A pole barn has a million uses for any handy homeowner. From storing your lawnmower and landscaping tools to providing you the space you need for a workshop or additional garage parking, a pole barn is an easy, cost-effective way to get more storage on your property.
Pole barns, built using a post-frame construction method, are exceptionally durable and can be put together in days or weeks, rather than the months it would take for a traditional stick-built garage. The added benefit is that they’re a reasonable do-it-yourself project if you’re comfortable with construction. If you’re planning to DIY your pole barn, you have two options: buy a pole barn kit, or gather and buy your own materials.
Pole Barn Kit vs. Buying Your Own Pole Barn Building Materials: What’s the Best Option?
As you might expect, there are pros and cons to both buying a pole barn kit and choosing to buy your pole barn building materials on your own. The right option for you depends on your goals. Are you looking to save money and build exactly the pole barn you’ve always wanted? Or is getting that pole barn built quickly your top priority?
When it comes to buying a pole barn kit vs buying materials, it’s important to first assess your goals and your experience level.
- If you’re a handy homeowner who has built plenty of sheds and pole barns, you’re probably best off buying your own pole barn building materials.
- If you’re handy with a hammer but relatively new to the building process, a pole barn kit might be the better option.
Let’s dive a little deeper into the pros and cons of each option, so you can get a clear picture of which pole barn building method is right for you.
Buying a Pole Barn Kit: The Pros and Cons
If you’re looking to build a pole barn, and you want it up as quickly as possible, a pole barn kit might be right for you. In general, you can walk into a big box store like Menards or Home Depot , and pick up a pole barn kit with everything you need to get that building up. Here are the few of the positives that come with buying a pole barn kit:
- All the materials you need in one place
- Everything is pre-measured and ready to put up
- They’re fast and easy to buy
That said, as with any purchase, you’re paying for the convenience of a pole barn kit. Here are a few of the negatives that come with purchasing a pole barn kit.
- It’s often more expensive to buy the kit than to buy materials individually
- You have limited, if any, customization options
- You don’t have control over the quality of the materials
The biggest concern for most DIYers here is the price. Think of a pole barn kit like buying a coffee, rather than making it at home. You could make a simple black coffee at home for less than a dollar a cup. Or, you can go to the coffee shop and pay three to five dollars for that same cup of coffee that someone else makes for you.
When you pay for a pole barn kit, you’re also paying for the work it takes to assemble and put together each of the materials in the kit. For some, this might be reasonable, since it is a time-saver. But, if you’re an experienced DIYer, chances are you can get higher-quality materials for your pole barn for less, by buying them separately at your local lumber supply store. Let’s take a look at that option.
Buying Pole Barn Building Materials On Your Own
The main benefit of purchasing a pole barn kit is convenience. On the other side of the coin, when you purchase your pole barn building materials separately, you can often get much higher-quality materials for a price that’s competitive. What’s more, you get exactly the materials you want, rather than whatever the assembler has chosen for you. Here’s a look at the positives of buying your pole barn materials outside of a kit:
- The materials you like for your pole barn
- Custom options — you can choose whatever design is best for your pole barn
- It’s often cheaper to buy materials separately
- You get to look at and assess the quality of each component before you make the purchase
Essentially, when you purchase your own pole barn building materials, you have the control. You get to decide how many windows your pole barn will have, whether it will have an overhang, what type of doors, and more. Outside of design, you also get to select the quality materials that will go into your finished product. That means you can spend money on the components that matter most to you, and save on other materials that aren’t as important.
But, like any building method, buying your own materials can have its negatives as well. Here are a few of the cons of buying pole barn materials on your own:
- You have to spend time finding the right materials
- You’ll need to estimate how much of each material you need
- Gathering a list of all the materials you’ll need might take a bit more time
Buying a Pole Barn Kit vs. Buying Building Materials: What’s the Best Option for Me?
After reading through the pros and cons of each option, you probably have a good idea of which option is best for you.
A pole barn kit is right for you if you don’t have the time or the experience to buy materials on your own. If you’re not comfortable estimating how much material you need, and if you’re not hung up on a custom design, a pole barn kit might suit you just fine.
Buying pole barn building materials is a good idea if you place a high value on the quality of the final product, and you value having a customized space that fits your exact needs. If you are going for a specific design, and want an end product that’s built to stand the test of time, you’re better off sourcing the materials yourself. You’ll be able to pick and choose the options that best suit your build.
If you’re planning to build your own pole barn, and you know you want to have your investment go further while putting up a high-quality building, the Zeeland Lumber & Supply team is here to help. We have all the building materials you need to put together a pole barn that’s perfect for you. From high-quality lumber to the exterior finishings, we’ve got it all, and we’d be happy to work directly with you to make sure you have the right amount of each material to build your ideal pole barn.
Not exactly sure which materials you’ll need for your upcoming project? Zeeland Lumber & Supply has you covered there too. Check out our Post-Frame Building Materials Checklist for a complete rundown of everything you’ll need to gather to get started on that post-frame construction project.
For more information, give our team a call at 888-772-2119, or fill out our detailed post-frame construction quote request for a personalized, specific quote for your upcoming project. Our team will get back to you with the materials and information you need to get started building whenever you’re ready.
