Whether it be a building for agricultural purposes or just a shop to keep your toys in, pole barns can be a very cost effective solution for your storage needs! Here are a few tips to keep the cost under control:

1. Gable/Eave Overhangs – By eliminating overhangs on the roof of your pole barn you will save time & labor costs, while reducing the materials needed for construction at the same time. Some people say that pole barns are much more attractive with overhangs. If that is no concern to you then you can save a good chunk of money depending on the size of your structure.

1. Roof Sheeting & Felt – If you have bought plywood or OSB in the past year then you know it may have hurt your pocketbook. For example, a 36x36 pole barn would require approximately $800 for OSB & felt paper or $1000 for 1/2” CDX 4-Ply & felt paper. The alternative method is putting down an inexpensive vapor barrier directly under your metal such as Dura-Skrim which should run you less than $200 for a 36x36. Depending on your application, this cheaper option might get the job done!

1. Concrete – If you can do without a concrete slab in your new pole building then you can save quite a bit of money. Concrete on average is about $7.50 a square foot so going along with our 36x36 example, that is roughly $10,000.

1. Build Yourself – Not that we recommend this by any means because we love our local contractors, but if you have the time and necessary skills you can save yourself some money. If you do not have the time or skills, Freres Building Supply would be happy to provide you with a list of contractors who come highly recommended. Just keep in mind that contractors are very busy right now and they may not have time available right away.  Although most will come out to your proposed job site for free and give you a quote.

To get a free quote visit www.freresbuildingsupply.com/polebuildings or come into the main store in Stayton and talk with one of their pole barn specialists. You can typically get a quote back within a day or two depending on the size of the project.