Planning out a new pole barn can be a lot of fun! With all the sections being laid out to fill their purpose and getting all the exterior colors picked out. Sometimes though, things that are less exciting can get overlooked and cause delays when you are ready to finally start your project.
Here are a few items to keep in mind as you start planning out your new pole barn:
Permits:
Some locations and building types don’t take long to pull a permit and you can get it done within a few days or even quicker, however, some counties/towns require a lot more paperwork and can take weeks or even months to get through the process of approval to build. Usually, it is more difficult to obtain a permit if you live within city/town limits or have a small lot, but the other big culprit for delays is getting a variance for putting a barn closer to lot lines, building taller, or building in front of the house. Before you get too far along in your project, you should call your local building department and see what they will require in order to get a permit. Costs vary quite a bit as well, but most simple residential pole barn permits end up somewhere between $150-$450 for permit costs.
Changes:
Changing your building design is definitely going to happen as planning comes together to some extent, but before you book a builder, it is helpful if you can get the main building layout decided so that multiple changes don’t have to be made last minute. If a building is changed in size after permits are pulled, then they have to be updated and if materials are already on order, it makes it tougher for your builder to make sure everything works together well and arrives on time, especially with custom windows/doors. Change orders happen on almost every project, but trying to limit them to a minimum will help your process run smoother and quicker!
Timing:
We talk to hundreds of folks every year that are excited to start their new barn right away, only to realize that most good pole barn builders are booked out anywhere from 2 to 6 months! While we try to keep our lead times to 6-8 weeks, schedule and weather usually push it much longer than that. Your best bet is to talk to a builder when you are about 6 months from wanting to start in order to have time to get through planning, permitting and scheduling. If you are not in a rush and can wait longer, you may find builders are more excited to work with you as they will be able to work their schedule better to fit you in. Here at Milmar, we are always trying our best to be on or ahead of our schedules as much as possible!
Site prep:
Site prep for the new barn may not be very exciting, but if you start with a good, solid, level and clean site, it makes building your barn much quicker and less likely to problems from working with muddy or unlevel ground. Your builder may be able to do the site prep themselves or they may recommend using a professional excavator, but the basics are the same. Check out our post HERE for more info on site prep for pole barns.
A lot more goes into planning for a pole barn, but these are some of the common “time draggers” we see pop up for people and we want to help you avoid those!
Contact Milmar today if you are in our building region and want to start planning for your new pole barn project!