How to Prep Your Site for a Pole Barn

Pole building construction prepDeciding to add a pole barn to your property can be exciting, and you may already be envisioning how you’ll use this new space. However, before you get too carried away planning your pole barn’s layout and features, you’ll need to choose a building site and prep the site for your pole barn. While pole barns are designed to be durable, being strategic when choosing your location will help ensure the building will stay in great condition for years to come and that you are able to fully enjoy the space.

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Site

When deciding where to build your pole barn, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Can I build on my preferred site and stay in compliance with county and local zoning requirements?
  • How easy will it be to get to this site from my home or the road?
  • Will I be able to easily transport materials and any necessary construction equipment to this site?
  • Do I have enough space if I decide to expand my pole building later?
  • Are there any weather conditions (e.g. high wind on the top of a hill, potential flooding of a low site) that could be an issue?

Answering these questions will help you rule out any problematic pole barn building sites and narrow down your choices to the best fits.

Tips for Choosing and Preparing Your Pole Barn Site

One of the most important things to think about when selecting a pole barn building site is water drainage—you don’t want to choose a site to which water will flow, or you’ll have to deal with muddy treks to your pole barn, a breeding ground for insects, and possible flood damage. If you’re not sure where water flows on your property, walk around the next time it rains and take note. You’ll ideally want to find a flat space that is elevated enough to drain well.

If the only land available to you is uneven or sloped, you’ll have to increase the grade so that water can drain away from the site. You may need to add a compactable fill, such as crushed stone, in order to raise or level the site before you add the building pad. For Hansen Pole building kits, the ground will need to be within eight inches of level to use our standard pole lengths. If you’re dealing with a steep slope, you may need to hire an excavator to cut into the bank.

When clearing your site to prepare for leveling, you’ll need to remove top soil and vegetation up to four feet beyond the pole building dimensions. As you begin construction on your pole barn, plan to leave space around the perimeter so that you’ll easily be able to access the building from all sides and have space to clear snow (if you live somewhere with harsh winters).

To get more tips on preparation for your pole building site and constructing a pole barn from a Hansen Pole customizable kit, visit our Pole Building Learning Center. If you have a specific question, you can ask the Pole Barn Guru or contact us directly at 1-866-200-9657.

4 thoughts on “How to Prep Your Site for a Pole Barn

  1. I appreciate you helping me learn more about pole barn site preparation. The list of questions you’ve set here is really helpful and material. On the other hand, your tip on leaving a space around the perimeter is remarkable and really make sense!

    Reply
  2. My husband wants to have a pole barn built on our property, but we weren’t sure where would be the best location. Thank you for the tip to pay attention to where your water drains so that you don’t have a muddy location or possible flood damage. This will also help us in the summers so that we don’t have to deal with insects around the pole barn.

    Reply
  3. That’s good to know that you want to choose a place that drains water properly so you won’t have muddy treks for your barn. This is really helpful since my brother wants to have a pole barn for his pigs so he and his son can raise them better, so I’m helping him look into what he should do. I’ll have to tell him about this so he can find a company that can help him determine which spot will be best for construction so he won’t have any problems with the structure later.

    Reply
  4. It really helped when you talked about pole barns and what to consider when building one. Recently, my cousin said he’s interested in adding a barn to his country house. My cousin wants to start a farming business in the future, so I think your article will definitely help him. Thanks for the advice on checking your construction site’s space when choosing it for a pole barn.

    Reply

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