What to Consider when buying a Barn
What are you looking to store in your Metal Barn?
A metal barn can be a great storage unit for grain, hay, or straw or for housing livestock. Selecting the right metal barn is important. Whether you’re looking to store livestock feed, equipment or livestock, we can help you design the metal barn that suits your specific need. We offer multiple choices in size, design, material, and color for your barn. Let us know your specifications, and we’ll design a custom metal barn for you.
How much space will you need?
Choosing the right size is important to ascertain how much space you will need to keep aside for the metal barn. A tack barn takes less space than a barn for livestock. So, please make sure the kind of barn you’re looking to design before moving further.
We can help you decide what type and size of the barn are right for you, whether you need to store equipment or livestock in your new metal barn, we’ll design everything.
Can it be installed on your property?
Certainly, it can be installed on your property. Check your local authority or municipality to see if you need a building permit for a metal barn. Please make sure if your local building codes require any permission beforehand.
Customize!
You can customize the metal barn according to your need and taste. The idea of owning a metal barn is to own a design that is yours! You can choose to customize the entire size, made, material, roof style, doors and color of your metal barn.
Will it stand up against the weather?
Most barn materials tend to wear down or corrode after facing harsh weather for a long duration. You must determine what kind of climate does your area has and the right type of metal barn which can withstand the weather.
We build our metal barn with stronger gauge steel, extra protective layers, and custom colors. Before ordering a metal barn, look at the different options and styles available that suits your local weather.
Roof Style
The roof for your metal barn generally depends on the climate of your area. However, the styling depends entirely on your own preference. Finding roof styling is comparatively easy when you know your need and budget. We offer multiple choices of styling and material. If you couldn’t find the styling of your taste, we can help you customize the roof as per your need.
VERTICAL ROOF STYLE – BEST
Vertical roof style, also considered the best A-frame roof, works well with heavy snowfall or heavy rain. The vertical panel allows snow and water residue to slide off easily off the roof. In vertical styling, the roof intersects with the side of the barn allowing easy passage for residue or cleaning.
BOXED EAVE STYLE – BETTER
Boxed Eave style lies horizontally to the side of the barn. This is also an A-frame style roof which goes horizontally towards the ground preventing heavy wind. This is a more affordable option than a vertical roof styling.
REGULAR ROOF STYLE- GOOD
Regular style roof is the most economical choice for a metal barn. Regular roof tends to be lighter than Boxed Eave style and works well for an ideal climate. The corrugated ridges run from end to end. This roof style works great in the area with lesser heavy winds and rain. This is perfect for protecting your vehicle from direct sunlight or damage from sun exposure/UV.
Barn Styles
REGULAR ROOF STYLE (Horse Barn)
The Horse style barn is the most economical choice for any roof style. It specializes on a rounded corner roof with an interior leg height of a minimum 9FT. This roof style can be customized according to your need and budget.
A-FRAME ROOF STYLE (Carolina Barn)
The Carolina style is known for its angled roof style. The unique design helps to keep snow and rain away from your storage and equipment. We offer Carolina barn style for barns with 10FT barns and above. The barn appearance can be customized according to your need.
You can choose to add side panels to the barn, the panels will be installed horizontally. As an additional upgrade, you can choose to add side panels vertically while keeping the Roof panels horizontal.
VERTICAL ROOF STYLE (Seneca Barn)
The vertical roof style or Seneca Barn is the most popular design roof styling. It is known for its strong A-Frame vertical roof design. Seneca barn style is more suitable for areas with heavy and strong winds. The 12-gauge thick steel provides enough resistance and tensile against the strong wind.
Talk to our customer service representatives for roof styling options for your new metal barn.
Choosing the Right Size
Choosing the right size of the metal barn is easier when you have all the required details, budget and preference. The size of the barn mainly depends on the availability of space, a number of vehicles and their sizes, and accessibility.
Width sizing Chart
How are you intending to use the metal barn? Do you have any specific equipment that you need to store or livestock, feed, pieces of machinery that you need the shelter? We can help you find the right width sizing for your new metal barn.
There are no “standard” models in metal buildings. Hence, you can choose your own width size for your metal barn.
When measuring the width sizing for a metal barn, we take into account a few factors. The barn will have 3 widths that must be measured.
- The center width is the largest area. It provides the most space for storage. The widest center building we can build is 30FT. Any center width larger than 30FT would be considered a workshop.
- The left and right sides of the barn are generally measured 12FT on each side.
The metal barn comes in variable sizes. However, you can choose your own width for your metal barn. While ordering one, you must be sure that the custom barn is big enough to fit your stuff. Please consult our representative to find the right size of the carport.
Length
The length of your metal barn depends on the items you wish to store. To best determine the length, you can first ascertain the vehicles, equipment, and stock you own and possible width size of the metal barn you may need. The length of your metal barn can be of any length you want. You can choose your own size for the custom metal barn.
The available standard lengths of our metal barn are
21FT, 26FT, 31FT, 36FT and 41FT
Side Height
The height of the metal barn is measured from sides instead of from the tip of the roof to the ground. The height is used to measure the lowest point your vehicle can clear. You’ll want to build a barn that offers just the right amount of height in order to maximize the protection and stability of the building.
You can customize and choose a preferred height for your barn.
Steel Gauge Framing
What’s the difference between 14 gauge and 12 gauge framing?
Many new metal Barn owners have this query while shopping for new metal structure. From the practical point of view, 12 gauge framing is thicker than 14 gauge framing.
Gauge stands for, “the thickness, size, or capacity of something, especially as a standard measure, in particular:” Hence, the thicker the framing the more strength and value it adds to the overall property.
12 gauge Vs 14 Gauge
14 Gauge Framing
A 14 gauge steel frame measures 2 ½” x 2 ½” in diameter. 14 gauge framing tends to be economical than 12 gauge framing and has a lower tensile strength.
The 14-gauge steel is an economical choice and useful for regular barn or the barn for the mild climate areas.
12 Gauge Framing
A 12-gauge steel frame measures 2 ¼” x 2 ¼” in diameter
The 12 gauge framing is more useful for the barn in the areas where there are frequent and heavy snow and wind. It provides more tensile so the chances of breakage are none.
Certification Considerations
Certified v. Non-certified buildings
Most states and cities in the United States require your new metal structure to be inspected and certified for the general safety of the public. The certification is intended to state that the building has been designed by an engineer and can withstand heavy wind and snow load. It becomes necessary in the areas which receive heavy snow and wind.
Some states don’t require any kind of certification or inspection simply because they do not have to worry about heavy snow load or wind.
To get the metal structure inspected, you will require to submit the blueprint of the building for review. In such a case, we’ll provide you with the necessary documentation.
Note: While setting up the base for the metal barn, please ensure the ground is level and the concrete or asphalt slab is sufficiently wide to support the barn.
Additional Options
Additional options simply mean additional features or attributes added to your metal barn. The additional features help for certain situations or customization for a particular need.
Windows
Windows let natural light into your barn giving it an open decorum. Custom windows also add style to your barn allowing air to pass through. You can choose the size of the window that you wish to add in your barn.
Walk-in Door
The Walk-in door lets the barn owner access the building without opening the main panels/garage doors. Walk-in doors can be a great addition to a custom barn and they can always be added after installation. The custom metal barn allows the owner to fit walk-in doors whenever they have budget or need for the same. Do care to talk to our customer representative while installing a metal barn for you.
Garage Doors
We offer a variety of garage door options for your metal barn. Few things to consider before installing garage doors on custom metal barns are;
- Will it have access to electricity?
- Will the metal structure be tall enough to install a garage door?
- Can I add a garage door later?
These will help determine if you can add garage doors and what kind of doors suits you best. You can choose to have garage door for the front or end of the barn. You also have an option to install a garage door on the side of the barn for ease in access for taking vehicle and livestock in and out of the barn.
Panels
A steel panel is a flat structure added to the sides or frames for offering additional support and strength. It also provides an option to enclose your barn for extra protection. It acts as shelving or walls to add additional protection for the vehicles or storage from the weather.
Side panels come handy in the areas with heavy wind. It can also be added after the installation.
J-trim
J-trim is a decorative trim piece installed to the edges of panels. It covers the edges of the panels for added safety and it also gives the entire structure aesthetic appeal. J-trim installation adds additional protection to the barn for homes with young children.
Bows and trusses
The use of Bows and trusses is to provide additional support to the roof by adding supplementary assistance and stability. It is more useful in the areas with heavy snow and rain. The addition of bows and trusses to the roof and sides of the structure extends its holding capacity.
It makes the metal structure stronger and fits well inside the roof. Hence, it doesn’t smudge the overall aesthetic appeal. Our steel barn with a width size of 24 FT will include a bow, and all barn wider than 24 FT will have a truss.
You can add bows and trusses while building the structure, or as well choose to add them to the structure after the installation is complete.
Anchors
Metal anchors provide additional support to the framing or beams of the barn during or after installation. The metal anchors can be inserted into the concrete slabs, poured asphalt or to solid ground.
Our installation experts will add the anchors to the structure during installation. In order to do that, you must first prepare the concrete base or level ground for our staffs to work on.
Colors
We offer 15 colors or swatches for you to choose as the palette of your new metal barn. The colors range from:
Black, Burgundy, Cardinal, Red, Clay, Earth, Brown, EverGreen, Merlot, Pebble Beige, Pewter Gray, Quaker Gray, SandStone, Slate, Blue, Tan, White, etc.
Installation / Site Prep
Installation and Site Prep
Before metal barn can be delivered or installed, we require owners to prepare the site. The preparation includes getting all the required local/state permits, utilities, and space in place.
Ensure that you have leveled the ground for our staffs to start installing the structure on time. In case you haven’t cleared ground beforehand, we may have to reschedule the installation to a later date which may incur an additional charge.
Our crew requires a minimum of 3FT of additional space around the perimeter of leveled ground to bring in trucks and equipment to start the installation. If you couldn’t finish preparing the ground or need professional help, we can recommend a concrete contractor to get the job done for you.
Site Preparation Checklist
Do make sure the surface is level for installation. This is essential if you want to get your building certified for public safety. The newly built metal structure can’t be more than 3 inches off level from either front/back or left/right. If the site isn’t level during the installation, our experts will level the site at an additional fee.
Concrete Pad
- To use a concrete pad as a permanent foundation for the metal structure, you must get the area completely ready, including getting the concrete fully cured and settled.
- Make sure that the concrete pad complies with the guidelines made by your local authority, and get it reviewed by an expert so there aren’t any issues during installation or the certification process.
Overview of the delivery and installation process
Once you have selected the metal barn of your choice, all we need to do is come to your place and begin the installation.
Our representative will get in touch with you and schedule a delivery date/time. Be sure that you have prepared the ground and cleared it off any debris. On the scheduled date, our experts will arrive with materials, trucks, and equipment to install the structure and finish it in time.
If you wish to have your metal barn certified, please let us know before installation so we can get the blueprint ready for you to provide to the inspector.
Pricing
Price Range
The price of a custom metal barn depends on its size, type, roof style and made. The price of our regular 36FT x 21FT horse barn typically starts from $3,500.
If you wish to install a lean-to carport or barn, you’ll find three different styles to choose from Horse, Carolina, and Seneca. The prices for lean-to barns starts from $1,000.
Size
We offer various sizes of the metal barn for both residential and commercial use. However, you can always customize the size of your metal barn. You can buy any standardly-sized barn at a fixed price or provide your own custom measurements to us for a reasonable quote.
Certification
The owners of metal barn need to get their new structure certified by the local authority or the Building and Construction inspector for the public safety. For this, they may need a blueprint of the structure along with the usage of the certified steel frame which we can provide without any extra fee. The price of the metal barn will depend on the specification of your product.
A certified structure for a metal barn requires a steel frame that is built of extra-strength 12-gauge galvanized steel. 12-gauge is thicker than a 14-gauge steel frame and comes with an additional warranty.
A Certified building must withstand the minimum wind rating starting at 80 mph and a snow-load rating starting at 20 lbs per square foot. Depending on your location and climate, you can choose to increase the ratings. The higher the rating, the stronger the structure. You can have a structure with the ability to be rated up to a 150 mph wind and a 60 lbs per square foot snow.
Gauge
A Steel Gauge stands for the thickness, size, or capacity of steel used for making the structure. The thicker the steel, the lesser the gauge and stronger the frame. A 12-gauge steel frame costs more than a 14-gauge steel frame.
14 Gauge Framing
14 gauge framing tends to be economical than 12 gauge framing and has a lower tensile strength. The 14-gauge steel is an economical choice and useful for regular barn or for the barn located in mild climate areas.
12 Gauge Framing
The 12 gauge framing is more useful for the metal barns in the areas where there is frequent and heavy snow and wind. It provides more tensile so the chances of breakage is none.
Galvanized Steel Gauge Chart
| Number | Inches | MM |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0.1681 | 4.269 |
| 9 | 0.1532 | 3.891 |
| 10 | 0.1382 | 3.51 |
| 11 | 0.1233 | 3.1318 |
| 12 | 0.1084 | 2.753 |
| 14 | 0.0785 | 1.9939 |
| 16 | 0.0635 | 1.6129 |
| 18 | 0.0516 | 1.31 |
| 20 | 0.0396 | 1.005 |
| 22 | 0.0336 | 0.853 |
| 24 | 0.0276 | 0.701 |
| 26 | 0.0217 | 0.551 |
| 28 | 0.0187 | 0.474 |
| 30 | 0.0157 | 0.398 |
Depends upon Addition Options
Additional options simply mean adding supplementary features or attributes to your metal barn. The additional features help for certain situations or customization for a particular need. The additional feature may include Gable, J-trim, bows and trusses, windows, walk-in door, garage door and anchors.
Additional features to your barn are cheaper when you add it during the installation. If you choose to add features to the installed structure, it may require additional work and modifications which may cost more.
State
The condition and guideline for building a metal barn may differ from one state to another.
Metal Barn FAQs
Can I customize my metal barn after installation?
Certainly, you can always customize your metal barn according to your budget and need. You can always add additional features to your metal barn after it has been installed. However, we suggest you install the required features during installation to save cost later.
Do let us know if you wish to add any additions to your metal barn after it has been installed, or plan to have any additional features in the future. Some of the common additions into a metal barn are electric doors, walk-in door, windows, insulation, bows and trusses, and gables.
It is economical in the long run if you can install a custom barn with all the features. Even though, if you wish to have a custom barn with options to add features later on, that is Ok. We’ll recommend best tips to help you save cost in the future.
What can I customize in my metal barn?
You can customize your metal barn according to your need and order the same for installation. We offer complete customization for your metal barn. You can choose from color, width, length, height, made, steel-gauge to style for your new metal structure. Most of your customers choose to customize their product before it’s been installed. This way, they are happy with their custom metal barn.
You can customize according to your budget and preference.
Can I include electric or water in my metal barn?
Many of the new metal Barn owners choose to add running water or electricity inside the structure. We do not install the electric or plumbing inside the barn as it is not covered by our service policy. However, you can prepare the concrete slab or base for your barn and make sure that you get all pipes laid and accounted for. This will include the complete plumbing and pipe fixtures.
You should consult with an electrician beforehand if you plan to add interior or exterior lighting on your metal structure.
What is the widest barn offered?
Our barns come in all shape and sizes. The widest barn we offer is up to 54FT wide, with a center width of 30FT and 12FT on each side. This standard design helps to keep the structure strong while preventing wear down from high wind and snow. The height and length of the metal barn can be customized according to your need.
What are the color options for my metal barn?
We offer 15 different shades for a custom metal barn. You can choose from any color or shade that you prefer will suit your taste. We also offer color customization with the garage doors, roof, side-walls, walk-in door and windows.
Should I insulate my barn?
Insulation provides additional protection and support to your metal barn from the cold weather. It also helps to prevent frost or condensation and preserve heat inside the barn. Your equipment, stores, or livestock needs certain temperature which can be maintained with insulation.
Insulation also comes handy during winter. It also helps to provide heat when you work inside the barn during the cold. Not only will it better your equipment and stores from the cold outside, but with insulation, you will also prevent sweating or condensation from collecting inside the enclosed metal building.
What do I need to prepare for the installation?
Before metal barn or the structure can be delivered and installed, the owners are required to have the site prepared in advance. The preparation includes getting all the required local/state permits, utilities, and space in place.
Ensure that you have leveled the ground or surface for our experts to start installing the structure. In case you haven’t cleared ground beforehand, our experts will have to reschedule or postpone the installation which may cost an additional fee.
Our crew requires a minimum of 3FT of additional space around the perimeter of leveled ground to bring in trucks and equipment to start the installation. If you couldn’t finish preparing the ground or need professional help, we can recommend a concrete contractor to get the job done for you.
What kind of foundation is required?
The metal barn structure can be built on piers or a concrete foundation. Many metal barns require piers. If they are used, we remove the base angle and use only a base girt. Base girt is thicker metal which easily supports the sidewall sheathing without the use of any concrete foundation.
What foundation thickness do you recommend?
The thickness of foundation is generally determined by a foundation engineer or your local official. The foundation can be 4 inches to 8 inches thicker according to the state and its climate.
