main types of reflective insulation suitable for pole barns. Both feature reflective foil on the outside, but one includes a foam layer in the middle, known as Foil-Foam-Foil, while the other has a polyethylene bubble core, called Foil-Bubble-Foil. Both varieties are thin, lightweight, flexible, and durable. They can be easily cut with a utility knife, stapled, nailed, or glued into place [source: Pole-Barn Insulation].

Foil-Foam-Foil is more energy-efficient compared to Foil-Bubble-Foil. For example, Prodex Total Insulation (Foil-Foam-Foil) is tested to perform in temperatures as low as 20 degrees below zero Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) and as high as 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit) [source: Pole-Barn Insulation].

Not sure whether you want to handle the entire project on your own? Keep reading to discover pole barn kits, which come complete with everything you need, except the tools and labor.

Pole Barn Kits

If you've decided a pole barn is a must-have for your property but you want to avoid the hassle of purchasing materials, tools, and spending time on measurements and cuts, there is an alternative. Instead of hiring someone to build it for you, consider a pole barn kit. Keep in mind, though, that you'll still need to assemble it yourself.

Pole barn kits are offered by both national and regional companies. Essentially, they deliver all the necessary materials to your site, and you're responsible for providing the tools, expertise, and labor. Some companies even offer financing options, professional plans, and toll-free customer service. Many also connect you with local construction consultants if needed [source: DIY].

A typical pole barn kit for a wood-framed structure, ranging in size from 24 feet by 32 feet (7.3 by 9.8 meters) to 40 feet by 80 feet (12.2 x 24.4 meters), and with wall heights between 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.7 meters), might include the following components: