How Much Does A Pole Building Cost?

What You Can Expect to Pay for Your Dream Building and Why

Updated 6/17/2021 to reflect current pricing.

If there’s one question we receive at Beehive Buildings from nearly everyone who’s considering a pole building for their property, it’s “how much is it going to cost?”

We get it—cost is important, and once you establish a rough budget, you can better flesh out a plan for additional options and accessories.

The problem is, there are many factors that influence the cost of a pole building and make it difficult to offer a concrete approximation. Everything from location and size to windows and insulation can influence the price of a pole building.

Still, we understand that cost is a major consideration when taking on any project, so we’ll delve into some realistic price ranges, and discuss the factors that can impact your final cost.

How Much Does A Pole Building Cost?

On average, a pole building costs between $35,000 and $70,000; that range includes a concrete floor and some basic accessories.

As you might imagine, even this wide span in price is extremely variable; it can shift dramatically if you choose to include features like insulation, porches, or windows. For example, the approximate cost of this building was about $135,000, but the approximate cost of this pole barn sat right around $25,000.

In-building accessories aren’t the only factors that influence price, either; even considerations like location can have some bearing on what you pay for a pole building.

To further illustrate exactly how pricing works for pole buildings, let’s explore some specific examples.

Standard building with minimal options

As the name implies, standard pole buildings don’t come with many extra accessories. These buildings feature 6×6 solid treated wood poles that are installed in concrete pier footing; additionally, standard buildings utilize 2×6 standard girts for wall framing and 2×6 purlins for roof framing.

Beyond that, a standard pole building includes 29-gauge steel wall panels and trim, one personnel door, and one garage door. All told, the price range for a standard pole building is roughly $32-$38 per square foot.

This means that a 24 x 36 (864 square foot) standard pole building would cost between $27,648 and $32,832 to construct, depending on the factors mentioned previously.

It’s worth pointing out you may find estimates significantly lower than this as you research the cost of a pole building, but many of these don’t account for the cost of labor or preparation at all.

Deluxe pole building

A deluxe pole building features all of the components of a standard pole building along with a concrete floor, plus additional options, like:

• 6” thick R-19 insulation
• 12” overhangs on the roof
• Double X doors on the front wall (hay doors)
• Multiple windows
• Steel wainscoting on all sides

These are just a few of the enhancements you can explore with a deluxe pole building; the typical price range for one of these buildings runs roughly $39-$50 per square foot.
Using the same 24 x 36 foot building by way of example, you could expect to pay between $33,696 and $43,200 for a deluxe pole building depending upon other determining factors.

Material-only pole building

There’s a chance that some of you may just have the necessary skills and expertise to construct your pole building on your own, so you’re only in the market for the materials. In order to pull this off, you’ll need to be able to read plans, call upon vast framing knowledge, and generally rely on yourself to complete this project from the start to finish.

There’s a chance that some of you may just have the necessary skills and expertise to construct your pole building on your own, so you’re only in the market for the materials. In order to pull this off, you’ll need to be able to read plans, call upon vast framing knowledge, and generally rely on yourself to complete this project from the start to finish.

If you feel confident in your abilities to DIY your pole building, materials and engineered plans (without any accessories or concrete footings) will cost you somewhere in this neighborhood:

• $16,000 – $22,000 for a small pole building (500-800 square feet)
• $22,000 – $40,000 for a medium pole building (800-2,000 square feet)
• $40,000 – $155,000 for a large pole building (2,000-10,000 square feet)

These three broad categories allow us to discuss cost generally, but as we keep mentioning, the specific details are what really impact the cost of a pole building.  

Other Factors That Affect Price

Every situation is different, so it’s impossible to outline every single point that might cost you extra when you invest in a pole building, but these are some likely culprits.

Concrete floor

One of the most common accessories included with pole buildings is a concrete floor. A standard concrete floor is 4 inches thick; we also include up to 4 inches of gravel or road base to prepare for the concrete.

The price range for a standard concrete floor is about $5.25-$7.40 per square foot.

In turn, you could purchase a concrete floor for the same 24 x 36 foot building mentioned above for between $3,762 and $5,400.

Travel

Earlier we stated that location can impact the price of a pole building; this is due in part to the fact that the crew will need to travel to your property, so if you’re looking to construct a building way off the beaten path, you’ll have to pay for that seclusion. Travel costs can range anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on the specific scenario.

Landscape

Certain pieces of property simply aren’t suited for a new building without some significant preparation in the first place. If your land is especially steep and needs leveling or requires clearing, then you can expect a higher overall cost for your pole building.

Insulation, Internal Fixtures & Other Finishing Costs

As mentioned above, the cost of insulation can be built into our deluxe pole building pricing, but there are certain things (like electricity, cabinetry, and more) that are separate from the initial price of your pole building, and that you’ll want to factor into your overall budget if they’re on your to-do list.

There are many other details that can change the final cost of your pole building, but these are the most likely to play a large role in your budget.

All of the ranges outlined here are very general jumping-off points that can swing significantly in either direction depending upon the specifics of your project, but hopefully these figures are helpful in guiding your initial budget for your pole building.

As broad as the estimates we’ve provided here may be, the good news is that we can easily firm up a more definite cost for your project. To get a clearer picture of precisely what your dream building will cost, contact us for a free quote!