Some Things to Know About Adding on to an Existing Building
If you already have a pole building that you love, but you find yourself wishing for some extra space, then an addition is a great way to maximize the value you get from your garage, workshop, horse barn, or shed.
Before you decide to add on to your pole building, consider all of the relevant details, and make sure that it’s the best option for you.
Top Things to Think About Before Adding On to A Pole Building
Although it may seem simple to add square footage to an existing structure, it’s more complicated than you might imagine. As you begin investigating this sort of project, these are the questions that you’ll encounter:
Do You Know The Engineering of Your Building?
If, for example, Beehive Buildings previously built a workshop for you and you reach out to us about expanding that workshop, then you won’t have to worry about this question—we’ll already have your engineered plans on file.
On the other hand, if you ask a different contractor to complete your addition than the one who initially built your pole building, then things will be a bit more complicated.
Can You Get Your Building Plans?
If you want to work with a new contractor when adding on to your pole building, you’ll have a much easier time if you can get your hands on your old building plans. This will allow the new contractor to see the engineering (specifically as it relates to the roof loads and the footings).
Is Your Building Extremely Old?
The older your building is, the more difficulty you’re probably going to have figuring out the original engineering. This doesn’t mean that you can’t add on to your building, it simply means that it’s going to be much more expensive.
Are You On A Tight Budget?
If you do not have access to your original building plans, the only safe way to add on to your pole building is to structurally support the addition as its own building. While this is certainly a viable option, it’s going to be expensive—in some cases, it’s more expensive to add on to an existing building this way than it is to build a new one.
If you’re considering adding on to your pole building, chances are that it’s very doable one way or another. The process will be much simpler if you have the original building plans; if you don’t, then the project may still be possible, it will just be more complicated and more expensive.
Now that you have more insight into what it takes to add on to a pole building, contact us to discuss expanding the size of your building!