Do It Yourself Pole Building Kits

Do-it-yourself pole building kits can save you as much as two-thirds the cost over having one constructed by a professional team of builders. They are easy to find and make wonderful buildings for many uses, including garages, storage, large animal barns and workshops. Because they are covered in an aluminum sheeting rather than wood, they are much more durable than standard wood slat buildings. They stand up to weather and insect and rodent infestation better than wood, and pole buildings require much less maintenance to keep looking great.

Before even considering where to buy or what size building you desire, make sure you check with your local zoning office for any regulations that may prohibit the erecting of a new building, and determine where you can put it if you are allowed and what other demands must be met for your area.

Search the local hardware and home improvement centers in your area. Larger farm and home improvement stores carry these buildings or have them made to order to your specifications. Your building will be delivered in pieces on a flatbed semi-trailer truck at your building site. The building materials will include 6-by-6 support posts, footings, 2-by-4 framing materials and roofing trusses that are usually prefabricated and build to order for the size of your building. In the case that your roof trusses do not come preassembled, you will receive the necessary precut 2-by-4s and instructions for assembly. Your kit will also include premade doors in the amounts and sizes you ordered and insulation if you requested it, along with the metal sheeting for the roof and sides of the building.

Level the building site. Before you ever pick up a hammer, you should pick a suitable site for your building and use a bulldozer or backhoe, if necessary, to level it to the very best of your ability. It is much easier to set a building squarely on level ground than it is to attempt to square up corner posts on a slanted or hilly surface.

Long before your building arrives, you must determine what type of foundation you prefer. The best types of foundation vary depending on your desired use of the pole building. The most common choices are bare dirt, stone/gravel or concrete.

Dig the holes for the support posts. Unlike the average fence post hole that only needs to be big enough for a 4-by-4, a pole building support post hole must be large enough to allow not only for the 6-by-6 posts but also the concrete foots that give your support stability. Therefore, 8-inch circular diameter is a good size to unearth. Typically, you will want to plant the 6-by-6 support posts 6 feet into the ground to ensure good, firm hold, and prevent buckling from frost or freeze and thaw weather. If your local zoning laws do not have any regulations on the type of footings required, you can simply drop the concrete circular footings delivered with the construction materials for your pole building into the post holes.

Set the corner posts. Then use a piece of string wrapped completely around the perimeter of the building site and a leveling tool to be sure they are completely square, as well as to set the height for the bottom cross brace and base of the building on a level plane.

Construct the framing according to the instructions, and then notch the tops of the support poles to place the roofing trusses securely in place. Hang the metal sheeting on the sides and roof. Install any insulation included in the kit, hand your doors and enjoy your new building. Erecting a do-it-yourself pole building is not a one-man job--it will require the assistance of at least one other person. More than one is a better option, especially when installing the roof trusses.